85-450: Whitman National Forest was established in Oregon on July 1, 1908 with 1,234,020 acres (4,993.9 km) from part of Blue Mountains National Forest . On June 20, 1920 part of Minam National Forest was added. In 1954 it was administratively combined with Wallowa National Forest to make Wallowa–Whitman National Forest . In descending order of forest land area, Whitman National Forest
170-486: A tectonic plate that poses a continued threat of volcanic activity and earthquakes in the region. The most recent major activity was the 1700 Cascadia earthquake . Washington 's Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980 , an event visible from northern Oregon and affecting some areas there. The Columbia River, which forms much of Oregon's northern border, also played a major role in the region's geological evolution, as well as its economic and cultural development. The Columbia
255-581: A "g". Another possible source is the Spanish word oregano , which refers to a plant that grows in the southern part of the region. It is also possible that the area around the Columbia River was named after a stream in Spain called "Arroyo del Oregón", located in the province of Ciudad Real . Another early use of the name, spelled Ouragon , was by Major Robert Rogers in a 1765 petition to
340-596: A military camp near present-day Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge in Lake County. They were sent from Boise, Idaho , to build a military camp in the high desert, and they built it east of the Warner Lakes because they doubted that they could cross the series of wetlands. Maj. Gen. George Crook disapproved of the soldiers' decision. He built a road across the lakes and moved the camp to
425-510: A probate government was proposed. Doctor Ira Babcock of Jason Lee 's Methodist Mission was elected supreme judge. Babcock chaired two meetings in 1842 at Champoeg , (halfway between Lee's mission and Oregon City ), to discuss wolves and other animals of contemporary concern. These meetings were precursors to an all-citizen meeting in 1843, which instituted a provisional government headed by an executive committee made up of David Hill , Alanson Beers , and Joseph Gale . This government
510-665: A prominence of more than 2,000 feet (610 m). Steens Mountain , in Harney County, is the highest point within the region; its summit is 9,733 feet (2,967 m) above sea level. To the east, the high desert country of the Columbia Plateau extends across the Snake River and into Idaho. A number of rivers flow through the high desert region. These include the Deschutes River and its tributary
595-622: A railroad in 1851 from St. Helens, through the Cornelius pass and across Washington County to the city of Lafayette, which was at the time the big town of the Willamette Valley. In December 1844, Oregon passed its first black exclusion law , which prohibited African Americans from entering the territory while simultaneously prohibiting slavery . Slave owners who brought their slaves with them were given three years before they were forced to free them. Any African Americans in
680-586: A refuge from disputes over slavery, Oregon had a "whites only" clause in its original state Constitution. At the outbreak of the American Civil War , regular U.S. troops were withdrawn and sent east to aid the Union . Volunteer cavalry recruited in California were sent north to Oregon to keep peace and protect the populace. The First Oregon Cavalry served until June 1865. Beginning in the 1880s,
765-550: A água , Oregon. Yet another account, endorsed as the "most plausible explanation" in the book Oregon Geographic Names , was advanced by George R. Stewart in a 1944 article in American Speech . According to Stewart, the name came from an engraver's error in a French map published in the early 18th century, on which the Ouisiconsink (Wisconsin) River was spelled " Ouaricon-sint ", broken on two lines with
850-877: Is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S. , with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington , while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho . The 42° north parallel delineates the southern boundary with California and Nevada . The western boundary is formed by the Pacific Ocean . Oregon has been home to many indigenous nations for thousands of years. The first European traders, explorers, and settlers began exploring what
935-401: Is characteristic of the basin and range plate tectonics of the high desert. About 16 million years ago, during the early Miocene epoch, lava flows from volcanic eruptions covered about half the surface area of Oregon. The Earth's crust then began stretching, giving way to further volcanic activity from 15 million to 2 million years ago. Several ice ages over this time formed
