Spanish
and English sailors are believed to have sighted the Oregon coast in the 1500s
and 1600s. Capt. James Cook, seeking the Northwest Passage, charted some of the
coastline in 1778. In 1792, Capt. Robert Gray, in the Columbia, discovered the
river named after his ship and claimed the area for the U.S.
In
1805 the Lewis and Clark expedition explored the area. John Jacob Astor's fur
depot, Astoria, was founded in 1811. Disputes for control of Oregon between American
settlers and the Hudson Bay Company were finally resolved in the 1846 Oregon Treaty,
in which Great Britain gave up claims to the region.
Oregon
has a $3.3 billion lumber and wood products industry, and an $859 million paper
and allied manufacturing industry. Its salmon-fishing industry is one of the world's
largest.
In
agriculture, the state leads in growing peppermint, cover seed crops, blackberries,
boysenberries, loganberries, black raspberries, and hazelnuts. It is second in
raising hops, red raspberries, prunes, snap beans, and onions.
With
the low-cost electric power provided by dams, Oregon has developed steadily as
a manufacturing state. Leading manufactured items are lumber and plywood, metalwork,
machinery, aluminum, chemicals, paper, food packing, and electronic equipment.
Crater
Lake National Park, Mount Hood, and Bonneville Dam on the Columbia are major tourist
attractions. Other points of interest include the Oregon Dunes National Recreation
Area, Oregon Caves National Monument, Cape Perpetua in Siuslaw National Forest,
Columbia River Gorge between The Dalles and Troutdale, Hells Canyon, Newberry
Volcanic National Monument, and John Day Fossil Beds National Monument.
Coming
Soon!
See
more on Oregon: Encyclopedia: Oregon Encyclopedia: Geography Encyclopedia:
Economy Encyclopedia: Government Encyclopedia: History Monthly Temperature
Extremes
Accredited
Colleges and Universities
Selected
famous natives and residents:
James Beard food expert; Raymond
Carver writer and poet; Homer C. Davenport political cartoonist; David
Douglas botanist; Abigail Scott Duniway women's suffrage advocate; John
E. Frohnmeyer former chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts; Robert
Gray sea captain and discoverer of Columbia River; Matt Groening cartoonist;
Mark Hatfield senator; Donald P. Hodel secretary of the Interior; Chief
Joseph Nez Percé chief; Dave Kingman baseball player; Ursula LeGuin
writer; Edwin Markham poet; Phyllis McGinley author; Linus Pauling
chemist; Jane Powell actress and singer; John Reed poet and author; Harvey
W. Scott editor; Doc Severinsen band leader; Norton Simon business executive;
Paul M. Simon Illinois senator; William E. Stafford poet; Sally Struthers
actress.
Capital:
Salem
State
abbreviation/Postal code: Ore./OR
Governor:
Ted Kulongoski, D (to Jan. 2007)
Senators:
Gordon Smith, R (to Jan. 2009); Ron Wyden, D (to Jan. 2011)
U.S.
Representatives: 5
Secy.
of State: Bill Bradbury, D
Treasurer:
Randall Edwards, D
Atty.
General: Hardy Myers, D
Organized
as territory: Aug. 14, 1848
Entered
Union (rank): Feb. 14, 1859 (33)
Present
constitution adopted: 1859
Motto:
Alis volat Propriis (She flies with her own wings) (1987)
State
symbols: flower Oregon grape (1899) tree douglas fir (1939) animal
beaver (1969) bird western meadowlark (1927) fish chinook salmon (1961)
rock thunderegg (1965) colors navy blue and gold (1959) song “Oregon,
My Oregon” (1927) insect swallowtail butterfly (1979) dance square
dance (1977) nut hazelnut (1989) gemstone sunstone (1987) seashell
Oregon hairy triton (1991) beverage milk (1997) mushroom Pacific golden
chanterelle (1999)
Nickname:
Beaver State
Origin
of name: Unknown. However, it is generally accepted that the name, first used
by Jonathan Carver in 1778, was taken from the writings of Maj. Robert Rogers,
an English army officer.
Geographic
center: In Crook Co., 25 mi. SSE of Prineville
Number
of counties: 36
Largest
county by population and area: Multnomah, 672,161 (2004); Harney, 10,135 sq
mi.
State
forests: 780,000 ac.
State
parks: 231 (95,462 ac.)
Residents:
Oregonian
2004
resident population est.: 3,594,586
2000
resident census population (rank): 3,421,399 (28). Male: 1,696,550 (49.6%);
Female: 1,724,849 (50.4%). White: 2,961,623 (86.6%); Black: 55,662 (1.6%); American
Indian: 45,211 (1.3%); Asian: 101,350 (3.0%); Other race: 144,832 (4.2%); Two
or more races: 104,745 (3.1%); Hispanic/Latino: 275,314 (8.0%). 2000 percent population
18 and over: 75.3; 65 and over: 12.8; median age: 36.3.
