240 Unknown Facts About Oregon

240 Interesting Facts About Oregon

The pear is the official state fruit.
A fun trivia fact about Oregon is that it's home to the world's tallest barber shop pole measuring 72 feet!
A crazy fact about the Beaver State is that it's against the law to eat ice cream on a Sunday there, seriously!
Did you know that it is against the law not to have your shoelaces tied when walking the streets of Portland? Yes, there is an official law in Portland outlawing undone laces!
Portland is home to the world's smallest park! The Mill’s End Park consists of one tree and measures just two feet across!
Famous Oregonians include River Phoenix, the child actor, and Matt Groening, the creator of 'The Simpsons'.
It's illegal to leave a container full of human feces on the side of any road in the state. Any road in case you were wondering.
Another loony law: dishes have to drip dry. The dry setting on your dishwasher, be damned!
Mount Hood is the second most climbed mountain in the world, and can be seen from miles around. It is open as a ski resort all year round and boasts 11 glaciers and several crystal clear alpine lakes.
Oregon has 256 ghost towns, or abandoned towns. It is the state with the most ghost towns in the USA. Many of these settlements were former mining or lumbar towns from the Pioneer times.
Nine lighthouses are open to the public and five are still possible to climb to the top of.
The state flag is the only state flag in the US to have a different design on each side. The Oregon flag has a gold beaver on one side and a shield on the other.
Apparently, there is buried pirate treasure on Neahkahnie Mountain! None has ever been found, however.
In North Bend, Oregon, wooden coins were legal tender during the Great Depression. You can still use them in shops there today, although the coins are so collectable no one wants to spend them.
The University of Oregon's official mascot is a duck based on Donald Duck.
The Salem capitol building has burned down twice. The second was apparently a spontaneous combustion!
Six people picnicking were blown up by Japanese balloon bombs in Oregon during WWII. They were the only people killed on continental US soil due to combat during WWII.
Reed College in Portland has a nuclear reactor run by undergraduates!
There is no VAT in Oregon, so everyone can enjoy tax-free shopping.
Oregon has been inhabited by humans for around 15,000 years. Several pairs of sandals found preserved under volcanic ash in Fort Rock Cave prove that humans were in the area between 9,000 and 13,000 years ago.
DNA from fossilized human faeces found in Oregon's Paisley Caves has been dated to 14,300 years ago.
By 8000 BC there were many settlements throughout Oregon, mainly along the Columbia River, near the coastline and in the western valleys.
In prehistoric times the Willamette Valley was flooded by a glacial dam collapse which left it up to 400 feet underwater.
By the time the Europeans reached Oregon in the 16th century, Oregon was home to at least 14 different Native American groups.
Portland is the only major city in the U.S. to have a dormant volcano.
In Oregon babies may not be transported on a car's running board. Because that was a problem at one point?
The square dance or simply the Official State Dance is a heritage symbol within Oregon. The dance’s lively spirit exemplifies a friendly, enthusiastic and free nature that are all tailored to reflect the typical Oregon character and heritage in general.
Have you ever come across a state that prides itself with amazing geodes? Well, Oregon’s Thunderegg will give you enough reasons to spend more time in this state. This official state rock contains several minerals of various colors and crystalline structure making it unique yet appealing to the eye. Apparently, these popular items are skillfully cut and polished to reveal their breathtaking designs inside.
Unlike the Thunderegg, Oregon sunstone is regarded highly as the state’s official gemstone (designated in 1987) because of its brightly colored appearance. The stone belongs to the feldspar family and it is found mainly in the Southeastern regions of the state. Sunstone is a variety of a mineral called oligoclase. Sunstone can be polished, faceted, and carved and made into jewelry.
Oregon is home to Hell's Canyon, the deepest river gorge in North America. Hell's Canyon is 10 miles wide and is 7,993 feet deep. It is deeper than the Grand Canyon and was carved out by the waters of Snake River.
The hazelnut is the official state nut of Oregon.
Oregon's state animal is the beaver, and Oregon's nickname is the Beaver State due to the abundance of beavers in the region. The beaver even features on the Oregon state flag.
By the mid 19th century beavers were almost extinct in the region due to over-trapping to make hats and coats.