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#17327880842591020-539: Is evidence supporting inhabitants in the region at least 15,000 years ago. By 8000 BC, there were settlements throughout the state, with populations concentrated along the lower Columbia River, in the western valleys, and around coastal estuaries. During the prehistoric period , the Willamette Valley region was flooded after the collapse of glacial dams from then Lake Missoula , located in what would later become Montana . These massive floods occurred during
1105-461: Is in this region of the state. Typical of a western state, Oregon is home to a unique and diverse array of wildlife. Roughly 60 percent of the state is covered in forest, while the areas west of the Cascades are more densely populated by forest, making up around 80 percent of the landscape. Some 60 percent of Oregon's forests are within federal land. Oregon is the top timber producer of
1190-867: Is located in parts of Baker , Union , Grant , Wallowa , Umatilla , and Malheur counties. There are local ranger district offices in Baker City , Halfway , and Unity . Its administrative headquarters are in Baker City, as part of the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. As of September 30, 2008, Whitman had an area of 1,266,902 acres (5,126.97 km), representing 55.96% of the combined forest's 2,263,965 acres (9,161.94 km). 45°00′N 118°15′W / 45.00°N 118.25°W / 45.00; -118.25 Oregon Oregon ( / ˈ ɒr ɪ ɡ ən , - ɡ ɒ n / ORR -ih-ghən , -gon )
1275-570: Is located in the central and southeastern parts of the state. It covers approximately 24,000 square miles (62,000 km ), extending approximately 200 miles (320 km) from central Oregon east to the Idaho border and 130 miles (210 km) from central Oregon south to the Nevada border. Most of the region is located in Crook , Deschutes , Harney , Lake , and Malheur counties. The high desert
1360-592: Is named as such for its generally high elevation, averaging about 4,000 feet (1,200 m) across the region. It is bordered by the eastern foothills of the Cascade Range to the west. The Blue Mountains are the geographical boundary to the north, marking the northern end of the high desert's semi-arid plateau. The southern high desert is part of North America 's Basin and Range Province , which extends south through Nevada and Arizona and into Mexico . It contains large alkali lakes and tall cliffs, some with
1445-839: Is now Oregon's Pacific coast in the early to mid-16th century. As early as 1564, the Spanish began sending vessels northeast from the Philippines , riding the Kuroshio Current in a sweeping circular route across the northern part of the Pacific. In 1592, Juan de Fuca undertook detailed mapping and studies of ocean currents in the Pacific Northwest, including the Oregon coast as well as the strait now bearing his name. The Lewis and Clark Expedition traversed Oregon in
1530-473: Is now allowed in Oregon, gas stations are not required to offer it and many currently do not. New Jersey is the only state remaining where self serve gas stations are not allowed. Oregon is 295 miles (475 km) north to south at longest distance, and 395 miles (636 km) east to west. With an area of 98,381 square miles (254,810 km ), Oregon is slightly larger than the United Kingdom . It
1615-730: Is one of North America's largest rivers, and one of two rivers to cut through the Cascades (the Klamath River in southern Oregon is the other). About 15,000 years ago, the Columbia repeatedly flooded much of Oregon during the Missoula Floods ; the modern fertility of the Willamette Valley is largely the result. Plentiful salmon made parts of the river, such as Celilo Falls , hubs of economic activity for thousands of years. Today, Oregon's landscape varies from rain forest in
1700-487: Is probable some still move into eastern Oregon from Idaho. Oregon is home to what is considered the largest single organism in the world, an Armillaria solidipes fungus beneath the Malheur National Forest of eastern Oregon. Oregon has several National Park System sites , including Crater Lake National Park in the southern part of the Cascades, John Day Fossil Beds National Monument east of
1785-460: Is rounded down phonetically, from Ouve água —Oragua, Or-a-gon, Oregon—given probably by the same Portuguese navigator that named the Farallones after his first officer, and it literally, in a large way, means cascades: "Hear the waters." You should steam up the Columbia and hear and feel the waters falling out of the clouds of Mount Hood to understand entirely the full meaning of the name Ouve
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#17327880842591870-556: Is the U.S. government . The Bureau of Land Management administers over 13.6 million acres (55,000 km ) in the bureau's Burns, Lakeview, Prineville, and Vale districts, most of which are in the state's high desert country. In addition, Congress has designated specific sections of the Crooked, Deschutes, Donner und Blitzen, Malheur, and Owyhee rivers as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System . Agriculture
