The Oregon Portal

Oregon
State of Oregon
Map of the United States with Oregon highlighted
Map of the United States with Oregon highlighted

Oregon (/ˈɒrɪɡən/ ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Oregon is a part of the Western United States, with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. The 42° north parallel delineates the southern boundary with California and Nevada. The western boundary is formed by the Pacific Ocean.

Oregon has been home to many indigenous nations for thousands of years. The first European traders, explorers, and settlers began exploring what is now Oregon's Pacific coast in the early to mid-16th century. As early as 1564, the Spanish began sending vessels northeast from the Philippines, riding the Kuroshio Current in a sweeping circular route across the northern part of the Pacific. In 1592, Juan de Fuca undertook detailed mapping and studies of ocean currents in the Pacific Northwest, including the Oregon coast as well as the strait now bearing his name. The Lewis and Clark Expedition traversed Oregon in the early 1800s, and the first permanent European settlements in Oregon were established by fur trappers and traders. In 1843, an autonomous government was formed in the Oregon Country, and the Oregon Territory was created in 1848. Oregon became the 33rd state of the U.S. on February 14, 1859.

Today, with 4.2 million people over 98,000 square miles (250,000 km2), Oregon is the ninth largest and 27th most populous U.S. state. The capital, Salem, is the second-most populous city in Oregon, with 177,723 residents. Portland, with 652,503, ranks as the 26th among U.S. cities. The Portland metropolitan area, which includes neighboring counties in Washington, is the 25th largest metro area in the nation, with a population of 2,512,859. (Full article...)

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Book author Colin Meloy and illustrator Carson Ellis
Wildwood: The Wildwood Chronicles, Book 1 is a 2011 children's fantasy novel by American singer-songwriter Colin Meloy, illustrated by his wife Carson Ellis. Meloy is better known for his role with the group The Decemberists, while Ellis has produced artwork for the band amongst other projects. The novel tells the story of seventh-grader Prue McKeel whose baby brother is kidnapped by crows. With the help of her friend and schoolmate Curtis, they journey together into a magical forest to find Prue's brother. Inspired by classic fantasy novels and folk tales, Meloy's story features supernatural elements set against the scenic backdrop and culture of Portland, Oregon, specifically the St. Johns neighborhood. Ellis collaborated closely with Meloy throughout the writing phase to produce 85 illustrations. The novel received mostly positive reviews and was praised for its illustrations and vintage book design. Wildwood was on the New York Times Best Seller list of Children's Chapter Books for two weeks and tied for the 2012 E.B. White Read Aloud Award. Hillsboro, Oregon-based animation studio Laika has optioned the novel for a future film adaptation, and the author-illustrator team plan to produce at least two more books in the series.

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Walton in 2008
Bill Walton (born November 5, 1952) is a former American basketball player and current television sportscaster. Walton was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame on May 10, 1993. He was born in La Mesa, California and played college basketball for John Wooden at the UCLA from 1971 to 1974, where the team won the national title twice, including a perfect 30–0 record during the 1971–1972 season and an 88-game winning streak. In 1973, he won the James E. Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in the United States, while also winning both the USBWA College Player of the Year and Naismith College Player of the Year three consecutive years. The Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA drafted Walton as the number one overall player in 1974. In 1977, the team won the NBA title with Walton as the Finals MVP. The next year Bill Walton was selected as the NBA Most Valuable Player Award, though limited to 50 games due to injury. During the 1978 to 1979 season he sat out in protest after earlier demanding to be traded after allegations the team was unethical and incompetent in treating player injuries. In 1979 as a free agent he signed with the San Diego Clippers and then in 1985 was traded to the Boston Celtics where he won the NBA Sixth Man Award in 1986. In 1990, Bill Walton retired from the NBA as a player. After retirement, Walton began a career as a broadcaster. He has worked as a color commentator for the Clippers, NBC, ABC and ESPN. In 1996, he was named as one of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players of all time. Previously he was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame, and his number 32 was retired by the Blazers.

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Goose Lake in Goose Lake Valley

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The following are images from various Oregon-related articles on Wikipedia.

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Pacific trillium in the Coast Range
Pacific trillium in the Coast Range
Credit: Jsayre64

Pacific trillium (Trillium ovatum) with a pink hue on the petals in the Central Oregon Coast Range in Lane County.

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Oregon State Beavers "Reser" Stadium
I believe I'll turn out for baseball this year and skip spring football. I'll really give my pitching arm a chance to develop. Then I'll decide if I'm a prospect for the big leagues, and if I think I'll make it, then I may quit football.
Terry Baker, (in 1960) Baker is the 1962 Heisman Trophy winner, Oregon State Beavers football

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Oregon State Capitol mall
Oregon State Capitol mall
Credit: Aboutmovies

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Lighthouse of Cape Meares, Oregon

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This month's Collaboration of the Month projects: Women's History Month: Create or improve articles for women listed at Oregon Women of Achievement (modern) or Women of the West, Oregon chapter (historical)

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