February 12, 2025
Written by: Hannah Field | Editor-in-Chief
Oregon will be celebrating its 166th birthday Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14.
In celebration, the Oregon State Capitol typically holds an event on the Saturday closest to Valentine’s Day, although no information for 2025 has been released thus far.
Established in 1859, Oregon became the 33rd state on the day of love. Portland was established earlier in 1851 — yet Astoria takes the cake as Oregon’s oldest town, founded in 1811 and being the first permanent United States settlement west of the Rocky Mountains.
Roughly 12 thousand people migrated to the region on the Oregon Trail, one of the most commonly-used routes during the period of westward expansion in the U.S., finding their way to Oregon and leading to its founding.
Oregon, despite its current progressive status, does harbor a racist past; at its establishment, it had racial exclusionary laws, banning Black people from many towns until 1866. Although Oregon has come a long way, its history is vital to recall.
When compared to other states, Oregon stands out for its natural beauty, notoriously gloomy weather and state hub, Portland, occasionally called the “City of Roses.”
Oregon is the only state to have a two-sided flag. It also carries an impactful motto, separate from the flag: “She flies with her own wings.”
Geographically, Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the whole country at 1,943 feet deep. In contrast, Oregon, for a period of time, had the shortest river in the world — D River — at 440 feet long, per Guinness World Records. The title has since been claimed by a shorter river elsewhere.
Oregon is home to about four million residents, and, possibly, one sasquatch. Some could say Oregon is obsessed with Bigfoot, boasting the Oregon Sasquatch Festival at Mt. Hood and the Glide Sasquatch Festival — “Big feet, bigger party.” Notoriously, Oregon also has the only known Bigfoot trap in the world in the Siskiyou National Forest.
Albany, Oregon, invites guests to the Monteith House — Albany’s oldest residence — at 11 a.m – 3 p.m. both Friday, Feb. 14 — Valentine’s Day and Oregon’s 166th birthday — and Saturday, Feb. 15 for cake paired with a history lesson. The event is free to attend.
The Salem City Club will be hosting a trivia event, free admission, at noon on Friday, Feb. 14, at the Willamette Heritage Center.
Hillsboro, Oregon, advertises a craft workshop for Oregon’s birthday, describing it as “a fun-filled day of creativity and community as we honor the beautiful state of Oregon.”
Contact the author at howleditorinchief@mail.wou.edu
