# Oregon

Oregon, also known as the State of Oregon, is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The area was inhabited by many indigenous tribes before the arrival of traders, explorers and settlers. The Oregon Territory was created in 1848 after American settlement began in earnest in the 1840s. Oregon became a state (33rd) on February 14, 1859. Oregon is located on the Pacific coast between Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern boundaries respectively. Salem is the state's third most populous city and the state capital, with Portland the most populous.

## Quotes

* This is destined to be a very wealthy portion of the United States, and, if to this we can add the most temperate, nothing will prevent our rising, and becoming a valuable acquisition to the union. Much power now lies in your hands, and, I sincerely hope, we may commence our new career with a law in our statute books, prohibiting the manufacture and sale of ardent spirits in Oregon territory.
** George Abernethy (1849) "Governor George Abernethy Legislative Message, 1849", Oregon State Archives, Oregon Secretary of State.
* One of the most important things the United States did in the aftermath of World War II was to help returning veterans with housing. In 1945, in my home state of Oregon, we established the Veterans Home Loan Program, which for over 60 years has provided more than 300,000 loans. This has changed the lives of Oregon veterans and revitalized communities.
** Earl Blumenauer (December 18, 2007), "House Restores Oregon Veterans Provisions Cut by Senate". Press Release. Congressman Earl Blumenauer's Website, Representing the 3rd Congressional District of Oregon. United States House of Representatives.
* I might go to Canada eventually, but I think I’ll stop along the Columbia on the way. I’d like to check around Portland and Hood River and The Dalles to see if there’s any of the guys I used to know back in the village who haven’t drunk themselves goofy. I’d like to see what they’ve been doing since the government tried to buy their right to be Indians.
** Chief Bromden, in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey (1962). Signet. ISBN 0-451-16396-6.
* The vast material resources of Oregon furnish a solid and enduring basis for the spirit of enterprise that animates our people, and for that wonderful superstructure of vigorous and thrifty statehood which we are rearing here on this western shore of the continent.
** Stephen F. Chadwick (1878). Governor Stephen F. Chadwick - Biennial Message, 1878. Oregon State Archives, Oregon Secretary of State. Source: Biennial Message of Gov. S. F. Chadwick, to the Legislative Assembly of the State of Oregon Tenth Regular Session-1878 329 Governor’s Message.
* During all this time, farther to the north, another territory had been coming into being. The “Oregon Trail” had brought many men from the more crowded states of the North-East to find their homes and establish their farms along the undefined Canadian frontier to the Pacific. With the prospect of war in the South for the acquisition of Texas and California, the American Government was not anxious to embark upon a quarrel with Great Britain upon its Northern frontier. There was strong opposition by the Southerners to the acquisition of Oregon, where the Northern pioneers were opposed to slavery. Oregon would be another “free soil state.” Negotiations were opened with Britain, and in spite of electioneering slogans of “Fifty-four-forty or fight” the boundary was settled in June 1846 by peaceful diplomacy along the forty-ninth parallel. This solution owed much to the accommodating nature of the Foreign Secretary in Peel’s Government, Lord Aberdeen. The controversy now died down, and in 1859 the territory of Oregon reached statehood.
** Winston Churchill, A History of the English-Speaking Peoples Volume IV: The Great Democracies (1958), p. 113
* When the history of Oregon comes to be written the mind of the historian will be impressed by the earnestness and sincerity of character—the unobtrusive, unostentatious conduct of those who formed its population from the first reclaiming of the wilderness—the pioneer epoch—to the more refined advancement into social and political existence.
** George Law Curry (December 7, 1857) "Governor George L. Curry Legislative Message, 1857", Oregon State Archives, Oregon Secretary of State, Oregon Provisional and Territorial Records, 1857, Calendar No. 9376.
* The University of Oregon has long been known as a renowned research institution. The Brain, Biology and Machine Initiative continues in that distinguished tradition.
