Welcome to the Oregon Encyclopedia.
Explore Oregon's history and culture — from Athapaskan Indians to Zigzag Ranger Station
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Native American Heritage Month
Learn about the history, cultures, and contributions of Native Americans who live in the state we now call Oregon.
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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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Anzen
Anzen was Portland’s oldest Japanese grocery and gift shop, first in Ni…
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Barbara Drake (1939–)
Poet, essayist, and educator Barbara Drake makes the places in Oregon w…
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Bonnie Merrill (1935–2019)
Bonnie Merrill, a dancer, teacher, and choreographer, was a founder and…
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Clackamas Wilderness
The rugged upland watershed of the Clackamas River lies within the Moun…
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Douglas Ralph Emlong (1942–1980)
Douglas Emlong was a renowned amateur fossil collector on the central O…
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Joe Sacco (1960–)
Portland cartoonist Joe Sacco tells personal stories of the victims of …
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North Campus site, Oregon State Hospital
The Oregon State Hospital (originally called the Oregon State Insane As…
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Paint Your Wagon (film)
A movie often considered to be one of the greatest Hollywood flops of a…
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Terry Porter (1963–)
A staple of Oregon’s collegiate and professional basketball history, Te…
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Toni Pimble (1953–)
Toni Pimble, one of the first women to lead an American ballet company,…
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Willamette Falls Paper Mills (West Side)
From Oregon’s earliest settlement, the effort to harness the power of t…
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.