List of Oregon state symbols
State symbols

List of Oregon state symbols

Section Title: State symbols
Table Section Text: None

Type	Symbol	Description	Adopted	Image	Note

Animal	American beaver (Castor canadensis)	Found in most of the larger streams and rivers in Oregon, the beaver is the largest of the North American rodents.	1969	A wet rodent with coarse dark brown fur standing in water.

Beverage	Milk	Milk was recognized as the state's beverage because the production and manufacture of dairy products are major contributors to Oregon's economy.	1997	A red-capped bottle of milk with cream along the top.

Bird	Western meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta)	Chosen as the state bird in 1927 by Oregon's school children in a poll sponsored by the Oregon Audubon Society, the western meadowlark is native throughout western North America and is known for its "distinctive and beautiful song."	1927	A bird with yellow underparts, a black "V" on the breast, and white flanks which are streaked with black

Crustacean	Dungeness crab (Metacarcinus magister)	Based on lobbying from school children at Sunset Primary School in West Linn, Oregon, and citing its importance to the Oregon economy, the Oregon State Legislature designated the Dungeness crab as the state crustacean in 2009.	2009	A crab in the grass, alongside a ruler, exhibiting a purple body and five pairs of yellow legs.

Dance	Square dance	A folk dance with four couples (eight dancers) arranged in a square, the "lively spirit of the [square] dance exemplifies the friendly, free nature and enthusiasm that are a part of the Oregon Character." The "Oregon Waltz" had been proposed as the state waltz in 1997, but the proposal was rejected.	1977	A group of dancers in colorful Western clothing promenading in a circle, with a man speaking into a microphone on a stage in the background.

Father	Dr. John McLoughlin	McLoughlin was the chief factor of the Columbia Fur District of the Hudson's Bay Company at Fort Vancouver. In the late 1840s his general store in Oregon City was famous as the last stop on the Oregon Trail.	1957	An elderly man with black clothing and white hair down to his shoulders.

Fish	Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)	Salmon was essential for the coastal Native Americans' life, and was the subject of many legends and taboos. The largest of the Pacific salmon, the Chinook provides both sport and commercial fishing, but is under threat from dams and fishing.	1961	A fish with a blue-green back and top of the head, silvery sides, a white ventral surface, and black spots on its tail and the upper half of its body.

Flag	Flag of Oregon	Oregon's flag is navy blue with gold lettering and imagery, and is the only current flag in the U.S. to have a different pattern on the reverse side.	1925	A navy blue flag with gold lettering and symbols; "STATE OF OREGON" is written above a shield, which is surrounded by 33 stars.

Flower	Oregon-grape (Mahonia aquifolium)	Native to the North American west coast, the Oregon-grape is an evergreen shrub that contains small purplish-black fruits that were included in smaller quantities in the traditional diets of Pacific Northwest aboriginal peoples.	1899	Clusters of yellow flowers surrounded by pointed, waxy green leaves.

Fossil	Metasequoia	Dawn redwood flourished in the Miocene epoch and would become one of the most abundantly found fossils in Oregon today. While long extinct in the state, paleontologists discovered living 100-foot (30 m) Metasequoia trees in China more than 50 years ago and brought live trees back to the U.S.	2005	A thick tree trunk with numerous branches breaking away as far down as the base.

Fruit	Pear (Pyrus)	Pear orchards flourish in Oregon's river valley growing regions, producing about 800 million pears per year. Pears are Oregon's number one tree fruit crop.	2005	Two light green fruits with hints of red hanging on a tree branch and exhibiting the "pear" shape of an elongated basal portion and a bulbous end.

Gemstone	Oregon sunstone	Sunstones are plagioclase feldspars, which when viewed from certain directions exhibit a brilliant spangled appearance. The gemstone has increased tourism and economic development in southeastern Oregon, attracting collectors and miners to the region.	1987	A multi-surfaced, pink rock with light reflecting at various points.

Hostess	Miss Oregon	Founded in 1947 as the Miss Oregon Pageant by merchants in the coastal city of Seaside, the competition is a regional scholarship contest and beauty pageant that selects the representative for Oregon in the Miss America pageant.	1969	A young woman and an older man, both dressed in formal wear, leaning over to sign a poster.