1955-475: Is the largest industry in the region. Livestock ranches utilize large tracts of private and government land for grazing. Ranchers raise cattle and sheep in many parts of the region. Because of low rainfall, most crops require irrigation . Agricultural crops include alfalfa and other hay crops, wheat , oats , barley , potatoes , onions , sugar beets , and mint . Between 17 and 15 million years ago, magma from deep beneath eastern Oregon rose to
2040-532: Is the ninth largest state in the U.S. Oregon's highest point is the summit of Mount Hood, at 11,249 feet (3,429 m), and its lowest point is the sea level of the Pacific Ocean along the Oregon Coast. Oregon's mean elevation is 3,300 feet (1,006 m). Crater Lake National Park , the state's only national park, is the site of the deepest lake in the U.S. at 1,943 feet (592 m). Oregon claims
2125-484: Is the state's highest point. Oregon's only national park, Crater Lake National Park , comprises the caldera surrounding Crater Lake , the deepest lake in the U.S. The state is also home to the single largest organism in the world, Armillaria ostoyae , a fungus that runs beneath 2,200 acres (8.9 km ) of the Malheur National Forest . Oregon's economy has historically been powered by various forms of agriculture, fishing, logging, and hydroelectric power. Oregon
2210-606: Is the third-most populous city in Oregon, with 175,535 residents. Portland , with 652,503, ranks as the 26th among U.S. cities. The Portland metropolitan area , which includes neighboring counties in Washington, is the 25th largest metro area in the nation, with a population of 2,512,859. Oregon is also one of the most geographically diverse states in the U.S., marked by volcanoes, abundant bodies of water, dense evergreen and mixed forests, as well as high deserts and semi-arid shrublands . At 11,249 feet (3,429 m), Mount Hood
2295-605: Is the top lumber producer of the contiguous U.S. , with the lumber industry dominating the state's economy during the 20th century. Technology is another one of Oregon's major economic forces, beginning in the 1970s with the establishment of the Silicon Forest and the expansion of Tektronix and Intel . Sportswear company Nike, Inc. , headquartered in Beaverton , is the state's largest public corporation with an annual revenue of $ 46.7 billion. The origin of
2380-562: The -sint below, so there appeared to be a river flowing to the west named " Ouaricon ". According to the Oregon Tourism Commission , present-day Oregonians / ˌ ɒr ɪ ˈ ɡ oʊ n i ə n z / pronounce the state's name as "or-uh-gun, never or-ee-gone". After being drafted by the Detroit Lions in 2002, former Oregon Ducks quarterback Joey Harrington distributed "Orygun" stickers to members of
2465-473: The Alvord Desert , however, receives only 7 inches (180 mm) of rain each year. Contrary to its name, most of the high desert is not dry enough to truly qualify as desert , and biologically, most of the region is classified as shrubland or steppe . At 9,733 feet (2,967 m) above sea level, the summit of Steens Mountain is the highest point in the high desert. The broad fault-block mountain
2550-673: The Bannock War , a war against Euro-American settlers in the region over the destruction of camas root—a major source of food for the natives—by settlers' hogs. The Bannock and the Northern Paiute suffered from violence during the conflict, and once the settlers had won the war, the natives were allotted to various reservations. The Northern Paiute were sent to the Yakama Indian Reservation and in later years have been dispersed throughout several reservations in
2635-522: The Cascade Range and south of the Blue Mountains , in the central and eastern parts of the state. Divided into a southern region and a northern region, the desert covers most of five Oregon counties and averages 4,000 feet (1,200 m) above sea level. The southwest region is part of the Great Basin and the southeast is the lower Owyhee River watershed. The northern region is part of
Whitman National Forest - Misplaced Pages Continue
2720-726: The Columbia Plateau , the High Desert , and the Blue Mountains . Oregon lies in two time zones . Most of Malheur County is in the Mountain Time Zone , while the rest of the state lies in the Pacific Time Zone . Western Oregon's mountainous regions, home to three of the most prominent mountain peaks of the U.S. including Mount Hood, were formed by the volcanic activity of the Juan de Fuca Plate ,
2805-549: The Columbia Plateau , where higher levels of rainfall allow the largest industry on private land to be the cultivation of alfalfa and hay . Public land within the region is owned primarily by the Bureau of Land Management , which manages more than 30,000 square miles (78,000 km ) including five rivers designated as Wild and Scenic . While the high desert is somewhat dry, it is only arid relative to Western Oregon . The region averages 15 inches (380 mm) of annual rainfall;
