Welcome to the Oregon Encyclopedia.
Explore Oregon's history and culture — from Athapaskan Indians to Zigzag Ranger Station
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July: It's summer!
Have a picnic and explore an Oregon State Park.
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Ecola State Park
Ecola State Park stretches for 1,023 acres from the north end of Cannon Beach to Seaside on Oregon’…
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Nehalem Bay State Park
Nehalem Bay State Park occupies almost 900 acres on a sand spit separating Nehalem Bay from the Pac…
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Oswald West State Park
Shortly after Samuel Boardman became Oregon’s first director of state parks in 1929, he received a …
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Samuel H. Boardman State Park
The Samuel H. Boardman State Park is a 1,471-acre, 11-mile, linear park consisting of a stunning sw…
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Silver Falls State Park
Silver Falls State Park, located about twenty miles southeast of Salem, is the largest state park i…
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Smith Rock State Park
Smith Rock State Park encompasses 652 acres near Redmond and Terrebonne, in the semi-arid High Dese…
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Tryon State Park
Located in southwest Portland, Tryon Creek State Park is a 635-acre, undeveloped natural area that …
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
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Amanda Wood Reed (1832–1904)
Amanda Wood Reed was an early twentieth-century philanthropist and the …
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Anzen
Anzen was Portland’s oldest Japanese grocery and gift shop, first in Ni…
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Bonnie Merrill (1935–2019)
Bonnie Merrill, a dancer, teacher, and choreographer, was a founder and…
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Hood River Irrigation
Irrigation in the Hood River Valley, about sixty miles east of Portland…
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Mill Creek Correctional Facility
The Mill Creek Correctional Facility, located on Turner Road southeast …
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Pronto Pups
A Pronto Pup is a popular fast food invented in Oregon and marketed nat…
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Rockey House
Rockey House was a country estate built in 1913 on eight acres of land …
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Vancouver Barracks
Established in 1849, Vancouver Barracks played a pivotal role in region…
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Wheat Farming in Oregon
In the United States, wheat is consistently among the top five crops in…
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.
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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.