Insect	Oregon swallowtail (Papilio oregonius)	Containing the word Oregon in both its common and scientific names, this swallowtail species is native to the Northwest region, primarily found in the sagebrush canyons of the Columbia River and its tributaries.	1979	A stamp displaying an Oregon swallowtail butterfly.

Microbe	Brewer's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae)	S. cerevisiae has been instrumental to winemaking, baking and brewing since ancient times as the yeast behind the most common type of fermentation.	2013	S. cerevisiae under DIC microscopy

Mother	Tabitha Brown	Brown was a pioneer emigrant who traveled the Oregon Trail to the Oregon Country, where she helped to found Tualatin Academy, which would grow to become Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon.	1987	A black and white picture of an elderly woman wearing a white bonnet and dark clothing.

Motto	Alis Volat Propriis	Latin for "She Flies With Her Own Wings", Alis Volat Propriis was the motto of Oregon from 1854 until it was changed to "The Union" in 1957.	1987 1854–1957	A blue seal that contains a Native American, a beaver, a ship, an eagle, five stars along the bottom, and the Latin phrase Alis Volat Propriis across the top.

Mushroom	Pacific golden chanterelle (Cantharellus formosus)	Most known for its "golden hue, chalice shape and delicate woodsy flavor", the Pacific golden chanterelle is a fungus found throughout Oregon's conifer forests.	1999	Yellow, funnel-shaped fungi with gill-like ridges along the side growing from a surface of dirt and leaves.

Nut	Hazelnut	Hazelnuts, also known as filberts, are produced in commercial quantities in Oregon, which has an ideal climate for growing the nuts.	1989	Two round nuts, one with its shell and one without, yellow to light brown in color.

Rock	Thunderegg	Nodule-like geological structures similar to geodes, thundereggs are rough spheres found throughout Oregon, the largest deposits found in Crook, Jefferson, Malheur, Wasco and Wheeler counties.	1965	A cross section of a rock-like structure, with white coloring in a triangle shape on the inside and pink and light brown coloring on the outside.

Seal	Oregon State Seal	In 1857, a resolution adopted by the Oregon Constitutional Convention authorized the president to appoint a committee consisting of Benjamin F.	1859	A navy blue seal with gold lettering and imagery. The seal contains a shield, supported by 33 stars and with an eagle with its wings spread on top; "STATE OF OREGON" is written above the eagle and "1859" appears below the shield.

Seashell	Oregon hairy triton (Fusitriton oregonensis)	Named oregonensis by conchologist John Howard Redfield in 1846 to honor the Oregon Territory, the Oregon hairy triton is covered with bristly periostracum and found along the West Coast, washing up at high tide.	1991	A light brown shell, covered with gray-brown bristly periostracum.

Soil	Jory soil	A very deep, well-drained soil that forms in colluvium derived from basic igneous rock and found in the foothills surrounding the Willamette Valley.	2011	Cross-section of four feet of reddish-brown soil

Song	"Oregon, My Oregon"	In 1920, the Society of Oregon Composers held a competition to select a state song. The winning entry was a collaboration between lyricist John Andrew Buchanan and composer Henry Bernard Murtagh.	1927	Sheet music, including the lyrics and music of the song.

Statehood pageant	Champoeg Historical Pageant	Each summer, the Champoeg Historical Pageant takes place at Champoeg State Park, where the first Oregon government was formed. The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department encourages the development of the pageant and promotes increased attendance at its performances.	1987	The Pioneer Mothers Memorial Cabin Museum, a single-story log cabin.

Team	Portland Trail Blazers of 1990–1991	The Trail Blazers of 1990–1991 were designated as the official team of Oregon for their success in setting a franchise record of 63 victories, including a 16-game winning streak.	1991	One side of a building mostly of glass windows, with a covered entrance extending to a brick plaza. Two trees grow alongside the building, and a partly cloudy sky appears in the background.

Tree	Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)	Named after David Douglas, a Scottish botanist who traveled through Oregon in the 1820s, the Douglas-fir is an evergreen conifer dominant throughout the region, occurring in nearly all forest types and able to compete well on most parent materials and slopes.	1939	Several tall douglas-fir trees with a blue sky and water in the background.

Sentence(s)

The western meadowlarks is a state bird.

final_sentence: The western meadowlarks is a state bird.