It is still legal to hunt and trap beavers even though they are the state animal, although they have been saved from the brink of extinction as few people hunt them these days.
The Oregon Trail was not for the faint hearted! Pioneer families would walk the 2000 mile journey alongside the wagons and many people died along the way. Disease was rife among the travelers, with cholera, dysentery, tick-borne fever, smallpox and mere exhaustion claiming hundreds of victims.
Overhunting along the trail meant that people had to bring their own food to last them the entire journey. A typical meal would include bacon, coffee, beans and a simple pancake made out of flour and water fried in bacon fat.
There is an Oregon Trail computer game that can be played online. Developed in the '70s, the game requires players to prepare rations for their trip and make the sort of life and death decisions en route that pioneers would have been faced with back in the 1900s.
Oregon joined the Union on 14 February 1859, making Oregon's birthday Valentines Day!
There is a leprechaun colony in Portland! The world's tiniest park, Mills End Park, is apparently home to a community of invisible leprechauns.
Oregon has its own mushroom festival called the Estacada Festival of the Fungus.
Get your fill of sausages and giant pretzels in Portland—the city has over 70 food cart/truck vendors, making it the best in the world for street food. Can you say yum?The Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center in Oregon holds the largest collection of rosaries in the world.
Portland has the highest percentage of white people in the U.S. Over 70 percent of residents are white.
The world's oldest teenage drag queen pageant (yes, it's a thing) is held in Portland. In the words of RuPaul, "You betta werk!"
In summer the sands of the Oregon Coast glow. No it’s not proof of alien playing tricks on us, its a result of tiny little forms of phytoplankton called dinoflagellates washing ashore which are bioluminescent.
Oregon was home to the world’s largest log cabin, built in 1905 in honor of the Lewis and Clark expedition, it was a half acre in size—that is until it burned down in an epic fire in 1964.
And Oregon's state flag is the only one in the country to have different designs on each side.
Bend, Oregon was named because of an area that the settlers called “Farewell Bend”. This was the spot where pioneers would say their goodbyes before heading westward. There were other bids for the town’s name, such as Pilot Butte but Post Office Department officials in Washington, D.C. chose “Bend” because “Farewell Bend” was simply too long.
Oregon City marks the final stop for the wagons that traversed the Oregon trail. The historic trail began in Independence, Missouri and ended in this city. Today, there is an Interpretive Center in the city that offers tourists an interactive display of how life was like then as a pioneer.
Medford has a volcano called Roxy Ann Peak. It was named after Roxy Ann Bowen, a settler who once lived at the base of the peak. Roxy Ann Peak is over 3,500 feet tall. It is about 30 million years old and is dormant. It was settled by the Latgawa tribe about 8,000 years ago.
Astoria was named after John Jacob Astor, who established the city in 1810. The city is a favorite setting for Hollywood films, a relationship that began with the 1908 movie The Fisherman’s Bride. Beloved classics Short Circuit, Free Willy, Free Willy II, The Ring Two, and Into the Wild were also filmed here.
Crater Lake is a notable physical feature that makes Oregon a unique state in the entire country. Crater Lake is actually the deepest (592 meters) among the lakes in the U.S. and one of the deepest in the world. The most intriguing part of its history is that it was formed as a volcanic lake thousands of years ago. Its scenic crystal-blue waters are well-known by every traveler worldwide. You could stack the Eiffel Tower, Washington Monument and Statue of Liberty on top of each other and still have 100 feet of water covering Lady Liberty’s torch. That is how deep the lake is.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Oregon is among the top 20 states with the highest suicide rates. Montana tops the list, closely followed by Alaska and Wyoming.
Did you know that physician-assisted suicide is legal in eight U.S. jurisdictions including Oregon? However, there are certain limitations to the act wherein the individuals must have a terminal illness as well as a prognosis of six months or less to live. The other jurisdictions where this act is legal are Colorado, Hawaii, Vermont, Washington, Montana, California and District of Columbia. His first public assisted suicide was in 1990, of Janet Adkins.
In Portland, pinball machines are completely banned since 1949 when Dorothy McCullough was the mayor.
In 1971, Oregon passed the Oregon Bicycle Bill, the first such state law in the country, which devoted 1% (every year) of state transportation funding for cycling. Interestingly, the bill was signed outdoors – on the seat of a bike.
