Oregon Trivia & Tidbits - Page 10

Looking for Oregon trivia? Try our list Oregon little know facts, tidbits and trivia.

The state minimum hourly wage was set at $7.16 on Jan. 1, making it the nation’s highest. In 1975, the state minimum wage was $2.

first appeared: 2/22/2004

Oregon ranks among the top three states in pear production. Pears ripen best after being harvested, not on the tree, and most of the state’s commercial pears are stored six to eight months before being shipped to market.

first appeared: 2/15/2004

Nine genuine lighthouses stand along the state’s Pacific coast. Of these, five are still in use; the others are designated historic monuments. Two other lighthouses were built on the coast by enthusiasts as additions to their homes and were not designed as navigational aides.

first appeared: 2/8/2004

The hazelnut, also known as the filbert, is Oregon’s official state nut. The first commercial filbert orchard in the state was the Dorris Ranch in Springfield (pop. 52,864), where George and Lulu Dorris settled in 1892. More than half of the filbert trees growing today in the United States come from the Dorris Ranch.

first appeared: 2/8/2004

By one vote, state lawmakers in 1999 made the Pacific golden chanterelle the official state mushroom. This trumpet-shaped delicacy has a handsome orange color and can be found from early summer through autumn in damp, mossy woodlands.

first appeared: 2/1/2004

The U.S. National Bank in Baker City (pop. 9,860) houses the impressive 80.4-ounce Armstrong Gold Nugget, found in the area by George Armstrong in 1913. This frontier town was the hub of the eastern Oregon gold rush in 1861, and much history of that era is evident in Baker City today.

first appeared: 1/25/2004

Crater Lake, known for its intense blue color and spectacular views, is the nation’s deepest lake. Sonar readings in 1959 established the lake’s deepest point at 1,932 feet. The surrounding Crater Lake National Park was established in 1902. Much of it is closed for winter due to snows that average 46 feet per year.

first appeared: 1/18/2004

In 1811, John Jacob Astor founded Astoria as a fur trading post—a mere six years after the Lewis and Clark Expedition reached the area at the mouth of the Columbia River and wintered there. Astoria was Oregon’s first white settlement.

first appeared: 1/11/2004

The 1850 Oregon Donation Land Law allowed settlers to purchase land for $1.25 per acre after they lived on it for two years.

first appeared: 1/11/2004

The state flower is the Oregon grape, a low growing plant native to much of the Pacific Coast, but rare east of the Cascade Range. Its year-round foliage of waxy green leaves resembles holly. The plant bears dainty yellow flowers in early summer and a dark blue berry that ripens late in the fall. The fruit can be used in cooking.

first appeared: 1/4/2004

In Salem, Waldo Park, established to protect a giant sequoia planted there in 1872, measures a mere 12-by-20 feet and was once thought to be the world’s smallest park. Portland, however, has a city park only about 4 feet in diameter—a hole in a concrete traffic median where a light pole was to be placed, which is now planted with flowers.

first appeared: 12/28/2003

In 1972, the state became the first to pass a “bottle bill,” prohibiting the use of non-returnable beverage bottles. The measure was aimed at reducing roadside litter, and it was estimated at the time that it costs America $1.5 billion to get rid of cans, plastic containers and non-returnable bottles.

first appeared: 12/21/2003

Ezra Meeker’s wagon trip to the state in 1852 was not unusual. What was unusual was his second trip 50 years later at age 76, with another wagon and two oxen. His mission was to encourage preservation of the Oregon Trail and to educate people on its historical significance. In 1907, he convinced President Teddy Roosevelt to set aside $50,000 for trail preservation.

first appeared: 12/14/2003

Completed in 1926 at a cost of more than $27,000, the 125-foot-high Astoria Column in Astoria (pop. 9,813) was inspired by the Trajan Column in Rome. The column was funded by John Jacob Astor’s great-grandson, Vincent Astor, and the Great Northern Railroad, and features 14 scenes of regional history that spiral around the structure, showing pioneers settling the Northwest.

first appeared: 12/7/2003

Visitors can hunt for 30-million-year-old plant life fossils such as palms, cones and leaves behind Wheeler High School in Fossil (pop. 469). Thomas Benton Hoover gave the community its name in 1876, after discovering fossils on his nearby ranch.

first appeared: 11/30/2003

Milwaukie (pop. 20,490) earned its reputation as the “City of Dogwoods” from a large dogwood tree that in the 1950s reached 65 feet in height. Although the tree was fatally damaged in a 1962 storm, the association has remained. The city is celebrating 2003, its centennial, by encouraging the planting of 100 dogwood trees. The dogwoods bloom with white or pink blossoms in late spring.

first appeared: 11/23/2003

Truffles, the underground mushroom-like delicacies often associated with France and Italy, can be found in Oregon, too. The white and black truffle varieties are often found near Douglas fir trees and tend to be harvested on tree farms. Oregon black truffles usually are available in November and December, while Oregon white truffles are available from November to January, and sometimes March through May.

first appeared: 11/16/2003

More than 8,000 handcrafted glass floats have been hidden along the seven miles of beach near Lincoln City (pop. 7,437) since 1999, as part of the annual "Finders Keepers" treasure hunt. Weather and ocean permitting, volunteers hide the colorful floats—originally designed to float fishing nets—from October through May, celebrating a beachcombing tradition. Treasure hunters are encouraged to take litterbags along, to help keep the beach free of trash.

first appeared: 11/9/2003

Salt Creek Falls’ 286-foot plunge, southeast of Oakridge (pop. 3,148), is the state’s second-highest waterfall after Multnomah Falls. It’s also one of the state’s most powerful, with an average flow of 50,000 gallons per minute.

first appeared: 11/2/2003

Salem wasn’t always the state capital. Oregon City (pop. 25,754) held that honor until Oregon’s provisional government moved the capital to Salem in 1851. The capital was moved again, to Corvallis (pop. 49,322) in 1855, but was moved back to Salem the same year.

first appeared: 10/26/2003

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