** Peter DeFazio (June 21, 2006), DeFazio Secures $8 Million For Research At Oregon Universities: He also secured $2.5 million for the Northwest Manufacturing Initiative and $2.7 million for the Metals Affordability Initiative, Website, Congressman Peter DeFazio, United States House of Representatives.
* To the Legislative Assembly belongs the consideration of measures which may best tend to the development of the resources of the Territory. Oregon possesses within herself many of these, which with enterprise and industry will most surely render her a wealthy, powerful, and prosperous State. She has a fertile soil, and genial climate; she has [vast] forests and abundant fisheries, unlimited water power, pastures upon which even during winter, innumerable flocks and herds can subsist, with no other care than the mere herding; and prairies which could with only moderate labor, furnish the whole of our Pacific Territories with bread.
** John P. Gaines (December 1852) "Governor John P. Gaines Legislative Message, 1852", Oregon State Archives, Oregon Secretary of State, Oregon Provisional and Territorial Records, 1852, Calendar No. 9375.
* Allow me to congratulate you, and, through you, the people of Oregon, that peace and prosperity surround us. The prospects for Oregon were never more promising, save the shadows from the fires of secession which are blazing around our childhood homes. Though we have had a winter of unprecedented severity and devastating floods, no traitorous hand has been raised to tear down our national flag and subvert our beloved institutions.
** A. C. Gibbs (September 1862) "Governor A. C. Gibbs Inaugural Address, 1862", Oregon State Archives, Oregon Secretary of State, Source: Journals. Local Laws Oregon., 1862, Appendix, Special Message, Page 58.
* We are now entering upon an important period of our development as a State. Our infancy as a Territorial Government has passed into history. Our early struggle as a young State of the Union has already turned the point of successful trial,and we now stand in the threshold of coming strength and power. With a territory ranking among the largest of the sisterhood, with a soil equal to the best, and a climate of a salubrity and healthfulness enjoyed by none other,with resources for the employment of industry of great variety and extent, it would seem difficult to predict for Oregon anything short of a most successful career. In fact, with a creditable management of public affairs, nothing stands in the way of our prosperity.
** La Fayette Grover (September 14, 1870). Governor LaFayette Grover - Inaugural Address, 1870. Oregon State Archives, Oregon Secretary of State. Source: Inaugural Address of Gov. LaFayette Grover to the Legislative Assembly September 14, 1870, Salem, Oregon, T. Patterson, State Printer, 1870.
* Other great rivers add power to you / Yakima, Snake, and the Klickitat, too / Sandy, Willamette and Hood River too / So roll on, Columbia, roll on
** Woody Guthrie (1941), "Roll on Columbia"
* Following amendments to its regulations enacted in March 2023, and after receiving an anonymous complaint, the State of Oregon cancelled grants in the amount of $410,000 it had given to Youth 71 Five [Ministries], claiming that by hiring only Christians the organization violated Oregon’s non-discrimination policy.
** Massimo Introvigne, "U.S. Ninth Circuit: State Should Not Deny Grants to Organizations That Hire Christians Only", Bitter Winter (August 23, 2024)
** Curator's Note: As Mr. Introvigne had written: "The name Youth 71 Five Ministries derives from Psalms 71:5, “Lord God, you are my hope. I have trusted you since I was young.”"
* As long as the sun rises over Ontario and sets over the Pacific, I will dedicate myself to bringing the people of Oregon what they want and need most - an era of hope, change, and economic renewal.
** Ted Kulongoski, (January 13, 2003). "Speech by Governor Kulongoski: Inaugural Address", Oregon.gov, State of Oregon.
* Come visit us again and again. This is a state of excitement. But for heaven's sake, don't come here to live.
** Governor Tom McCall. Walth, Brent (November 5, 2006). "McCall never looked so good. But let's move on.". The Oregonian. Retrieved on 2006-11-15.
* Mr. Keyes, I'm a Medford man - Medford, Oregon. Up in Medford, we take our time making up our minds.