Oregon has plenty to offer and one of the unique things that make this state famous is the honey mushroom or Armillaria ostoyae, the largest living single organism in the world. The organism covers a vast area (2,385 acres of Malheur National Forest) and it is believed to be between 2,400 and 8,650 years old.
The state of Oregon is home to different Native American Ethnic groups in the country. The federal government recognizes only nine tribes existing within the present day state.
The Simpsons takes place in Oregon. In 2012, creator Matt Groening finally put the debate to rest by confirming that it’s Springfield, Ore.
Which when you realize Matt Groening was born and raised in Portland its not that big of a surprise. Heck, even a number of the characters’ names are inspired by the city’s street names.
Portland’s name was decided with a coin toss. Had the coin landed on the other side, the city would have been named Boston. Seriously.
St. Patrick's Day isn't just for pounding back green beer. Back in 1948, Mill Ends Park in Portland was created for the leprechauns and as a place to race snails. The critters don't have far to go—the park measures only two feet across, and is considered the world's smallest official park.
And in childhood geek out news: Most of the Hollywood film "The Goonies" was shot in here in Astoria.
Portland is home to the annual World Naked Bike Ride, in which over 10,000 naked cyclists take part. That makes it the largest of its kind in the world.
Portland is also home to the most strip clubs per capita than any other city in the country.
Oregon has a state song known as “Oregon, My Oregon” composed by J.A. Buchanan and Henry B. Murtagh.
Oregon’s vast forests are a leading source for lumber in the U.S. In fact, the state harvests more timber than any other state. Almost half of the state’s landmass is covered by forests. Oregon’s soils and climate provide ideal conditions for the growth of trees in the region.
There is only one national park in Oregon which comprises of the caldera surrounding Crater Lake.
Willamette Meteorite, discovered in the U.S. state of Oregon, is the largest meteorite found in North America and the sixth-largest in the world. The iron-nickel meteorite did not create an impact at the site it was found and thus it was concluded that the meteorite was transported to this place by some glacial activity some thousands of years ago. At 15.5 metric tons (34,000 lbs.), Willamette is the largest single “stone.”
Whorehouse Meadows in Harney County was given that name for good reason. It was actually used to get ladies of the night together with sheep and cattle herders under a canvas tent. The name was eventually changed to "Naughty Girl Meadows” in the ’60s, but by 1971, the name was changed back.
In 1949 Portland elected their first-ever female mayor, Dorothy McCullough Lee—who promptly killed all the fun by banning pinball machines.
If you enjoy fishing, be careful what you bring as bait. It's actually illegal to use canned corn as fish bait in the state. So there's that.
Legend has it there be buried pirates booty at Neahkahnie Mountain. Many believe there are a series of clues, that if followed will lead to buried dubloons, or whatever pirates like to bury.
Speaking of underground goodies... Portland and Bend, Ore. are the only cities built a top extinct in the contiguous U.S.
The caves in the Oregon Caves National Monument were discovered in 1874 and are carved completely out of solid marble.
Painted Hills is a famous site in Wheeler County. This striking geologic formation is the result of time and Nature working together. The color of the hills formed due to the formation of layers upon layers of mudflows and volcanic ash deposits. The process took about 55 million years.
The Hat Museum refers to the Ladd-Reingold House which was built in 1910. The home was owned by a Russian milliner named Rebecca Reingold. The house is not just a quirky tourist stop because of its collection of hats, it is also famous for its quirkier design. It features secret hiding places, a dumbwaiter, pocket doors, and even upside-down doors. In the 70s, the house passed on to a new owner named Alyce Cornyn-Selby who became its curator.
You don’t need a golden ticket to find the Chocolate Waterfall – you only need to go to the Candy Basket in Portland. The waterfall is made of real chocolate. Built in 1991, the waterfall stands at 21 feet and is made from sculpted bronze and Italian marble. It circulates about 2,700 lbs. of liquid chocolate. It is not edible, however. The chocolate is several years old and exposed to the air and everyone who comes to visit the shop.
The Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum houses many famous aircraft but its most famous is the Spruce Goose. This is the fourth aircraft that was produced by the Hughes Corporation, designed by Henry Kaiser and Howard Hughes. The Spruce Goose is made of plywood (not spruce) and is designed as a seaplane.
Corvallis was named by Joseph C. Avery who made a land claim next to Marys River. After surveying a townsite on his claim, Avery named the community Marysville, thought to be in homage to the Virgin Mary. Since Marysville was already the name of a town in California, the name was eventually changed into Corvallis – a compound of the Latin words “cor” (heart) and “vallis” (valley).
The modern toilet paper with its perforated squares rolled into… well, a roll, was invented in Albany. There is some dispute over this, but a man named Seth Wheeler had a perforated wrapping paper wrapped around a tube patented in 1871. So we have a man from Albany to thank for the TP we know today.
Once place that is never dull though is Portland. Thanks in no small part to the fact that it has the most movie theaters and restaurants per capita.
It's illegal to box with a kangaroo in Oregon. Which is just sound advice, if you ask me.
While it's illegal to buy and sell marijuana in Oregon, you can still legally smoke it on your own property. Ganja pride!
Portland's is home to over 60 breweries, and has more microbreweries than any other city in the world. Sure does give a new meaning to "Happy Hour," doesn't it?
Speaking of happiness, you can enjoy your brew with your furry friend. Portland allows residents to bring their dogs into pubs.
Anyone who has ever written an essay at midnight the night before it was due, thank Oregon because the very first wiki website was created in Portland in 1994.
In Portland you're not allowed to whistle underwater. Maybe because it goes by another name—drowning!
Want to have your mind blown? In 1843, the same year of the Oregon Trail migration, the fax machine was invented by Scottish mechanic named Alexander Bain.
No more than two people are permitted to share a single beverage in Stanfield. So, get your own, you freeloader!
The Tillamook Cheese Factory is the biggest in the world.
Proving that there eco friendly ways are not a fad, Oregon was the very first state to ban the use of non-returnable bottles and cans way back in 1971.
Proving once and for a all that size doesn’t matter meet D River in Lincoln City. The world’s shortest river is only 121 feet long!
The Carousel Museum in Albany houses the largest collection of classic carousel horses in the world. It's a little creepy, but what are you going to do?
And if you own a home in Beaverton, you need to purchase a $10 permit before you can install a burglar alarm. There's something to be said for being official, I guess.
Oregon is one of only five states with no sales tax (the others are Delaware, New Hampshire, Montana, and Alaska). Though the state does have an income tax, residents and tourists can enjoy tax-free shopping, with one exception: On January 1, 2016, the state enacted a 25 percent sales tax on recreational marijuana until the Oregon Liquor Control Commission takes over the regulation of cannabis sales later this year.
Albany in northern Oregon is home to The Historic Carousel Museum, which not only displays historic carousel animals and artwork, but is currently in the process of building its own hand-crafted working carousel featuring a "menagerie" of 52 animals.
During the Great Depression, North Bend used wooden coins as currency. To this day, the coins are considered legal tender, though they’re coveted by coin collectors and rarely spent.
Oregon’s flag is the only state flag in the United States with a different design on each side. While the front features the escutcheon from the state seal in blue and gold, the reverse pictures a golden beaver.
The University of Oregon's mascot, the Oregon Duck, is based on Donald Duck. Created in 1947, it’s the only college team mascot based on a Disney character.
Bluebirds get the royal treatment in Bickleton, Ore. This town is filled with bluebird houses, driving through you can see one on the posts of every house.
Forget the biggest frying pan, or the biggest ball of twine.. Forest Grove, Ore. is home to the world’s tallest barber shop pole.
On the flip side, Silver Falls Park is the largest park in Oregon, and features all sorts of forested hiking trails and 10 amazing waterfalls. Bask in their glory. Bask, I tell you!
Ministers in Marion aren't permitted to eat garlic before beginning a sermon. That's minister, not vampire, in case you were confused for a moment.
The state of Oregon doesn't have a sales, liquor, or restaurant tax. Which is pretty flippin' sweet.
Tillamook Rock Lighthouse, built in 1880, is a great place to be dead, or so the 467,000 cremated individuals who have made it their final resting place say—we assume, or else this place would be wicked haunted, right?
