Welcome to the Narratives Section
This Land, Oregon
This Land, Oregon, a narrative history of Oregon, is written by one of the Pacific Northwest’s most respected scholars. William G. Robbins is Emeritus Distinguished …
Lewis and Clark: From Expedition to Exposition, 1803-1905
For people living in the Pacific Northwest, few historical events have more imaginative power than the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Students learn about the journey, …
Canneries on the Columbia
“Canneries on the Columbia” is a bit different from the other narratives you’ll find in the Oregon History Project. The focus here is on methodology …
Commerce, Climate, and Community: A History of Portland and its People
In “Commerce, Climate, and Community,” historian William Toll examines the tensions between social classes and ethnic groups in the City of Portland and the emergence …
High Desert History: Southeastern Oregon
Compared to the rest of the state, southeastern Oregon's high-desert country is a harsh but compelling landscape. Historically, the region has remained a comparatively isolated …
The Oregon Coast—"Forists and Green Verdent Launs"
The history of the Oregon Coast is a story of the relationship between people and a rugged landscape. In many ways, the history of the …
The World Rushed In: Northeastern Oregon
Northeastern Oregon—Grant, Baker, Union, Wallowa, Umatilla, Morrow, Gilliam, Sherman, and Wheeler counties, together with the Ontario/Vale/Nyssa area of Malheur County—is an often breath-taking place of …
Wooden Beams and Railroad Ties: The History of Oregon's Built Environment
The buildings and structures built by Oregon's inhabitants are evidence of how they lived, their industries and occupations, their creative impulses, and the natural resources …
Nature and History in the Klamath Basin
A land of mountains, forests, wetlands, lakes, and rivers, the Klamath Basin spans the Oregon-California state line and is larger in area than nine of …
Oregon Folklife: Our Living Traditions
Oregon Folklife: Our Living Traditions explores community-based arts and culture in the context of local history. In each region of the state, ethnic, religious, occupational, …
Central Oregon: Adaptation and Compromise in an Arid Landscape
Central Oregon is known primarily as an outdoor recreation center but beneath its regional playground surface it possesses a vital history. Its past, while sharing …
As Long as the World Goes On: The Land and People of Southwest Oregon
As Long as the World Goes On explores the geography of southwestern Oregon, the Native cultures of the region, the history of Euro-American contact and …