2890-703: The Crooked River , as well as the Malheur , Owyhee , and John Day rivers, which are all within the Columbia River watershed. Because the high desert encompasses the portion of the hydrographic Great Basin located in Oregon, smaller rivers in the high desert flow into closed basins . The Chewaucan River , the Donner und Blitzen River , and the Silvies River each flow into some of the high desert's salt lakes. The largest landowner in eastern Oregon
2975-648: The D River as the shortest river in the world, though the state of Montana makes the same claim of its Roe River . Oregon is also home to Mill Ends Park (in Portland), the smallest park in the world at 452 square inches (0.29 m ). Oregon is split into eight geographical regions. In Western Oregon : Oregon Coast (west of the Coast Range ), the Willamette Valley, Rogue Valley , Cascade Range and Klamath Mountains ; and in Central and Eastern Oregon :
3060-934: The Kingdom of Great Britain . The term referred to the then-mythical River of the West (the Columbia River). By 1778, the spelling had shifted to Oregon . Rogers wrote: ... from the Great Lakes towards the Head of the Mississippi, and from thence to the River called by the Indians Ouragon ... One suggestion is that this name comes from the French word ouragan ("windstorm" or "hurricane"), which
3145-543: The Lewis and Clark and Astor Expeditions. Few stayed permanently such as Étienne Lussier, often referred to as the first "European" farmer in the state of Oregon. Evidence of the French Canadian presence can be found in numerous names of French origin such as Malheur Lake , the Malheur , Grande Ronde , and Deschutes Rivers , and the city of La Grande . Furthermore, many of the early pioneers first came out West with
3230-662: The Malheur Reservation for the Northern Paiute and other Oregon Native American tribes. Settlers who had traveled to Oregon along the Oregon Trail began to live in the high desert region in the 1850s and 1860s after they had begun farming and logging in the Willamette Valley and other lands in western Oregon. Thousands of these emigrants reached the area from the west, crossing the Cascade Range to make land claims in eastern Oregon. The high desert area
3315-763: The North West Company and the Hudson's Bay Company before heading South of the Columbia for better farmland as the fur trade declined. French Prairie by the Willamette River and French Settlement by the Umpqua River are known as early mixed ancestry settlements. The Lewis and Clark Expedition traveled through northern Oregon also in search of the Northwest Passage . They built their winter fort in 1805–1806 at Fort Clatsop , near
3400-430: The Warner Lakes are remnants of ancient pluvial lakes. Annual precipitation throughout Oregon's high desert region is relatively low, averaging less than 15 inches (380 mm) per year in most areas. Bend , the region's largest city, only receives 12 inches (300 mm) of precipitation per year. Burns receives roughly 11 inches (280 mm) of precipitation annually, while Rome , in central Malheur County, and
3485-432: The forced relocation of the native population to Indian reservations in Oregon . The first Oregon proposition for a railroad in Oregon was made in 1850 by H. M. Knighton, the original owner of the townsite of St. Helens . Knighton asserted that this would fulfill his township's belief that it should be the supreme metropolitan seaport in that area upon the Columbia River, as opposed to Portland. He suggested building
Whitman National Forest - Misplaced Pages Continue
3570-519: The last glacial period and filled the valley with 300 to 400 feet (91 to 122 m) of water. By the 16th century, Oregon was home to many Native American groups, including the Chinook , Coquille (Ko-Kwell), Bannock , Kalapuya , Klamath , Klickitat , Molala , Nez Perce , Shasta , Takelma , Umatilla , and Umpqua . The first Europeans to visit Oregon were Spanish explorers led by Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo , who sighted southern Oregon off
3655-816: The 19th century, Oregon's high desert area was called the Great Sandy Desert (a misnomer , as there is very little sand in the region), the Rolling Sage Plain , and the Artemisia Desert . Over the years, the region has also been known as Oregon's Empty Quarter , the Great Wide Open , and Oregon's Cowboy Country . Today, many local residents call it the Oregon Outback . However, the old names are occasionally still used. A 1996 National Geographic magazine "Map of