Even the Starbucks baristas and Target cashiers have Master's degrees in Portland. The city has more literate residents than any other U.S. city.
There are 16 hot springs here. And Oregonians totally take every opportunity to relax in one. I mean, wouldn't you?
Have you ever heard the phrase: “Don’t take any wooden nickels”? You’ve got Bend, Ore. to thank for that. When the only bank in town closed in 1933 Bend printed their own money, on wood. It’s still considered legal tender, and worth a lot more than its face value—so actually you should accept wooden nickles.
The capitol building in Salem burned down twice. First in 1855, before Oregon was even officially a state, the building constructed to be the territorial capital was destroyed by fire. Then, in 1935, the official state capitol building was engulfed in flame, destroying all but its metal frame. To this day, the cause of the fire is unknown, though reports in later years attributed the fire to “spontaneous combustion” in the building’s basement.
Oregon was attacked during World War II. Starting in 1944, the Japanese military began launching unmanned balloon bombs toward the west coast of the United States in the hopes that some would explode over inhabited areas. Around 350 bombs made it to the United States (some as far east as Iowa), but the U.S. military managed to intercept most of them. The only casualties suffered occurred in Gearhart Mountain, Oregon, where six people (five of them children) on a picnic accidentally triggered one of the balloons. Their deaths are believed to be the only combat casualties on continental U.S. soil during World War II.
A vandal terrorized the stop signs downtown Portland placing stickers on them so that they read “poop.” Removing them must have been a really crappy job.
Oregon has lots of love for llamas, in fact one-fourth of the country’s total llama population lives here.
Campers freakin' love the state park system. There are 159 yurts in 19 parks in Oregon. What's a yurt, you ask? It's a circular, portable tent structure that's perfect for camping. You're welcome, hippies!
Crater Lake is the deepest in the U.S. and was actually pooled in the remains of a volcano.
The state of Oregon has one city named Sisters and another called Brothers.
Speaking of “sister” cities… Oregon also has a town named Boring—which is the sister city of the Scotland town of Dull. They even have their own state holiday “Boring and Dull Day.” Whether either city has lived up its name we’ll leave up to you.
The Oregon Trail, which stretched 2200 miles, was the longest of the land routes used in the Western expansion of the United States.
Now the fourth largest city in Oregon, Gresham wasn’t officially recognized as a city until 1905. Known as Powell Valley throughout the 19th century—though sometimes referred to simply as “Camp Ground”—the area didn’t have a post office, and so, couldn’t officially establish itself as a city. One local business owner, Benjamin Rollins, petitioned then-postmaster Walter Q. Gresham in the 1890s, promising to name the city after him if he’d grant them a post office. Gresham did—and the rest is history.
Also known as Castor canadensis (scientific name), the American Beaver is actually the Oregon state animal since 1969. And that is why Oregon is popularly known as “The Beaver State”.
The state has 11 lighthouses, and Yaquina is the tallest of them all – 93 feet. The tallest lighthouse is the most popular lighthouse on the coast and has been in service since 1873.
Powell’s Book store in Portland, Oregon, is the world’s largest bookstore. The store is in service in Portland since 1971. The company’s founder started his book selling career with a loan of $3,000, which he repaid within two months of borrowing the money.
The mention of the deepest gorge in Oregon should give you a clear picture of a 7,900 feet Hell’s Canyon. This magnificent and picturesque physical feature is located between Idaho and Oregon along the Snake River.
It may take you by surprise but milk is indeed Oregon’s state beverage. In 1997, the legislature unanimously agreed that milk and other dairy products should be accorded such status on the basis of their contribution to the state’s economic well-being. Therefore, milk is a symbol of economic prosperity in Oregon.
One of the oldest collegiate buildings in the Western United States is situated in Forest Grove. It now forms part of Pacific University.
Popular tourist attractions include the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, the Portland Art Museum, and one of the oldest zoos in America, the Oregon Zoo.
Oregon has a 23 acre aquarium on the coastline of Newport.
The state has the largest cheese factory in the entire world.
It's also a state law that motorists can't fill their own vehicles with gas, so there are no self serve gas stations in the state.
