Oregon Trivia & Tidbits - Page 8

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

To help early 20th-century automobiles negotiate the 600-foot hill known as Crown Point, east of Troutdale (pop. 13,777), engineer Samuel Lancaster incorporated a series of figure-eight loops into the design of the Columbia River Highway. The loops helped provide maximum scenic views and minimal environmental damage. Hailed as an engineering marvel, Lancaster’s first paved highway in the Northwest was completed in 1922.

first appeared: 1/16/2005

The Oregon Department of Transportation spends more than $11million a year to repair damage caused to road surfaces by studded tires, whichwear ruts that accumulate water and cause dangerous driving conditions. Usedfor extra traction on winter snow and ice, the tires are permitted on vehiclesin the state between Nov. 1 and April 1, and motorists can be fined $150 forusing them out of season.

first appeared: 1/2/2005

Skiers and snowboarders enjoy their sport year-round on the Palmer Snowfield on Mount Hood, the 11,239-foot mountain east of Portland in the Cascade Range. High-speed chair lifts take them to the field, one of 12 glaciers and permanent snowfields on the peak and home to the U.S. Snowboard Training Center.

first appeared: 12/19/2004

In 1932, Luhr Jensen Sr. started making fishing lures from old car parts in an unused chicken coop on his Hood River Valley ranch. He moved into Hood River (pop. 5,831) two years later, and today, Luhr Jensen & Sons occupies two buildings there on the Columbia River and employs more than 250 people in the production of fishing tackle.

first appeared: 12/5/2004

One million daffodils bloom along a stretch of Sawyer Road in Shady Cove (pop. 2,307) each March and April. "Daffodil Hill" began to take shape 10 years ago, when crews started planting 50,000 bulbs a year, choosing the daffodil because of its beauty, and because the local deer won't eat them.

first appeared: 11/21/2004

Although President Hoover (1874-1964) was born in Iowa, he moved to Newberg (pop. 18,064) in 1885, after his parents died, to live with his uncle’s family. Hoover, who was raised a Quaker, attended Newberg’s Friends Pacific Academy, which later became George Fox University.

first appeared: 11/7/2004

In 1935, Danish-born Rasmus Petersen began building castles, churches, bridges and even a U.S. flag with mortar and rocks that he’d collected from within 85 miles of his home near Redmond (pop. 13,481). The rocks included obsidian, petrified wood, agate and jasper, and the creations today form the four-acre Petersen’s Rock Gardens, which is still run by his family.

first appeared: 10/24/2004

Jonathan Friedman, an 11-year-old boy from Lake Oswego (pop. 35,278), set a world record on Oct. 23, 2003, when he balanced nine stainless steel spoons on his face for five seconds. He set one on his nose, one on each ear, two on his chin and two on each cheek. This broke his February 2002 record of seven spoons.

first appeared: 10/10/2004

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, three of the state’s counties have less than 2,000 people: Gilliam (pop. 1,915), Sherman (pop. 1,934) and Wheeler (pop. 1,547).

first appeared: 10/3/2004

Col. Edward Baker became the only U.S. senator to die in battle when he was killed in the Battle of Ball’s Bluff (Va.) on Oct. 21, 1861. Baker—for whom Baker County and its county seat, Baker City (pop. 9,860), were named—represented Oregon and was a close friend of President Abraham Lincoln.

first appeared: 9/19/2004

Established by the U.S. Forest Service in 1948, the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest in Oregon’s Cascade Range east of Springfield (pop. 52,864) contains trees around 500 years old. Named in 1953 for Horace Justin Andrews, the regional forester who helped select its location, the forest is the site of more than 100 research projects annually.

first appeared: 9/12/2004

Known as “Pre,” distance runner Steve Prefontaine held every U.S. record for distances between 2,000 and 10,000 meters when he died in a car accident in 1975. Born in Coos Bay (pop. 15,374) in 1951, Prefontaine placed fourth in the 5,000 meters in the 1972 Olympics and broke the four-minute mile nine times.

first appeared: 9/5/2004

The beaches near Newport (pop. 9,532) are known for the semi-precious agate stones that winter storms often reveal in gravel beds. Most agates, which are a type of quartz rock, are translucent and some contain bubbles of water or air.

first appeared: 8/29/2004

Children’s author Beverly Cleary was born in 1916 in McMinnville (pop. 26,499) and raised in Yamhill (pop. 794) and Portland. She received the John Newbery Medal for distinguished contribution to American children’s literature in 1984 for her book Dear Mr. Henshaw.

first appeared: 8/22/2004

Founded in 1882 by Benedictine monks from Switzerland, the Mount Angel Abbey near Mount Angel (pop. 3,121) has been rebuilding its library collection since 1926, when a fire destroyed most of its books. Today, more than 250,000 books are contained in a building that was designed by Finnish architect Alvar Aalto and completed in 1970.

first appeared: 8/15/2004

Originally planned as Marysville by founders J.C. Avery and William Dixon, Corvallis (pop. 49,322) was renamed for the Latin term meaning “heart of the valley” in 1853, to avoid confusing the town with Marysville, Calif. (pop. 12,268). Corvallis is home to Oregon State University, which was known as Corvallis College when it was established in 1858.

first appeared: 8/8/2004

Old Perpetual, a geyser located near Lakeview (pop. 2,474), sends 200-degree water 60 feet into the air about every 90 seconds. The heated water feeds an outdoor mineral water pool at Hunter’s Hot Springs, where the water is maintained at just over 100 degrees.

first appeared: 8/1/2004

La Pine State Park, near La Pine (pop. 5,799), is home to “Big Red,” which at more than 160 feet tall and almost 29 feet around is Oregon’s largest ponderosa pine. One of the nation’s largest trees, Big Red is about 500 years old.

first appeared: 7/25/2004

Actor Howard Hesseman, known for his role as Doctor Johnny Fever in the WKRP in Cincinnati TV series that aired from 1978 to 1982, was born in Lebanon (pop. 12,950) on Feb. 27, 1940.

first appeared: 7/18/2004

The National Trust for Historic Preservation named Astoria (pop. 9,813) to its 2004 Dozen Distinctive Destinations list, for the city’s commitment to protecting and showcasing its heritage. Founded in 1811, Astoria is known as “the Little San Francisco of the Pacific Northwest” because of its steep hills and Victorian homes.

first appeared: 7/11/2004

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