3740-419: The Cascades, Lewis and Clark National Historical Park on the north coast, and Oregon Caves National Monument near the south coast. Other areas that were considered for potential national park status in the 20th century include the southern Oregon Coast, Mount Hood, and Hells Canyon to the east. High Desert (Oregon) The Oregon High Desert is a region of the U.S. state of Oregon located east of
3825-548: The Coast Range to barren desert in the southeast, which still meets the technical definition of a frontier . Oregon's geographical center is further west than any of the other 48 contiguous states (although the westernmost point of the lower 48 states is in Washington). Central Oregon 's geographical features range from high desert and volcanic rock formations resulting from lava beds . The Oregon Badlands Wilderness
3910-400: The Earth's surface, causing a period of significant volcanic activity. A series of lava floods erupted from fissures near the Oregon–Idaho–Washington border. The resulting lava flows traveled up to 400 miles (640 km) from their source. Some individual flows covered as much as 10,000 square miles (26,000 km ) to a depth of 100 feet (30 m). Eventually, these lava flows covered half
3995-421: The Hudson's Bay Company, reversed the Hudson's Bay Company's long-standing policy of discouraging settlement because it interfered with the lucrative fur trade. He directed that some 200 Red River Colony settlers be relocated to HBC farms near Fort Vancouver, (the James Sinclair expedition), in an attempt to hold Columbia District. Starting in 1842–1843, the Oregon Trail brought many new American settlers to
4080-424: The Northern Paiute territory. After one such incident in 1811, the Northern Paiute migrated north to the Columbia River and attacked Wasco canoes. Around this time, the Northern Paiute numbered approximately 7,500. The Snake War , a war between the natives and Euro-American settlers in the region in the 1860s, killed roughly two-thirds of the Northern Paiute population. The settlers won the war and then set aside
4165-418: The Oregon Country. Oregon's boundaries were disputed for a time, contributing to tensions between the U.K. and the U.S., but the border was defined peacefully in the 1846 Oregon Treaty . The border between the U.S. and British North America was set at the 49th parallel . The Oregon Territory was officially organized on August 13, 1848. Settlement increased with the Donation Land Claim Act of 1850 and
4250-534: The Pacific Northwest was particularly affected by the 1973 oil crisis , with Oregon suffering a substantial shortage. In 1972, the Oregon Beverage Container Act of 1971, popularly called the Bottle Bill, became the first law of its kind in the United States. The Bottle Bill system in Oregon was created to control litter. In practice, the system promotes recycling, not reusing, and the collected containers are generally destroyed and made into new containers. Ten states currently have similar laws. In 1994, Oregon became
4335-562: The Pacific coast in 1543. Sailing from Central America on the Golden Hind in 1579 in search of the Strait of Anian during his circumnavigation of the Earth , the English explorer and privateer Sir Francis Drake briefly anchored at South Cove, Cape Arago , just south of Coos Bay , before sailing for what is now California. Martín de Aguilar , continuing separately from Sebastián Vizcaíno 's scouting of California, reached as far north as Cape Blanco and possibly to Coos Bay in 1603. Exploration continued routinely in 1774, starting with
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#17327880842594420-517: The United States Physical Landscape" used the pioneer name, Great Sandy Desert, to identify the southeastern quarter of Oregon. However, the region is most commonly known as Oregon's "High Desert". "High Desert" is the official name for a plain in Deschutes County, as recognized by the United States Board on Geographic Names . Variant names for the high desert are "Great Sandy Desert" and "Rolling Sage Plains". The Oregon Badlands Wilderness , 15 miles (24 km) east of Bend, has vegetation typical of
4505-407: The West, although the periodic fluctuations in the U.S. building industry have hurt the state's economy on multiple occasions. Portland, in particular, experienced a population boom between 1900 and 1930, tripling in size; the arrival of World War II also provided the northwest region of the state with an industrial boom, where Liberty ships and aircraft carriers were constructed. During the 1970s,
4590-448: The abundance of fur-bearing animals in the area. Also in 1811, New Yorker John Jacob Astor financed the establishment of Fort Astoria at the mouth of the Columbia River as a western outpost to his Pacific Fur Company ; this was the first permanent European settlement in Oregon. In the War of 1812 , the British gained control of all Pacific Fur Company posts. The Treaty of 1818 established joint British and American occupancy of
