Oregon: The Beaver State

Oregon, otherwise known as the Beaver State, was admitted as a state on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 1859. The state capital is Salem, which has a population of more than 140,000. The state song is Oregon, My Oregon. The state fish is the Chinook salmon; the state tree, Douglas Fir; the state animal, the beaver; and, the Western Meadowlark, the state bird.

There are 36 counties that make up Oregon. The largest is Harney County with 10,228 square miles. The smallest is Yamhill County, with 718 square miles. Oregon is made up of 97,060 square miles and is ranked 10th in size in the United States. The state has more than 3.6 million residents. In 1850 there were only 12,093. The bordering states include California, Idaho, Nevada and Washington, with the Pacific Ocean bordering the entire western side of the state.

Oregon consists of major rivers such as the Columbia River, the Snake River, the Deschutes, the John Day River and the Willamette River. The major lakes include the Upper Klamath Lake and the Crater Lake. The highest point in Oregon is Mount Hood, which is 11,239 feet above sea level.

Many famous people and residents are from Oregon including actors Sally Struthers, Sam Elliot and Jane Powell; musician Doc Severinsen; poets William E Stafford and Edwin Markham; author Beverly Cleary; ice skater Tonya Harding; and, baseball player Dave Kingman.

Oregon has many beautiful and historical sites such as Hells Canyon, John Day Fossil Beds, and the National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center. In addition to the aforementioned, Oregon also has its share of oddball places. Oregon offers the Lava River Cave, an inactive volcano, which is made up of narrow caves formed from the volcano’s lava flow. There is also the giant rabbit statue Harvey, the Prehistoric Gardens, Noah’s Ark Restaurant and the House of Mystery, where gravity just isn’t what it should be.

The State of Oregon offers many colleges and universities to its residents. Consisting of seven public universities and 17 community colleges, there are also many private institutions which offer degrees. Among the oldest in the state is Willamette University, established in 1842, and Southwestern Oregon Community College, established in 1959. The most prominent at this time are Oregon State University, Portland Community College, University of Oregon and Portland State University.