42 results
Dr. John McLoughlin (1784-1857)
John McLoughlin was born in 1784 in Quebec, Canada, to a poor Catholic father and upper class Protestant mother. Apprenticing a physician, he became a …
Frederick Louis Gifford (1878-1945)
Fred L. Gifford was the leader (“Grand Dragon”) for the Oregon Ku Klux Klan between 1921 and 1924, when the “invisible empire” was influential in …
From W.R. Burner to Governor Olcott, 1923
This letter, written in 1923 by W. R. Burner of Holland, in Josephine County, to outgoing Oregon Governor Benjamin Olcott, hints at the social and …
Home of Dr. John McLoughlin, Oregon City
The historic residence of Dr. John McLoughlin, chief factor (manager) at the Hudson’s Bay Company operations at Fort Vancouver from 1825 until 1846, was photographed …
Indians Fish at Celilo Falls
Celilo Falls was an important center for native trade, culture, and ceremony. For at least 11,000 years, tribes throughout the region, and from as far …
"Innocent Fun or Social Shame?"
This document was created for school administrators by the Urban League of Portland sometime in the 1950s in an effort to stop minstrel, or blackface, …
Into Servitude or Starve
The Portland Communist Party produced this flier to protest Governor Charles H. Martin’s anti-labor policies and to rally political support for an Oregon Farmer-Labor Party. …
Ira Keller Fountain
The Ira Keller Fountain has been a favorite feature of the Portland landscape since it opened in 1970. Its cascading waters create an inviting backdrop …
Iron Gate Dam
Iron Gate Dam, pictured here under construction in 1961, is one of seven dams on the Klamath River used by the Department of Interior’s Klamath …
Link River Dam, 1938
The Link River runs through Klamath Falls and connects Upper Klamath Lake with Lake Ewauna. One of the nation’s shortest rivers, the Link River was …Interpretive Essays
Interpretive essays use primary documents from the Oregon Historical Society archives to help readers imagine the events, people, and issues that shaped Oregon history.
