150 years ago, one of Oregon’s first Indian boarding schools opened
In February 1874, one of the state's first government-funded Native American boarding schools began operation on the Klamath Indian Reservation in Southern Oregon. It operated as part of a larger federal policy of forced assimilation of Indigenous people that often resulted in neglect, abuse and trauma that lingers to this day.
Latest Stories
New digital images reveal the lives of early Black Oregon residents
The Oregon Historical Society recently released a new set of digitized historical images of some of the state’s earliest Black residents. The photographs provide a rare look into the lives of Black pioneers.
How 2 Oregonians invented the world’s first successful artificial heart valve
The world’s first successful heart valve replacement surgery was performed in 1960 at what’s now Oregon Health & Science University. Behind this life-saving innovation was an unlikely partnership between a young surgeon and retired engineer.
55 years ago, the ‘Mother of All Demos’ foresaw modern computing
Oregon State University alumnus Douglas Engelbart, who designed the first computer mouse, unveiled the future of computers.
Remembering the first female mayor of Troutdale, Oregon
110 years ago, voters elected part-Indigenous community activist Clara Latourell Larsson as Oregon’s second female mayor — just one year after women achieved the right to vote statewide.
Oregon counties once used poor farms to care for their neediest residents
Oregon once required counties to take care of their neediest residents. For decades, relief institutions known as "poor farms" operated throughout the state. They provided food, shelter, medical care and sometimes burial services. The treatment of residents varied widely, with some poor farms providing refuge for those in need while others operated more like prisons.
Shining a light on a Southern Oregon hotel’s ‘haunted’ past
Through October, the Klamath County Museum offers flashlight tours of the four-story, historic Baldwin Hotel Museum.
This rural Oregon town is home of the Mosquito Festival
After nearly 40 years, Paisley's annual Mosquito Festival may come to an end.
Remembering the 1887 massacre at Hells Canyon
Over a century ago, on May 27, 1887, a gang of horse thieves gunned down more than 30 Chinese gold miners on the Oregon side of the Snake River in Hells Canyon.
Physician, lesbian, radical labor activist – the passions of Portland’s Dr. Marie Equi
Born in 1872 in New Bedford, Massachusetts, Marie Equi grew up in a working-class immigrant family and labored in the town’s textile mills to help support the family. As a young woman, she self-studied her way into medical school and received her degree in 1903. But her life took a hard left into radical politics after she made her way to Oregon.
75 years ago, a plane crash changed Oregon politics
On October 28, 1947, a small plane crashed in rural southeast Oregon, killing the state's governor and other political leaders.
From historical biographies to issues and events that have shaped our state, "Oregon Experience" is an exciting television series co-produced by OPB and the Oregon Historical Society. The series explores Oregon's rich past and helps all of us — from natives to newcomers — gain a better understanding of the historical, social and political fabric of our state. Each show brings to life fascinating characters — both familiar and forgotten — who've played key roles in building our state into the unique place we call home.