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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![Cathlapotle]()
Cathlapotle
Cathlapotle is the archaeological site of a major Chinookan town located in the Portland-Vancouver …
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![Celilo Falls]()
Celilo Falls
Celilo Falls (also known as Horseshoe Falls) was located on the mid-Columbia River about twelve mil…
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![Chinook Jargon (Chinuk Wawa)]()
Chinook Jargon (Chinuk Wawa)
According to our best information, the name "Chinook" (pronounced with "ch" as in church) originate…
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![Dogbane (hemp)]()
Dogbane (hemp)
Dogbane (Apocynum sp.) is a short herbaceous plant whose name refers to the plant’s toxicity to dog…
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![Fort Rock Sandals]()
Fort Rock Sandals
Fort Rock sandals are a distinctive type of ancient fiber footwear found in southeast Oregon and no…
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![Hobsonville Indian Community]()
Hobsonville Indian Community
The Hobsonville Indian Community was a Native settlement on Tillamook Bay, just southeast of Gariba…
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![Indian Place (Seaside)]()
Indian Place (Seaside)
Indian Place was a Native community on the Necanicum River estuary in present-day Seaside, on the n…
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![Indian Use of Fire in Early Oregon]()
Indian Use of Fire in Early Oregon
Anthropogenic (human-caused) fire was a major component of the Native system of land and resource m…
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![Native Art of the Wapato Valley]()
Native Art of the Wapato Valley
Sauvie Island, at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers, was the geographical focus …
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![Pine nuts]()
Pine nuts
Pine nuts, the edible seeds of Pinus sp. trees, are a key food source for many species, including b…
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![Portland Basin Chinookan Villages in the early 1800s]()
Portland Basin Chinookan Villages in the early 1800s
During the early nineteenth century, upwards of thirty Native American villages were documented in …
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![Spirit Mountain]()
Spirit Mountain
Spirit Mountain, whose Yamel (Yamhill) Kalapuya name is dji’ntu, is a sacred site to the Confederat…
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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![Anzen]()
Anzen
Anzen was Portland’s oldest Japanese grocery and gift shop, first in Ni…
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![Bonnie Merrill (1935–2019)]()
Bonnie Merrill (1935–2019)
Bonnie Merrill, a dancer, teacher, and choreographer, was a founder and…
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![Cecil Leroy Edwards (1906–1995)]()
Cecil Leroy Edwards (1906–1995)
When Cecil Edwards became Oregon’s first legislative historian in 1976,…
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![Columbia City]()
Columbia City
Columbia City is on the west/left bank of the Columbia River about thir…
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![Douglas Ralph Emlong (1942–1980)]()
Douglas Ralph Emlong (1942–1980)
Douglas Emlong was a renowned amateur fossil collector on the central O…
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![Toni Pimble (1953–)]()
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)]()
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.
Project Partners
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![https://www.pdx.edu/]()
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![https://oregoncouncilofteachersofenglish.wildapricot.org/]()
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![https://willamette.edu/]()
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![https://wou.edu/]()
