Historical Note:

Fur flies in fights between Britain and America

Britain had already established two fur trading companies in Oregon before John Jacob Aster came along in 1811 to set up his fur trading post, Astoria. But in the War of 1812, Britain captured his post and dominated the area until the 1830s when an influx of missionaries arrived, followed by American settlers coming from the Oregon Trail. Territorial disputes erupted for years between America and Britain, bringing both parties to the brink of war. The slogan in the 1844 elections was "Fifty-four Forty or Fight," coming from Americans who demanded the land all the way to the Alaskan border, an absolutely repulsive idea to the British. President Polk did not yield to such extremists and successfully averted war by reaching a compromise with Britain, which gave America all the territory west of the Rockies and south of the 49th parallel.

Name Origin: Indian. ("Beautiful Water")

Capital: Salem

Population: 3,086,000

Area: 97,073 square miles

Statehood: February 14, 1859 (33rd)

Nickname: The Beaver State

Motto: "She flies with her own wings, the Union"

Famous For: The Oregon Trail, Mount Hood, Flowers, Lumber, Wineries, Rose Festival, Crater Lake, Painted Hills National Monument, Columbia River Gorge, Coast Range, Cascade Range, Redwoods, John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Hart Mountain National Wildlife Refuge.