** Mr. Jackson, in Double Indemnity (1944), Written by Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler, based on a novel by James M. Cain. Directed by Billy Wilder.
* All around us there are tangible evidences of the industrial activity of our people and the growth and development of our State, and with national legislation not unfavorable to us, the future of Oregon is full of promise of a rich inheritance to its inhabitants.
** William Paine Lord (1895). Governor William P. Lord - Inaugural Address, 1895. Oregon State Archives, Oregon Secretary of State. Source: Biennial Report of the Secretary of State of the State of Oregon, Messages and Documents, 1895, Vol. 1, Page 1.
* Never before in the history of our State have Oregonians had so much to be congratulated upon. No State in the Union is receiving more attention. Her agricultural products, her mild climate, her great natural resources, invite the immigrant, the capitalist and the pleasure seeker, while the sound basis upon which rest her finances, and the fact that within two years her taxable property has increased more than ten millions of dollars, clearly indicate that the State, in the face of a general business depression throughout the land, is in no danger of deterioration of decay.
** Zenas Ferry Moody (1885). Governor Zenas F. Moody - Biennial Message, 1885. Oregon State Archives, Oregon Secretary of State. Source: Public Documents, Biennial Message of Gov. Z.F. Moody to the Legislative Assembly, 1885, Salem, Oregon, W.H. Byars, State Printer, 1885.
* Today, I honor the memory of those brave settlers of Oregon, and pay tribute, as well, to the native Americans already inhabiting this land before pioneers like my great-great-grandparents arrived here in the mid-1800’s. Such dreams those pioneers had for this territory. Some instinct drew them here, a fate a pulling, a desire for deep and lasting change in their lives. They embraced that change. They sought it out. Theirs was a quest for new horizons, for new beginnings. For a new homeland. They rode. They walked. They staved. They forge. And they died. But they kept their eyes westward. They gave us Oregon.
** Barbara Roberts (1991) "Governor Barbara Roberts Inaugural Message, 1991", Oregon State Archives, Oregon Secretary of State.
* It must be remembered that our State is but in its infancy. That its population is small, and its material wealth is very limited. That notwithstanding it embraces within its boundaries a large area of territory, which includes extensive districts of productive lands, valuable mines of coal, iron, and precious metals, vast quantities of timber, broad rivers, innumerable bays, harbors, and inlets, abounding in fish of the choicest kind sufficient to supply the markets of the world, yet its resources are comparatively undeveloped. And that while it possesses all the elements of grandeur and magnificence, its greatness can not be successfully achieved without the benefit of a well regulated government, whose foundation is laid upon the broad principles of honesty, economy, and justice.
** W. W. Thayer (1880). Governor William W. Thayer - Biennial Message, 1880. Oregon State Archives, Oregon Secretary of State. Source: Messages and Documents, Biennial Message of Gov. William Thayer to the Legislative Assembly, 1880, Salem, Oregon, W.P. Keady, State Printer, 1880.
* That's swell. I like ya, Lloyd. I always liked ya. You were always the best of 'em. Best god-damn bartender from Timbuktu to Portland, Maine - or Portland, Oregon for that matter.
** Jack Torrance, in The Shining, (1980), Stanley Kubrick, dir., Screenplay by Kubrick and Diane Johnson.
* A great system of internal improvement is being inaugurated in our midst, which fostered and encouraged, as it should be, will make Oregon, in the not distant future, one of the finest and most prosperous States in the Republic.
** George L. Woods (September 1870) Governor George L. Woods - Governor's Message, 1870. Oregon State Archives, Oregon Secretary of State. Source: Message of Gov. George L. Woods to the Legislative Assembly, Fifth Regular Session, September 1870, Salem, Oregon, W.A. McPherson, State Printer, 1870.
* While our common country has been afflicted, and still suffers, from the greatest calamity a people can experience, our own State has been visited by scourges which, though relieved from the horrors of civil war, has resulted in the loss of immense quantities of property, the depriving of many of our citizens of their homes, or the means of support, and seriously crippling, for the present, the Agricultural interests of the State. Indeed, the high waters of December last did more than destroy property, and desolate homes; and many human lives were lost, while attempting to escape the floods, or generously assisting to relieve others from their perils.