Oregon boasts 11 lighthouses. Heceta Head Lighthouse is the brightest light on the Oregon coastline and is the most photographed lighthouse in the United States.
There’s no other state in the US that is known to have an official state nut if not Oregon. The state nut is known as the hazelnut or filbert and Oregon is home to 99 percent of the commercial nuts cultivated in the US.
Interestingly, the famous Nike logo was designed by Carolyn Davidson (in 1971), a student at Portland State University. And she was paid $35 for her design by Nike’s founders, Bill Bowerman, and Phil Knight though they didn’t like the logo in the first place. But now, Nike Logo is recognized by every sports enthusiast all over the world. Originally, the logo was called as ‘the strip’, which later became well known as ‘Swoosh’.
Nike first took its baby steps in Eugene, when Bill Bowerman, a former Olympian and coach designed the famous waffle-iron rubber sole that would establish the brand as a serious contender in athletic wear. It was lighter, more durable, and had better grip, allowing athletes to move more confidently.
Crater Lake is one of the clearest and most pristine lakes in the world because all of its water comes directly from rain and snowfall. The lake has its own islands formed from volcanic rock.
Rising 750 feet above the water, Wizard Island is the biggest island in the lake while Phantom Ship Island, which resembles a sailboat, is as tall as a 16 storey building.
The Oregon state bird and flower are the Western Meadowlark and the Oregon Grape. The leaves of the Oregon Grape are spiky like those of the holly and the plant has pretty yellow flowers in summer and a dark blue berry in fall. Oregonians make jelly from this fruit and make a yellow dye from the roots and stems of the plant. The root of the Oregon state plant also has medicinal properties.
Oregon is very diverse geographically, with three of the highest mountain peaks in the United States, rainforest regions, 300 miles of coastline and desert and wilderness areas.
The Oregon Badlands Wilderness is a 29,301 acre wild zone barely touched by humanity.
Mushroom hunting is such a popular (and lucrative) activity in Oregon, the state even has its own mushroom festival. Held annually in Estacada, the Estacada Festival of the Fungus features a mushroom hunt, tastings, fungus-themed artwork, and mushroom identification classes. Oregon’s culture of mushroom hunting was even featured in the 2014 documentary The Last Season, which follows two professional mushroom hunters as they track down rare delicacies.
According to one 2012 report, Portland has the most bicyclists per capita of any city in the United States. The famously bike-friendly city isn’t just home to tons of bike commuters, however. An entire bike culture has cropped up in the city, including a popular weekly “Zoobombing” event, in which participants race tiny bikes downhill in the West Hills, and CHUNK bike construction, in which bike parts are combined creatively to make oversized, tall, or strangely shaped bicycles.
Crater Lake in south-central Oregon is the deepest lake in the United States (and one of the top 10 deepest in the world). Formed by the collapse of a volcano around 7700 years ago, the lake is close to 2000 feet deep, and is home to two islands: Wizard Island and Phantom Ship.
Oregon is home to the biggest mushroom on earth. Spanning approximately 2.4 miles in Oregon’s Blue Mountains, the enormous honey fungus is believed to be somewhere between 1900 and 8650 years old.
Numerous movies and TV shows have been filmed throughout Oregon. In addition to the popular IFC comedy Portlandia, classic movies like One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975), and The Goonies (1985) were set, and filmed, in Oregon. Plus, there’s always the ever-popular Twilight franchise, which was set in Forks, Washington, but filmed throughout both Washington and Oregon.
Forest Grove is home to the world’s tallest barber pole. Built in 1973, the red, white, and blue striped pole is 72 feet high—nearly twice as tall as the previous pole to hold that title, a 40-foot-tall pole in San Antonio.
Legend has it that there’s buried pirate treasure somewhere on Neahkahnie Mountain on the Oregon coast. The story, which dates back hundreds of years, has been passed down for generations, and inspired hoards of treasure hunters, some of whom claimed to have discovered clues—but never any treasure.
No one knows exactly how Oregon got its name. Some believe the name is derived from the French word for hurricane (ouregan), others from the Spanish orejon, meaning "big ears."
There is evidence of humans living in Oregon as far back as 14,300 years ago. In 2012, Oregon’s Paisley Caves were placed on the National Register of Historic Places after human DNA was discovered on artifacts in the caves. To this date, it’s some of the earliest evidence of human habitation of North America.
