Oregon Trivia & Tidbits - Page 16

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

The Cape Blanco Lighthouse near Port Orford (pop. 1,153), built in 1870, is Oregon’s westernmost lighthouse, the highest above the sea (at 245 feet), and its oldest continuously operating light. Additionally, the state’s first woman lighthouse keeper, Mabel E. Bretherton, began her duties there in 1903.

first appeared: 1/27/2002

The depth of the deepest lake in the United States—Crater Lake in southwestern Oregon—was first measured in the 1800s by Capt. Clarence Dutton, commander of a U.S. Geological Survey party. Dutton’s crew hauled a half-ton survey boat up the side of the extinct volcano before lowering it into the lake, where the group sounded the depth at 168 different places using a piece of pipe on the end of a spool of piano wire. They calculated a depth of 1,996 feet, not far off sonar readings conducted in 1959 that established the deepest point at 1,932 feet.

first appeared: 1/20/2002

The Dee Wright Observatory at McKenzie Pass near Sisters (pop. 959) offers spectacular views of the Cascade Mountains. The stone memorial honors architect Dee Wright and was built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corp. At the summit, a bronze peak finder identifies geologic features in the surrounding lava fields.

first appeared: 1/13/2002

The striking view at Face Rock State Scenic Viewpoint near Bandon (pop. 2,833) gets its name from the offshore rock formation that resembles the profile of a human face emerging from the ocean. According to legend, a maiden’s voice often can be heard on the wind at this spot.

first appeared: 1/6/2002

Since 1999, the Pacific golden chanterelle has been the official mushroom of Oregon. More than 500,000 pounds of the tasty fungus are harvested in the state each year.

first appeared: 12/30/2001

Cottage Grove (pop. 8,445) bills itself as the “Covered Bridge Capital of Oregon.” Six of the covered treasures are located in or near the city: Centennial Bridge, Chambers Railroad Bridge, Currin Bridge, Dorena Bridge, Mosby Creek Bridge, and Stewart Bridge.

first appeared: 12/23/2001

Ninety-nine percent of the U.S. commercial hazelnut crop is grown in Oregon on trees that reach 30 to 40 feet tall. The hazelnut was named the official state nut in 1989.

first appeared: 12/16/2001

Winter recreational opportunities on Oregon’s Chetco River include salmon and steelhead fishing, as well as white-water kayaking. The river begins in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness and empties into the Pacific near Brookings (pop. 5,447). Almost 45 miles of the Chetco is designated wild and scenic.

first appeared: 12/9/2001

The name Oregon stems from a proposal from English army officer Maj. Robert Rogers in 1765. He asked to travel from the Great Lakes to “the river called by the Indians Ouragon.” The current spelling first appeared in Capt. Jonathan Carver’s 1778 book, Travels Through the Interior Parts of North America 1766, 1767 and 1768.

first appeared: 12/2/2001

Honored with a place on the state flag, the American beaver is the official state animal, the state legislature declared in 1969. Prized for its fur, the animal was once eliminated from some areas by trappers but since has been re-established throughout the state.

first appeared: 11/25/2001

Crater Lake is known now for its crystal blue waters, but more than 6,000 years ago, a 12,000-foot volcano stood on the site. The mountain’s massive eruption, an event that deposited volcanic ash over a wide area of the northwestern United States and southwestern Canada, created Crater Lake.

first appeared: 11/18/2001

The Columbia River Maritime Museum, located in Astoria (pop. 9,813), includes exhibits on marine travel dating back to the days of dugout canoes. The museum also includes a tour of the lightship Columbia, a seagoing lighthouse that once guided ships at the mouth of the Columbia River.

first appeared: 11/11/2001

The city of Jacksonville (pop. 2,235) has been named a National Historic Landmark based on its mid-19th-century commercial and residential buildings. Jacksonville was founded as a mining town in 1852.

first appeared: 11/11/2001

Pioneers traveling the Oregon Trail sometimes chose the Barlow Road around Mount Hood, where modern travelers can see sights familiar to early pioneers. A suggested route runs from Hood River along state Highway 35 to Barlow Pass Summit. At Laurel Hill, it’s a short walk to where wagons were emptied and lowered on a pulley. U.S. Highway 26 takes you to the last tollgate that was operated on the road, just before Rhododendron.

first appeared: 11/4/2001

The Hug Point State Recreation Site south of Cannon Beach (pop. 1,588) gives a taste of what early travelers experienced along the Pacific coast. Today visitors can walk along the original stagecoach trail that “hugs” the point, giving the site its name.

first appeared: 10/28/2001

Ainsworth State Park, on the Columbia River between Portland and The Dalles, is billed as having the greatest concentration of high waterfalls in the world. Another scenic attraction for hikers is St. Peter’s Dome, a 2,000-foot lava basalt monolith above the Columbia River.

first appeared: 10/21/2001

The highest viewpoint on the Oregon coast is Cape Perpetua Overlook, two miles off U.S. Highway 101, at the midpoint of Oregon’s coastline. Another popular viewing spot is nearby Devil’s Churn Viewpoint, adjacent to Highway 101. Both stopping places are within the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area—2,700 acres that include trails and an interpretive center.

first appeared: 10/14/2001

Boiler Bay State Scenic Viewpoint near Depoe Bay (pop. 1,174) is an ideal place to view resident and migrating gray whales and ocean-going birds. It became known as Boiler Bay in 1910, when the freighter J. Marhoffer sank offshore and its boiler remained visible at low tide.

first appeared: 10/7/2001

Got the state drink? In 1997, Oregon’s legislature designated milk as the official state beverage in recognition of milk’s importance and the manufacturing of dairy products within the state.

first appeared: 9/30/2001

Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area extends 40 miles along the coast between the Siuslaw River on the north and the Coos River on the south. The area—the most extensive sand dune landscape on the Pacific Coast—also offers lakes, forests, and beaches.

first appeared: 9/23/2001

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