** John Whiteaker (September 8, 1862). Governor John Whiteaker - Governor's Message, 1862. Oregon State Archives, Oregon Secretary of State. Source: House and Senate Journal, Salem, Oregon, Henry L. Pittock, State Printer, 1862: Proceedings of the House, Appendix to the House Journal, Page 3.
* Having now finished the observations on this, probably, the last occasion I shall have of communicating with you, all me to express the hope, that whatever errors I may have committed, will be attributed to no want of zeal in the discharge of my official duties, and that they may find a correction in the intelligence and patriotism, of the gentleman who will succeed me. And in my retirement, whatever may be my lot, I shall not cease to invoke that Beneficent Being, to whose providence we are so signally indebted for the general prosperity of the Territory; for the continuance of his blessings upon Oregon—upon you—and upon your constituents, from whom I have received uniform kindness and support in the discharge of my duties.
** Joseph Lane (May 7, 1850) "Governor Joseph Lane Legislative Message, 1850", Oregon State Archives, Oregon Secretary of State, Oregon Provisional and Territorial Records, 1850, Calendar No. 10571.
* Too many Oregonians know the heartbreak of a jobless economic recovery. To create new, high-paying jobs, we need investment in Main Street as well as Wall Street.
** David Wu (January 20, 2004) "Oregon Issues and the President's State of the Union." United States House of Representatives. (Available online at 108th Congress (2003-2004))
* Mr. Chairman, when Oregonians first adopted the Death With Dignity Act and then defended it on a second ballot initiative, they sent their government a clear message. When the American people resisted government interference in the tragic case of Terri Schiavo, they sent their government a clear message. That message is that death is an intensely personal and private moment, and in those moments, the government ought to leave well enough alone.
** Ron Wyden, (May 25, 2006), Speech of Senator Wyden: Wyden Testifies in Support of Oregon's Death with Dignity Act at Judiciary Committee Hearing, United States Senate.
* The state of Oregon should divest from the fossil fuels industry to protect both the environment and its investments, three Oregon lawmakers said Wednesday as a new study put the level of that investment at $1.8 billion or more. “The Oregon Treasury, which manages $130 billion of the state’s investment portfolio, is invested in oil, gas, and coal companies responsible for our climate emergency,” Reps. Khanh Pham, Paul Holvey and Jeff Golden said in a column published in The Oregonian/OregonLive, the state's largest newspaper.
** Oregon lawmakers push for state divestment from fossil fuels, will introduce bill in 2022 session, Andrew Selsky, The Associated Press, Dec 8, 2021
Lyrics of the official state song of the U.S. state of Oregon:
Oregon, My Oregon State song; lyrics by John Andrew Buchanan.
Land of the Empire Builders, Land of the Golden West; Conquered and held by free men, Fairest and the best. Onward and upward ever, Forward and on, and on; Hail to thee, Land of Heroes, My Oregon.
Land of the rose and sunshine Land of the summer's breeze; Laden with health and vigor, Fresh from the Western seas. Blest by the blood of martyrs, Land of the setting sun; Hail to thee, Land of Promise, My Oregon.
* Representing the people of Oregon's Second District is an honor and a privilege. Covering more than 70,000 square miles in twenty counties throughout eastern, southern and central Oregon, our district is breathtaking and diverse.
** Greg Walden, Welcome Message, United States House of Representatives, page, United States Congressman Greg Walden.

## See also

* Category:People from Oregon

## External links

* State of Oregon website
* Oregon State Databases - Annotated list of searchable databases produced by Oregon state agencies and compiled by the Government Documents Roundtable of the American Library Association.
* Oregon Blue Book, the online version of the state's official directory and fact book