Welcome to the Oregon Encyclopedia.
Explore Oregon's history and culture — from Athapaskan Indians to Zigzag Ranger Station
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March: Women's History Month
Explore Women's History Topics on The Oregon Encyclopedia.
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![Bonnie Hill (1945–2019)]()
Bonnie Hill (1945–2019)
Bonnie Hill was an important figure in the herbicide-spraying controversies in Oregon forests durin…
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![Edith Henry Kilbuck (1931–2008)]()
Edith Henry Kilbuck (1931–2008)
Edith Kilbuck was a noted harpsichordist, pianist, and professor of music at Lewis & Clark College …
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![Eva Castellanoz (1939- )]()
Eva Castellanoz (1939- )
Eva Castellanoz—traditional artist, curandera (healer), activist, and teacher—is a leading spokespe…
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![Hattie Bratzel Kremen (1908–1996)]()
Hattie Bratzel Kremen (1908–1996)
Hattie Bratzel Kremen was Oregon’s first elected female district attorney. She was one of two women…
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![Hazel Ying Lee (1912-1944)]()
Hazel Ying Lee (1912-1944)
Hazel Ying Lee, who was born and educated in Oregon, was the first Chinese American woman to fly fo…
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![Jean Kitts Young (1904–1992)]()
Jean Kitts Young (1904–1992)
During her life, Jean Kitts Young amassed a half-century of volunteer service and political activis…
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![Kathryn Hall Bogle (1906 - 2003)]()
Kathryn Hall Bogle (1906 - 2003)
A freelance journalist, social worker, and community activist, Kathryn Hall Bogle is remembered as …
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![Mercedes Deiz (1917–2005)]()
Mercedes Deiz (1917–2005)
Mercedes Deiz was a trailblazer in the Oregon legal community. She was the first Black woman admitt…
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![Shizue Iwatsuki (1897–1984)]()
Shizue Iwatsuki (1897–1984)
A humble wife, mother, and public servant in Hood River, Shizue Iwatsuki was also an internationall…
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![Victoria (Wishikin) Wacheno Howard (c. 1865-1930)]()
Victoria (Wishikin) Wacheno Howard (c. 1865-1930)
Victoria (Wishikin) Wacheno Howard was the teller of Clackamas Chinook narratives and traditions tr…
Feeling adventurous? How Oregonian of you.
Or may we suggest…
Explore OHS Digital History Projects
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Wayfinder
An interactive map of notable places, people, and events in Oregon history.
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Oregon History Project
The Research Library at the Oregon Historical Society provides direct access to digitized and digital materials as well as narratives from Pacific Northwest historians.
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Oregon TimeWeb
An interactive timeline of archival materials and historical scholarship on the history of Oregon.
This Just In
New Entries
"We could see the top of one hill and think that was the last. But when we gained that, others kept rising before us. To look back, in retreat, seemed utterly out of the question. To look forward was to look directly upwards, as the ascent seemed almost perpendicular." Harriet Hitchcock, 13, 1865, Oregon Trail
No. 7
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![Adams-Onís Treaty (1819)]()
Adams-Onís Treaty (1819)
The oldest political terrestrial state boundary of Oregon—the southern …
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![Ardyth Kennelly (1912–2005)]()
Ardyth Kennelly (1912–2005)
Novelist and artist Ardyth Kennelly was “one of the last of a celebrate…
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![Commercial Salmon Fishing in the Columbia River]()
Commercial Salmon Fishing in the Columbia River
Salmon fisheries have a long history in Oregon, going back to as many a…
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![Herman the Sturgeon]()
Herman the Sturgeon
Herman the Sturgeon is a 10-foot-long, 500-pound white sturgeon who has…
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![Lafayette]()
Lafayette
The town of Lafayette, situated in the Willamette Valley between McMinn…
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![Larry Mahan (1943–2023)]()
Larry Mahan (1943–2023)
Larry Mahan was a six-time all-around world champion cowboy and a two-t…
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![Lisa Malinowski Steinman (1950–)]()
Lisa Malinowski Steinman (1950–)
Lisa M. Steinman writes “to make sense of myself and the world,” she to…
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![Margaret Comstock Snell (1843–1923)]()
Margaret Comstock Snell (1843–1923)
Margaret Comstock Snell was a pioneering domestic scientist who in 1889…
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![Marion Sayle Taylor (1889–1942)]()
Marion Sayle Taylor (1889–1942)
Marion Sayle Taylor was the Voice of Experience, a radio personality wh…
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![Richard Steiner (1901–1975)]()
Richard Steiner (1901–1975)
Richard Steiner was the senior minister of the First Unitarian Church i…
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![Rocky Butte]()
Rocky Butte
Rocky Butte is a 612-foot-high extinct cinder cone volcano in Portland,…
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![Seneca]()
Seneca
Seneca is a small town in Bear Valley near the Blue Mountains and the M…
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![Sylvia Williams Thompson (1873–1950)]()
Sylvia Williams Thompson (1873–1950)
In January 1920, during a special session called by Governor Ben W. Olc…
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![Vale]()
Vale
The City of Vale is about twelve miles west of the Oregon-Idaho state l…
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![Walter Alan Curtis (1941–2023)]()
Walter Alan Curtis (1941–2023)
Walt Curtis was an Oregon writer, painter, and literary activist and—in…
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![William Schonely (1929–2023)]()
William Schonely (1929–2023)
Bill Schonely wasn’t just the longest tenured broadcaster in the histor…
The OE is Green!
Our editorial process is completely paperless — authors and editors use a one-of-a-kind online workshop developed by Portland State University. We've published hundreds of authoritative entries on Oregon history and culture without hurting a single Douglas Fir. Donate your green to The OE and keep us — and the trees — growing.
Additional Funding
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This project has been funded in part by the Oregon Heritage Commission and the Oregon Cultural Trust
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This project has been funded in part by an American Rescue Plan Act Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the State Library of Oregon.
Project Partners
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![https://oregoncouncilofteachersofenglish.wildapricot.org/]()
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![https://willamette.edu/]()
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