4675-422: The baskets are tight enough to carry water. Archaeological evidence from near Fort Rock has shown that people wove baskets in the area at least 9,000 years ago. Throughout the 18th century and into the early 19th century, the Northern Paiute had numerous conflicts with tribes who lived to the northwest. The Wasco-Wishram and other Chinook tribes often encroached on the high desert landscape of
4760-463: The city was established in 1891. It was named for the Scottish poet Robert Burns . Bend 's name was derived from the phrase "Farewell Bend," the location where pioneers traveling through the area last saw the Deschutes River . The Bend post office was established in 1904. Redmond , named after pioneering school teachers Frank and Josephine Redmond, was incorporated in 1910. In 1878, the Bannock people and northern Shoshone tribes participated in
4845-465: The early 1800s, and the first permanent European settlements in Oregon were established by fur trappers and traders. In 1843, an autonomous government was formed in the Oregon Country , and the Oregon Territory was created in 1848. Oregon became the 33rd state of the U.S. on February 14, 1859. Today, with 4.2 million people over 98,000 square miles (250,000 km ), Oregon is the ninth largest and 27th most populous U.S. state. The capital, Salem ,
4930-415: The expedition of the frigate Santiago by Juan José Pérez Hernández , and the coast of Oregon became a valuable trade route to Asia. In 1778, British captain James Cook also explored the coast. French Canadians , Scots , Métis , and other continental natives (e.g. Iroquois ) trappers arrived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, soon to be followed by Catholic clergy. Some traveled as members of
5015-439: The first U.S. state to legalize physician-assisted suicide through the Oregon Death with Dignity Act . A measure to legalize recreational use of marijuana in Oregon was approved on November 4, 2014, making Oregon only the second state at the time to have legalized gay marriage , physician-assisted suicide, and recreational marijuana. Self service gasoline was banned in Oregon from 1951 until August 2023. Although self-serve
5100-420: The growth of railroads expanded the state's lumber , wheat , and other agricultural markets, and the rapid growth of its cities. Due to the abundance of timber and waterway access via the Willamette River, Portland became a major force in the lumber industry of the Pacific Northwest , and quickly became the state's largest city. It would earn the nickname "Stumptown", and would later become recognized as one of
5185-456: The high desert region are the Northern Paiute people . These Native Americans were once semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers who relied on nuts, roots, seeds, berries, eggs, and animals such as deer, pronghorn, geese, quail, rabbits, and bear, following their food to high and low elevations depending on the time of year. They make sandals, traps, fishing nets, and weave baskets. Made out of sagebrush, willow, tule plant, Indian hemp, and sumac fibers,
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#17327880842595270-1413: The high desert region, mule deer , pronghorn , coyotes , American badgers , and black-tailed jackrabbits are common. Elk , bighorn sheep , cougars , bobcats , gray foxes , red foxes , North American porcupines , and North American beavers are also found in some parts of the high desert. Smaller mammals native to the area include long-tailed weasels , woodchucks , cottontail rabbits , pygmy rabbits , golden-mantled ground squirrels , antelope squirrels , Townsend's ground squirrels , yellow-pine chipmunks , Ord's kangaroo rats , and northern pocket gophers . Mice species include Great Basin pocket mouse , northern grasshopper mouse , western harvest mouse , deer mouse , meadow mouse , and creeping vole . There are also numerous bat species that live in Oregon's high desert country. Common high desert birds include sage-grouse , quail , and sage thrasher . Near high desert lakes and in riparian areas, there are American dusky flycatchers , yellow warblers , orange-crowned warblers , house wrens , spotted towhees , Brewer's blackbirds , western meadowlarks , swallows , and nighthawks . Mountain chickadees , Cassin's finches , black-headed grosbeaks , green-tailed towhees , yellow-rumped warblers , MacGillivray's warblers , mountain bluebirds , common ravens , northern flickers , and white-headed woodpeckers are common in parts of
5355-485: The high desert region. The native plants are adapted to survive on less than 12 inches (300 mm) of rain per year. The area is dominated by big sagebrush and rabbitbrush along with hardy grasses like Idaho fescue , bluebunch wheatgrass , and bunchgrass . In the spring, there are native wildflowers such as yellow Oregon sunshine , dwarf purple monkeyflower , sulfur buckwheat , Indian paintbrush , and mariposa lilies . Other high desert wildflowers common throughout
