Oregon

Oregon's state motto is "Alis volat propriis," which means "She flies with her own wings."

The Columbia River was named in 1792 by explorer Robert Gray for his ship.

Old Perpetua at Lakeview is the only active geyser in the far western US.

Old Perpetua

Most early Oregonians opposed slavery.  Dismayed by the 1857 US Supreme Court's Dred Scott decision, establishing the principle that Congress couldn't outlaw slavery in a US territory, they applied for statehood for Oregon.  It was granted in 1859.

The 1920s were a mixed bag for Oregonians: many got electricity, running water, telephones, and paved roads for the new cars; but the 1922 Alien Land Act prohibited Japanese immigrants from buying land, and the Ku Klux Klan tried to drive out Catholics, Jews, Asians and blacks.

Hells Canyon, with an average depth of 7900', is North America's deepest gorge and the world's deepest gorge that was cut by a river.

Hells Canyon

Oregon's longest river is the Willamette at 309 miles.

Crater Lake, at an average depth of 1500', is the deepest in the US.

Crater Lake

The Cascade Mountains play an important role in Oregon's weather.  For instance, rainfall west of the mountains averages 60"-80" a year, while the east gets about 5"-12" a year.

Portland is one of the cloudiest cities in the US; in an average year, the sun shines only 39% of the daylight hours.

OR flag, side 1

OR flag, side 2

Oregon is the home of many firsts among US states: the first to pay state money for bike paths, first to pass a Bottle Bill, first to distribute voter pamphlets, and the first (and still only state) to have a different image on the back of the state flag as on the front.


The Cape Blanco Lighthouse at Gold Beach is the last working lighthouse on the Oregon coast.

Cape Blanco Lighthouse

Oregon has an official state father (Dr. John McLoughlin) and state mother (Tabitha Brown).  Oregon also has an official state microbe: brewer's yeast.