Oregon - State Symbols, Fun Facts, Photos, Visitor Info

"The Bible...is the one supreme source of revelation of the meaning of life, the nature of God and spiritual nature and needs of men. It is the only guide of life which really leads the spirit in the way of peace and salvation. America was born a Christian nation."

President

James Monroe

"The liberty, prosperity, and the happiness of our country will always be the object of my most fervent prayers to the Supreme Author of All Good."

March 5, 1821 Inaugural Address

President

James Madison

"Before any man can be considered as a member of civil society, he must be considered as a subject of the Governor of the Universe. And to the same Divine Author of every good and perfect gift [James 1:17] we are indebted for all those privileges and advantages, religious as well as civil, which are so richly enjoyed in this favored land."

President

Theodore Roosevelt

"To every man who faces life with real desire to do his part in everything, I appeal for a study of the Bible."

President

Ronald Reagan

“Faith and religion play a critical role in the political life of our nation -- and always has. The church -- all denominations --has had a strong influence on the state. And this has worked to our benefit as a nation... The Founding Fathers... understood that there is a divine order which transcends the human order. "

President

Harry S. Truman

“The fundamental basis of this nation's law was given to Moses on the Mount. The fundamental basis of our Bill of Rights comes from the teaching we get from Exodus and St. Matthew, from Isaiah and St. Paul. I don't think we emphasize that enough these days.

President

Calvin Coolidge

The government of a country never gets ahead of the religion of a country. There is no way by which we can substitute the authority of law for the virtue of men. Of course we can help to restrain the vicious and furnish a fair degree of security and protection by legislation and police control, but the real reform which society in these days is seeking will come as a result of religious convictions, or they will not come at all. Peace, justice, charity -- these cannot be legislated into being. They are the result of Divine Grace.”

President

Harry S. Truman

If we don't have the proper fundamental moral background, we will finally end up with a totalitarian government which does not believe in the right for anybody except the state."

President

Oregon
Entered the Union: February 14, 1859 (33)	Capital: Salem
Origin of Name: Unknown. First used by Jonathan Carver in 1778 – taken from the writings of Major Robert Rogers, an English army officer. It may derive from the word "ooligan" an Indian word for the smelt, a fish widely traded in the western parts of North America. Another possibility is a deritive of the French ouragan, meaning storm or hurricane.
State Nickname: Beaver State	State Flower: Oregon Grape
State Bird: Western Meadowlark	State Tree: Douglas Fir
State Insect: Oregon Swallowtail	State Animal: American Beaver
State Fish: The Chinook Salmon	State Nut: Hazelnut
State Rock: The Thunder-egg (geode)	State Beverage: Milk
State Song: “Oregon, My Oregon"	State Gem: Oregon sunstone
State Motto: Alis volat Propriis (She flies with her own wings)
National Park: 1 • National Forests: 13 • State Parks: 231
Famous for: Crater Lake, Mt. Hood, Oregon Dunes, Columbia River, Tillamook Cheese
Famous Oregonians: Robert Gray (discovered Columbia River), Chief Joseph (Nez Perce), Dave Kingman (baseball), Jane Powell (actress & singer), Doc Severinsen (band leader), Sally Struthers (actress)
Native Animals and Birds: Click on photos of the animals and birds on this page to find out more about them and to hear the sounds they make.

State Fair: Salem

Oregon Forests

Oregon State Parks

Coastal Oregon Historic Sites

Oregon Trail Historic Sites

Oregon Historic Sites & Museums

Oregon History

Mulnomah Falls - 2nd highest in USA

Crater Lake National Park

Windsurfing Capital of the World

Skiing in Oregon

Fishing in Oregon

Hunting in Oregon

Oregon Wildlife Viewing

Listen to W. Meadowlark's Song

Oregon Photo Galleries - 1

Oregon Tulip Gallery

Oregon Trail Museum Gallery

Oregon Butterfly Gallery

Birds of the Northwest Gallery

Portland Rose Garden Gallery

Oregon Homeschooling

Oregon Resorts

Oregon RV Parks

Oregon Hotels and Reviews

The first people probably came by a land bridge from Siberia over to Alaska, and then filtered southward to the Pacific Northwest 14,000 years ago. Along the coast of Oregon lived Salishan, Penutian, and Athapaskan. In central and eastern Oregon were Sahaptian. In the southeast were the Northern Paiutes. They hunted, foraged, fished, and traded -- but did not practice agriculture. Salmon was the staple food for most Oregon Indians.

The first white explorers came to Oregon by sea. Spain sent Juan Cabrillo, in 1542. Bartolomé Ferrelo, reached the southwestern coast in 1543 looking for a passageway between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, the Northwest Passage. In

1776, the British sent James Cook to the Northwest to search for the Northwest Passage and to claim the land for Great Britain.

