Oregon: The Beaver State

Oregon: The Beaver State — page 1
4 OREGON INTRODUCTION Located in the beautiful Pacific Northwest Oregon has been attracting visitors for centuries In the mid-1800s some 300,000 to 500,000 pioneers followed the Oregon Trail westward from Missouri many of them taking it all the way to Oregon’s fertile Willamette Valley These early settlers were attracted to the state’s abundant supply of furs its fertile land and its rich forests Their journey has been called the Great Migration No one knows for sure where the name Oregon came from It is believed that early French settlers used the name ouragan meaning hurricane for the mighty Columbia River Today Oregon’s stunning combination of mountains forest and coastline has led many to refer to the state as the Pacific Wonderland Reaching heights of over 10,000 feet Oregon’s mountains are an impressive sight Salem was established as the territorial capital of Oregon in 1851 Oregon’s birthday is on St Valentine’s Day Feb 14 1859 Oregon is nicknamed the Beaver State The beaver was an important source of income for early trappers in Oregon The Pacific Northwest is a region in the northwestern United States along the Pacific coast It includes the states of Washington and Oregon as well as parts of northern California western Canada and southern Alaska Portland’s Japanese Garden is considered to be one of the most beautiful gardens of its kind outside of Japan