Southern Oregon has been trying to secede from the rest of Oregon since 1941. Disgruntled with a lack of representation, a group of southern Oregonians and northern Californians started campaigning for statehood back in the 1940s, proclaiming their independence, and renaming the area “The State of Jefferson.” On November 27, 1941, Jeffersonians stopped highway traffic, and announced their intention to “secede each Thursday until further notice.” Though the southern Oregon secession movement has lost some steam in recent years, there are still folks who proudly display the State of Jefferson flag.
Hells Canyon in eastern Oregon is the deepest river-cut canyon in the United States. It’s 7993 feet deep, and stretches through Oregon and Idaho. Famous for its spectacular views and whitewater rafting along the Snake River, there are no roads across its 10-mile wide expanse.
Reed College in Portland is the only liberal arts college in the world with a nuclear reactor run by undergraduates. Built in 1968, the reactor is used as a research and teaching facility by the school, and is manned by 40 students.
The official Oregon state fish is the Chinook salmon, and the official state animal is the beaver. Both animals are indigenous to the area, and Oregon is sometimes unofficially called “The Beaver State.”
Mount Hood is often said to be the second-most climbed mountain in the world (the first is usually cited as Japan’s Mount Fuji). Though plenty of humans have scaled its peaks, the record for most ascents may belong to a dog named Ranger, who allegedly climbed the mountain 500 times between 1925 and 1939. After his death in 1940, the intrepid canine mountaineer was buried at the summit of Mount Hood.
In 1880, Rutherford B. Hayes became the first United States president to visit Oregon, 21 years after the state was officially incorporated. Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush, meanwhile, are tied for the most trips to the state, with five visits each.
The origin of the name “Oregon” is uncertain. However, according to one account, the name is believed to have been derived from the French word, ‘Ouragan,’ which is loosely translated as hurricane’ or windstorm’. This was in reference to the powerful winds originating from the Columbia River hence the name Oregon.
Did you know that the world’s smallest park – Mill Ends Park – is in Portland, Oregon? Surprisingly, the park is just two square feet in area. Now imagine how one could fit a park in that little area. Here is a picture to clarify all your doubts. The park lies in the median of the heavily trafficked Naito Parkway. It was granted this recognition in 1971 by The Guinness Book of Records. The park was built because of a supposed leprechaun sighting. A journalist named Dick Fagan ran a column called Mill Ends. He claimed (in jest, of course) that he saw a leprechaun digging a hole that was supposed to be used for erecting a light pole. In truth, Fagan saw the empty space and began planting flowers on the spot. In 1948, on St. Patrick’s Day, the park was dedicated by Fagan himself. The journalist also wrote about a leprechaun colony living in the park headed by one named Patrick O’Toole.
Oregon boasts of a unique state flag in the U.S. with two separate designs each on either side. A close look reveals that one side is decorated with the state seal emblem and on the reverse side; there is a picture of a golden beaver.
Forest Grove at the heart of Oregon is credited for being the home of the world’s tallest and most notable barber shop pole, standing at 72-feet tall.
It is a well-known fact that the famous Hollywood star of all time, Clint Eastwood lived in Springfield, Oregon. He worked at Weyerhaeuser for a few weeks as a lumberjack before realizing that lumberjacking was a dangerous business venture.
When you think of Oregon as a state you should always remember that the Douglas fir is the state tree in accordance with the 1939 declaration. In fact, this tree species is the main source of softwood lumber production in Oregon.
Oregon stands at number six among the most Bigfoot sighting places in the US with Washington taking the lead.
Did you know that Oregon is the top-most Christmas tree producing state in the U.S.? The state has dedicated 42,000 acres of its land area for the purpose of raising these trees.
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument was voted to be one of the most recognizable fossil sites globally.
Mount Hood in Oregon is the second most explored mountain in the world after Mount Fuji in Japan. With an elevation of 11,249 feet, it is the highest mountain in Oregon. It is a potentially active stratovolcano. The last minor eruptive event occurred in 1907.
Oregon is known for its annual festival of Estacada which involves mushroom hunting, mushroom tastings, mushroom identification classes, and mushroom themed artwork.
