Welcome to the Oregon Encyclopedia.
Explore Oregon's history and culture — from Athapaskan Indians to Zigzag Ranger Station
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January: The (Peaceful) Transfer of Power
Beginning in 1937, U.S. presidents have been Inaugurated at noon on January 20th. This civil ceremony is a hallmark of our democracy.
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![Barbara Kay Roberts (1936–)]()
Barbara Kay Roberts (1936–)
In November 1990, Barbara Roberts became the thirty-fourth governor of Oregon, the first woman elec…
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![Election of 1860]()
Election of 1860
The presidential election of 1860 was a turning point in Oregon political history. Oregon had becom…
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![George Abernethy (1807-1877)]()
George Abernethy (1807-1877)
George Abernethy cut a wide swath through Oregon's religious, economic, and political life from his…
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![Herbert Hoover in Oregon]()
Herbert Hoover in Oregon
Herbert Hoover, the thirty-first president of the United States, spent six years in Oregon as a boy…
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![McCoy, Gladys (1928-1993)]()
McCoy, Gladys (1928-1993)
Gladys McCoy once described public service as “the highest calling.” In deference to th…
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![Robert Straub (1920-2002)]()
Robert Straub (1920-2002)
Robert W. Straub, Oregon’s thirty-first governor, was a plainspoken politician, environmental…
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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The Research Library at the Oregon Historical Society provides direct access to digitized and digital materials as well as narratives from Pacific Northwest historians.
The Corner Gallery
Exploding Whales are only the tip of the Bigfoot
All states have their strange and wondrous tales, but only Oregon blew up a dead whale on film. Begin your journey into Oregon absurdity with an exploding whale, but there's more to discover on the pages of The Oregon Encyclopedia. Check this page monthly to browse through a brief and portable digital history exhibit, open all hours, wine and cheese optional.
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![24 Hour Church of Elvis]()
24 Hour Church of Elvis
For three decades, one of the best known and quirkiest Portland tourist…
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![Beeswax shipwreck]()
Beeswax shipwreck
Since the earliest days of EuroAmerican settlement on the Oregon Coast,…
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![Bigfoot (Sasquatch) legend]()
Bigfoot (Sasquatch) legend
Bigfoot is a large and mysterious humanoid creature purported to inhabi…
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![Bobbie the Wonder Dog]()
Bobbie the Wonder Dog
Bobbie the Wonder Dog, of Silverton, was the canine hero in a story tha…
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![Brooten Kelp Ore Resort]()
Brooten Kelp Ore Resort
Hello Cameron--I have been reading more about this resort, and now I'm …
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![Enchanted Forest]()
Enchanted Forest
The Enchanted Forest theme park in Turner, Oregon, just south of Salem …
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![Florence Whale Explosion]()
Florence Whale Explosion
On November 9, 1970, a forty-five-foot, eight-ton sperm whale washed as…
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![Last Blockbuster Video Store in the U.S.]()
Last Blockbuster Video Store in the U.S.
At its height in 2004, the video rental store chain Blockbuster had ove…
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![Mill Ends Park]()
Mill Ends Park
The world's smallest park, the Guinness Book of World Records claims, i…
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![Oregon Vortex (House of Mystery)]()
Oregon Vortex (House of Mystery)
The Oregon Vortex and House of Mystery, located on Sardine Creek in Gol…
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![Pixieland]()
Pixieland
Pixieland was a short-lived but popular amusement park on the Oregon Co…
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![Portland Professional Wrestling]()
Portland Professional Wrestling
In July 1883, the Oregonian announced a “grand athletic tourney&r…
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![Prehistoric Gardens]()
Prehistoric Gardens
Prehistoric Gardens, with its twenty-foot-tall concrete Tyrannosaurus g…
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![Scappoose Peace Candle of the World]()
Scappoose Peace Candle of the World
The Peace Candle of the World is a distinctive landmark on Highway 30, …
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![Turkey Rama]()
Turkey Rama
In 2015, McMinnville’s annual Turkey Rama marked its fifty-fourth…
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![Two-Bits, the World War II Lookout Dog]()
Two-Bits, the World War II Lookout Dog
A persistent fox terrier named Two-Bits earned a brief measure of natio…
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![Voodoo Doughnut]()
Voodoo Doughnut
Voodoo Doughnut is an independently owned business in Portland and Euge…
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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LSTA Libraries as Community Resources Meetings is made possible by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
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/]()