By the early nineteenth century, ownership of the Oregon Country was disputed among Spain, Britain, Russia, and the United States.

In 1804, President Thomas Jefferson sent Lewis and Clark to lead the first American overland expedition to strengthen the American claim to Oregon.

In 1834, Methodist missionaries established the first permanent American settlement in Oregon (Wilamette Valley).

By 1843, thousands of American pioneers were migrating west on the Oregon Trail. The Trail began in Independence, Missouri and ended in Oregon City, crossing over 2,000 miles of prairie, desert, and mountains. The Oregon Trail is the longest of the overland routes used in the westward expansion of the United States.

Wars with Native Americans began in 1847. Settlers were massacred, and conflicts rose with the discovery of gold. To protect those migrating to the state, the United States government forced Native Americans to move onto reservations.

Formed more than 6,500 years ago, Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States. It is the only lake to be formed in the remains of a volcano and its crystal-blue waters are known around the world.

The Tillamook Cheese Factory is the largest cheese factory in the world.

The Carousel Museum contains the world’s largest collection of carousel horses.

At 8,000 feet deep, Hells Canyon is the deepest river gorge in North America.

“The Beaver State” – Prized for its fur, the beaver was overtrapped by early settlers and eliminated from much of its original range. Through partial protection, the beaver has been reestablished in watercourses throughout Oregon and remains an important economic asset. The beaver has been referred to as "nature's engineer," and its dam-building activities are important to natural water flow and erosion control.

The Columbia River forms most of the northern border between Oregon and Washington. The Snake River forms over half of the eastern boundary with Idaho.

Sea Lion Caves in Florence is the largest sea cave in the world.

Haystack Rock off Cannon Beach is 235 feet high and is the third largest coastal monolith in the world.

Oregon has one city named Sisters and another called Brothers. Sisters got its name from a nearby trio of peaks in the Cascade Mountains known as the Three Sisters. Brothers was named as a counterpart to Sisters.

Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States and is formed in the remains of an ancient volcano. Its crystal-blue waters are world renowned.

Oregon and New Jersey are the only states without self-serve gas stations. According to Oregon state law, an attendant must pump your gas.

Eugene was the first city to have one-way streets.

The Nike "swoosh" logo was designed by University of Oregon student Carolyn Davidson in 1964 -- four years after business undergrad Phil Knight and track coach Bill Bowerman founded the company they originally called Blue Ribbon Sports. Ms. Davidson was paid $35 dollars for her design.

The Carousel Museum contains the world's largest and most comprehensive collection of carousel horses.

At 8,000 feet deep Hells Canyon is the deepest river gorge in North America.

Mount Hood, a dormant volcano, is the tallest peak in Oregon (11,239 feet).

Oregon has no sales tax.

There are nine lighthouses standing along the Oregon coastline. The nation's most photographed lighthouse is the Heceta Head Lighthouse.

Oregon's state flag pictures a beaver on its reverse side. It is the only state flag to carry two separate designs.

Oregon has more ghost towns than any other state.

The Columbia River gorge is considered by many to be the best place in the world for windsurfing.

Oregon's state birthday is on February 14, Valentine's Day.

Eugene is rated by "Bicycling Magazine" as one of the top ten cycling communities in the United States.

High above the city of Portland the International Rose Test Garden features more than 500 varieties of roses cultivated continuously since 1917. Portland is known as The City of Roses.

Fort Clatsop National Memorial contains a replica of Lewis and Clark's 1805-1806 winter outpost.

The small village of Bickelton is filled with bluebird houses seen on the posts of every house.

Oregon's Ethnic Roots: German 20.5%, English 13.2%, Irish 11.9%, American 6.2%, Mexican 5.5%, Native American 1.6%

Religion in Oregon: 70% Christian (54% Protestant, 15% Catholic, 1% Other), 24% No Religion, 5% LDS, 1% Other Religions

The largest Sitka Spruce tree in the United States is in Kloochy Creek Park near Seaside, Oregon. It is about 750 years old, 206 feet tall, and has a circumference of over 52 feet.

Tillamook is home to Oregon's largest cheese factory.

Florence is known as Oregon's rhododendron capital.

Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving - Thanking God for His blessings

Thanksgiving Day November 28, 2024
In 1621, 52 Pilgrims and approx. 50 Native Americans celebrated a 3-day feast thanking God for His blessings enabling their survival in the New World. Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the 4th Thursday of November.

Advent

December 1, 2024
Advent begins 4 weeks before Christmas and remembers the longing and waiting of God's people for the coming of the Messiah.

Bill of Rights Day

December 15, 1791
Bill of Rights Day
Celebrating the 10 amendments to the Constitution which protect individual rights by placing specific limits on government power. These freedoms do not exist in many countries of the world.

Christmas Day

December 25th Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World. This joyous festival is enjoyed by Christians and nonChristians alike all over the world.