Oregon Historical Society

OHS recently added a long, velvet coat made by M & A Shogren to its museum collection. May and Ann Shogren made one-of-a-kind garments for the wealthy women of Oregon and beyond. Learn more and see more examples of their work at the OHS Museum Portal: ow.ly/S0nl50UsiKl

Sea otters are an iconic species that has been absent from Oregon’s waters for more than 100 years. The “Sea Otters in Oregon” special section of the Fall 2023 issue of Oregon Historical Quarterly explores their special role. Read it free online: ow.ly/9KSH50UrbnB

Visit Santaland, a nostalgic vignette featuring items from the original Meier & Frank Santaland including Rudolph, animatronic elves, holiday decor, a model of the famous monorail, and new additions on display at OHS for the first time! youtu.be/Rbz4JPs7A44

Check out the in-depth article by Matthew Trueherz in @PoMoMagazine about “Crossing Boundaries: Portraits of a Transgender West,” on exhibit through January 5, 2025. ow.ly/Iw1h50UisP6

All of us at OHS join in wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving. One of the ingredients to a successful holiday ranks 23rd among Oregon’s top 50 agricultural products: Cranberries! Learn more about Oregon’s Cranberry industry at the Oregon Encyclopedia: ow.ly/MB7S50Uh1RH

Save the date! Holiday Cheer is coming up on December 8. Meet 60+ local authors and pick up a signed book for ever reader on your holiday shopping list! More at ohs.org/holidaycheer

November 12 is #ExplodingWhaleDay and you can see the original KATU news film footage featuring the infamous November 12, 1970, Florence whale explosion via OHS Digital Collections and on our blog! ohs.org/blog/beached-w…

With Election Day just around the corner on November 5, here is a handwritten tally of election returns for the Oregon City precinct and the eastern and western precincts of Tuality County from our research library. More on OHS Digital Collections: digitalcollections.ohs.org/coll1029-001

Discover 3,300 recently digitized images from the June Drake photographs collection, which documents the city of Silverton and surrounding areas, Silver Falls State Park (established largely due to Drake’s efforts), the logging industry, and agriculture. digitalcollections.ohs.org/org-lot-678-ju…

Join author Stephen Most at OHS next Tuesday, October 22, at 6pm for a free talk on his book "River of Renewal," revised to include an update to incorporate the recent history of the removal of four dams on the Klamath River. ohs.org/events/the-kla…

Learn about the history of voting rights in Oregon through our online exhibit, "Nevertheless, They Persisted: Women’s Voting Rights and the 19th Amendment," and be sure to register to vote in Oregon by October 15! ohs.org/persisters

Nearly 300 students competed at the 2024 Oregon History Day contest at Willamette University in April 2024. In our latest blog post on Dear Oregon, OHS Education & Volunteer Specialist Isa Ruelas shares highlights from the competition. ohs.org/blog/turning-p…

Series tickets are on sale now for our 2025 Hatfield Lecture Series! Kicking off Feb. 4, the series features Nikole Hannah-Jones, Lindsay Chervinksy, Steve Inskeep, and Hampton Sides. Visit ohs.org/hatfield to buy in-person or virtual tickets!

All of us at OHS were heartbroken to hear of the passing of dear friend and member of the OHS Honorary Council, John Herman. John loved OHS and, like OHS, was focused on the future — on sharing the importance of learning history in order to build a better tomorrow.

In the Fall 2024 issue of the Oregon Historical Quarterly, authors explore Japanese Americans’ resettlement in Portland after incarceration during World War II, Oregon forester T.J. Starker, and raising a child with cerebral palsy in the early 1900s. ohs.org/oregon-histori…

@US_IMLS @statelibraryor The collection provides a rare window into Japanese American history prior to World War II, community relationships in Hood River, the effects of World War II–era forced removal and incarceration, and family members’ activism and advocacy work from the 1940s through today.

This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) through the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the State Library of Oregon. @US_IMLS @statelibraryor

OHS has recently completed a LSTA Competitive Grant to translate a large selection of the Japanese material in the Yasui family papers, a manuscript collection preserved in OHS’s research library. Explore a portion of the collection online: digitalcollections.ohs.org/coll-949-yasui…

@US_IMLS @statelibraryor The Yasui family papers consists of over 20 linear feet of personal correspondence, original family documents and diaries, research files, advocacy records, and photographs — about one-fifth is written in pre–World War II Japanese that is no longer widely spoken or written.

Happy Birthday Forest Park! On September 25, 1948 the City of Portland dedicated Forest Park, one of the largest urban forests in the U.S., an idea first proposed in 1903 by landscape architect John L. Olmsted. Learn more on The Oregon Encyclopedia: ow.ly/qka950TvLY0