Linus Pauling (1901 – 1994) born in Portland, Oregon was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1954. He also won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1962.
Salem is the capital of Oregon. Originally, it was called Chemeketa by the Kalapuya Indians – a term that means “place of rest” or “place of peace”. The name was later changed to Salem, which is close to the Hebrew term “shalom” or peace. As the state capital, Salem did, indeed, become a meeting place for residents of Oregon.
The city of Springfield was named after a spring in a field found within its boundaries. It is also the inspiration for the fictional city of Springfield in The Simpsons. Matt Groening, who created the cartoon, is from Portland and considered using the name because it was a common city name in the U.S.
Beaverton was originally settled in by the Atfalati natives, who named it Chakeipi, which means “place of the beavers”. The settlement was close to a body of water where beavers built their dams. Its early Anglicized name was Beaverdam.
Ashland’s history is closely bound to the history of the American railroad. The railroad is the reason why local livestock, milling, manufacturing, and orchard industries thrived in the 1880s onward. Ashland was right in the middle of freight and passenger transport between Portland and San Francisco. December 17, 1887 witnessed the driving of a golden spike to mark the full circle of the railroad system that runs around the United States.
Thor’s Well refers to a wide natural sinkhole that earned the nickname “drainpipe of the Pacific” because water that crashes into the rock that encloses it seems to disappear. To see the site at its most spectacular, come at high tide when ocean waves wash over the hole and disappear. Thor’s Well is near Cape Perpetua.
The Civil Defense Center was built 30 ft. under Kelly Butte in 1952. It was a bunker that played close to the heart of the government and the American people’s trepidation about nuclear power. The center occupies 20,000 sq. ft. and could house the different branches of local government, a military liaison, and even hospitals. The thick, reinforced concrete was meant to withstand a strong explosion.
The state of Oregon is the ninth largest state in the US with a total area of 98,381 square miles. It's slightly bigger than the United Kingdom.
Oregon is made up of eight regions: Central Oregon, Eastern Oregon, Mt. Hood and Columbia River Gorge, Oregon Coast, the Portland Region, Southern Region and Willamette Valley.
Oregon spans two time zones, the Mountain Time Zone and the Pacific Time Zone.
A 2.4 mile long honey fungus in the Blue Mountains of Oregon is thought to be the world's largest living organism!
The Columbia River forms almost the whole border between Washington and Oregon. The Columbia River is 1,243 miles long and is the seventh longest lake in North America. The lake measures up to 300 feet deep in Oregon.
Crater Lake in Klamath County is the deepest lake in the United States. It was formed when the volcano Mount Mazama exploded and collapsed around 7,700 years ago, leaving behind a huge crater called a caldera.
Crater Lake fills almost all of this 2,148 feet-deep caldera. Crater Lake is famed for its crystal blue waters, and is the third deepest lake in the world.
Oregon boasts the largest connected system of sea caves and caverns in the USA.
The Oregon Caves National Monument is a 4,554 acre park in southwestern Oregon. The Oregon Caves is a several million year old solid marble cave discovered in 1874.
The famous Oregon Trail was a 2,170 mile wagon route from Independence, Missouri to Oregon. The route passed through five states: Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Idaho and Wyoming, and ended up by the Willamette River in Oregon.
Around 400,000 emigrants traveled this route in search of better opportunities in Oregon. The trip from Missouri to the Willamette Valley, Oregon, took about four months.
Portland is bike city! There are more cyclists per capita in Portland than any other city in the United States.
There have been many iconic movies shot in Oregon. Cult movies filmed there include 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest', 'Free Willy' and 'The Shining'.
Carolyn Davidson invented the Nike swoosh while a student at the Portland State University. The multinational sportswear company's headquarters is based in Beaverton, Oregon.
Portland is home to the only leprechaun colony west of Ireland. Built in 1948 by World War II veteran Dick Fagan, Mills End Park is allegedly home to a group of invisible leprechauns, led by head leprechaun Patrick O’Toole. The park, which measures just two square feet, started out as little more than an empty hole created for a light post that was never placed. But Fagan, who worked across the street from the spot, was determined to turn it into something magical, and began planting flowers and spinning stories about the tiny leprechauns who called it home.

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