5440-454: The large lakes in the high desert. The climate of the high desert provides habitat for mammals such as pronghorn , coyote , mule deer , black-tailed jackrabbit , and cougar . Birds common in the region include sage-grouse , California quail , and prairie falcon . The western juniper is the most common tree in the region, and big sagebrush and common woolly sunflower are the region's most widespread plants. The high desert of Oregon
5525-524: The last 2 million years, a series of ice ages altered the landscape. As each ice sheet melted, runoff and increased rainfall filled many of the region's closed basins, forming large pluvial lakes . The Goose Lake , Harney , and Klamath basins were filled along with many other smaller basins. Some of the lakes covered as much as 1,000 square miles (2,600 km ). However, as the climate became drier, these large lakes shrank away. Goose Lake , Harney Lake , Malheur Lake , Summer Lake , Lake Abert , and
5610-433: The lower 48 states. Moose have not always inhabited the state but came to Oregon in the 1960s; the Wallowa Valley herd numbered about 60 as of 2013 . Gray wolves were extirpated from Oregon around 1930 but have since found their way back; most reside in northeast Oregon, with two packs living in the south-central part. Although their existence in Oregon is unconfirmed, reports of grizzly bears still turn up, and it
5695-429: The media as a reminder of how to pronounce the name of his home state. The stickers are sold by the University of Oregon Bookstore . While there is considerable evidence that Paleo-Indians inhabited the region, the oldest evidence of habitation in Oregon was found at Fort Rock Cave and the Paisley Caves in Lake County . Archaeologist Luther Cressman dated material from Fort Rock to 13,200 years ago, and there
5780-415: The most dangerous port cities in the United States due to racketeering and illegal activities at the turn of the 20th century. In 1902, Oregon introduced direct legislation by the state's citizens through initiatives and referendums , known as the Oregon System . On May 5, 1945, six civilians were killed by a Japanese balloon bomb that exploded on Gearhart Mountain near Bly . They remained
5865-466: The mouth of the Columbia River, staying at the encampment from December until March. British explorer David Thompson also conducted overland exploration. In 1811, while working for the North West Company, Thompson became the first European to navigate the entire Columbia River. Stopping on the way, at the junction of the Snake River, he posted a claim to the region for Great Britain and the North West Company. Upon returning to Montreal , he publicized
5950-414: The official weather station at Whitehorse Ranch in southern Harney County receive only 8 inches (200 mm) in an average year. Some of the mountainous areas, however, receive significantly more precipitation as snowfall. For example, the high-elevation city of Lakeview has an average annual snowfall of nearly 68 inches (1,700 mm). The majority of high desert areas receive most precipitation in
6035-400: The only people on American soil whose deaths were attributed to an enemy balloon bomb explosion during World War II . The bombing site is now located in the Mitchell Recreation Area . Industrial expansion began in earnest following the 1933–1937 construction of the Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River. Hydroelectric power , food, and lumber provided by Oregon helped fuel the development of
6120-410: The region after the law was passed were forced to leave, and those who did not comply were arrested and beaten. They received no less than twenty and no more than thirty-nine stripes across the back if they still did not leave. This process could be repeated every six months. Slavery played a major part in Oregon's history and even influenced its path to statehood. The territory's request for statehood
6205-531: The region include buttercups , larkspur , phlox , primroses , and coral mallow . The Oregon Badlands Wilderness also contains the oldest known tree in Oregon, a western juniper estimated to be more than 1,600 years old. Hundreds of animal species are found in Oregon's high desert environment. In the Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge alone, there are over 300, including 239 bird species and 42 mammals. Throughout
6290-637: The region west of the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. By the 1820s and 1830s, the Hudson's Bay Company dominated the Pacific Northwest from its Columbia District headquarters at Fort Vancouver (built in 1825 by the district's chief factor, John McLoughlin , across the Columbia from present-day Portland ). In 1841, the expert trapper and entrepreneur Ewing Young died leaving considerable wealth and no apparent heir, and no system to probate his estate. A meeting followed Young's funeral, at which
