Today In History
5 Fun Facts About May 11 In Oregon History
1. In 1858, the Willamette Valley Railway Company was incorporated with the goal of building a railway from Portland to Eugene, Oregon. This railway would eventually become part of the Southern Pacific Railroad system. 2. On May 11, 1910, a massive forest fire broke out near the town of Heppner,...
5 Fun Facts About May 10 In Oregon History
1. In 1865, the first regular steamship service between Portland and San Francisco was established with the arrival of the SS Ajax in Portland. This development revolutionized transportation and commerce in Oregon, as goods could now be easily shipped up and down the coast. 2. In 1872, the first state...
5 Fun Facts About May 9 In Oregon History
1. In 1859, Oregon was admitted as the 33rd state to the Union on May 9, becoming the first state to have a constitution prohibiting slavery. 2. In 1913, President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation designating May 9 as National Forest Reservation Day, encouraging Americans to conserve and preserve their...
5 Fun Facts About May 8 In Oregon History
1. On May 8, 1876, the Oregon State Penitentiary opened in Salem. It was the first permanent prison in the state, and initially housed 40 inmates. Today, the penitentiary has a capacity of 2,086 inmates. 2. May 8, 1914, marked the opening of the Oregon Caves National Monument. The caves,...
5 Fun Facts About May 7 In Oregon History
1. In 1846, the Oregon Provisional Government was established in Oregon City, marking the beginning of self-governance in the region. 2. On May 7, 1873, the first train arrived in Salem, Oregon, signaling the growth and development of rail transportation in the state. 3. In 1913, the University of Oregon...
5 Fun Facts About May 6 In Oregon History
1. On May 6, 1937, the Hindenburg disaster occurred in New Jersey, killing 36 people, including a resident of Portland, Oregon. The incident marked the end of the era of airship travel. 2. May 6, 1862, marked the beginning of the Civil War in Oregon when volunteers from the state...
5 Fun Facts About May 5 In Oregon History
1. In 1864, Oregon's first newspaper The Weekly Oregonian published its first issue on May 5th. The newspaper, now known as The Oregonian, is still in circulation and is the state's largest newspaper. 2. On May 5th, 1933, the construction of the Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood was completed. Built...
5 Fun Facts About May 4 In Oregon History
1. On May 4, 1970, four students were killed and nine others were injured when National Guard troops opened fire on a group of protesters at Kent State University in Ohio. While this event did not occur in Oregon, it remains a significant moment in U.S. history and had a...
5 Fun Facts About May 3 In Oregon History
1. On May 3, 1850, the first steam locomotive arrived in Oregon, marking the beginning of a new era in transportation and commerce for the state. The 20-ton engine, named the Oregon Pony, was designed to pull freight and passengers along a newly constructed railroad connecting Portland and Milwaukie. 2....
5 Fun Facts About May 2 In Oregon History
1. May 2, 1859, was the day that the Oregon Constitution was officially adopted. This created the groundwork for Oregon to become the 33rd state in the US on February 14, 1860. 2. On May 2, 1881, the first Chinese-American U.S. ambassador, Anson Burlingame, died in Italy. Burlingame was originally...
5 Fun Facts About May 1 In Oregon History
1. May Day 1905 marked the first International Workers’ Day celebration in Oregon. It was celebrated in Portland, and over 5,000 people marched from Union Station to what is now Tom McCall Waterfront Park. 2. May 1, 1969, was the day that Oregon became the first state in the United...
5 Fun Facts About April 30 In Oregon History
1. In 1859, Oregon was admitted as the 33rd state in the union. This was a significant moment in Oregon history, as it marked the end of a long struggle for statehood that had begun in the early 1840s. 2. In 1905, the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition opened in...