6375-531: The region. Birds of prey include owls , hawks , prairie falcons , golden eagles , and bald eagles . Several snakes can be found here, including the Great Basin rattlesnake , Great Basin gopher snake ( Pituophis catenifer deserticola ), Northern Rubber Boa , and the Striped whipsnake . Lizards that can be found here include the Desert collared lizard , Western fence lizard , Long-nosed leopard lizard , and
6460-410: The southeastern third of the state. Many of the volcanoes and smaller cinder cones from this period still exist in eastern Oregon. Afterward, subsequent rifting produced large fault-block mountains throughout the region. The escarpment -type mountains and high-elevation valleys created by these faults produced the basin and range landscape that makes up much of Oregon's high desert country. During
6545-657: The state of Oregon, creating a formation known as the Columbia River Basalt Group , the geologic foundation beneath much of the high desert. After the original eruptions subsided, the Earth's crust began to stretch and crack. Between 15 and 2 million years ago, this created hundreds of new volcanoes that added additional layers of lava on top of the Columbia River Basalt and left behind hundreds of lava tubes . These new flows blanketed
6630-421: The state's name is uncertain. The earliest geographical designation "orejón" (meaning "big ear") comes from the Spanish historical chronicle Relación de la Alta y Baja California (1598), written by Rodrigo Montezuma of New Spain ; here it refers to the region of the Columbia River as it was encountered by the first Spanish scouts. The " j " in the Spanish phrase " El Orejón " was eventually corrupted into
6715-465: The western United States. Euro-American settlers created the 13,736-acre (5,559 ha) Burns Paiute Reservation, just north of Burns, in 1897. The reservation was established in 1972. It is home to the descendants of the Wada Tika band of Northern Paiutes. As of 1992, it had 356 members. As of 1980, there were 57 descendants of the Northern Paiute tribe living outside of the reservation. In
6800-430: The western side of them. Of the five major cities in the high desert, Prineville was established earliest. Its post office originally opened under the name "Prine" in 1871. It was named for Barney Prine , a whisky and metal merchant in the area. Lakeview 's post office was then established in 1876. At that time, Goose Lake was larger, and it was visible from the post office. The Burns post office opened in 1884 and
6885-469: The winter months, decreasing steadily through late summer into the fall. Some areas in the eastern and southern parts of the region receive peak precipitation in the late spring and early summer. For example, at Hart Mountain in Lake County, the wettest time of the year is March through June. The driest months throughout Oregon's high desert are July through September, though there are still isolated thunderstorms during that period. The indigenous people of
6970-724: Was applied to the River of the West based on Native American tales of powerful Chinook winds on the lower Columbia River, or perhaps from first-hand French experience with the Chinook winds of the Great Plains . At the time, the River of the West was thought to rise in western Minnesota and flow west through the Great Plains. Another suggestion comes from Joaquin Miller , who wrote in Sunset magazine in 1904: The name, Oregon,
7055-574: Was delayed several times, as members of Congress argued among themselves whether the territory should be admitted as a "free" or "slave" state. Eventually politicians from the South agreed to allow Oregon to enter as a "free" state, in exchange for opening slavery to the Southwestern U.S. Oregon was admitted to the Union on February 14, 1859, though no one in Oregon knew it until March 15. Founded as
7140-482: Was settled by Euro-Americans later than western Oregon was in part because of Elijah White 's failure to find a pass east through the Cascades. Once they had claimed more land, pioneers and members of the American government negotiated treaties with natives in the high desert and elsewhere in Oregon, often forcing them off their native lands and onto reservations. In 1866, American soldiers established Camp Warner ,
7225-501: Was the first acting public government of the Oregon Country before annexation by the government of the United States. It was succeeded by a Second Executive Committee, made up of Peter G. Stewart , Osborne Russell , and William J. Bailey , and this committee was itself succeeded by George Abernethy , who was the first and only Governor of Oregon under the provisional government. Also in 1841, Sir George Simpson , governor of
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