Media

Astoria (Postcard History Series)

Fortunate to be located in the northwest corner of Oregon, where the mighty Columbia River flows to the Pacific Ocean, Astoria has always inspired residents and visitors. The town’s spectacular natural beauty and accessible everyday life invites...

Oregon Surfing North Coast

Surfing culture began in Portland, Seaside, Cannon Beach, and Pacific City in the early 1960s. Influenced by surf music and a few California surfers, a handful of skin divers and adolescent boys yearned to engage in the sport. In the beginning, surfing...

Fort Stevens

Fort Stevens State Park, named in honor of Gen. Isaac Ingalls Stevens, is located in Warrenton, Oregon, at the mouth of the Columbia River. In February 1862, the U.S. Congress appropriated $100,000 to build defenses against possible naval invasion. In...

Clallam County

The first settlements of Clallam County were along the coast of the Olympic Peninsula, at the gateway to Victoria, British Columbia, and Puget Sound. When the hardy pioneers arrived, the land was covered by dense forests that had to be conquered for the...

Sequim-Dungeness Valley

Mastodons roamed the plains of Sequim and Dungeness in the years following the recession of the Cordilleran ice sheets. Millennia later, the villages of S’Klallam were home to those who saw settlers disembarking on the periphery of coastal wilderness...

Remarkable Oregon Women

Without the efforts of inspiring, brave women of the past, the progressive and individualistic Oregon we know today might not exist. From native tribes and Oregon Trail pioneers to Victorian suffragists and unlikely politicians, strong female leaders...

A Brief History of Vashon Island

Reachable only by ferry, Vashon Island is a breathtaking rural retreat from the bustling activity of nearby Seattle and Tacoma. The islands first inhabitants, the sx̌ʷəbab, took advantage of its evergreen forests and rich marine resources. In 1792,...

Cannon Beach

Cannon Beach is a small town nestled off Highway 101 along the Oregon coast. It has been called one of the Worlds 100 Most Beautiful Places by National Geographic and one of The 100 Best Art Towns in America by author John Villani. Located 80 miles west...

Sedro-Woolley, Washington

From the inauspicious beginnings in 1884 of a town named Bug, the two communities of Sedro and Woolley grew together, consolidated in 1898 by a lifeline of three railways: the Seattle & Northern, Seattle & International, and Fairhaven &...

Boatbuilding on Mount Desert Island

Mount Desert Island possesses a rich and diverse history of boatbuilding. Chester Clement was the first of the “lobsteryacht” builders, and Bunker and Ellis elevated the concept. Henry Hinckley started on an old boat-repair wharf and built a...

Railroads of the Columbia River Gorge

Before the rails were up and running along the stunning Columbia River landscape of Oregon and Washington, 19th-century westward travelers faced treacherous conditions. Many emigrants perished before reaching Oregon Territory. Only recently have railways...

Mills of Humboldt County

Humboldt County was at the forefront of the massive redwood logging industry. The impressive size of the trees necessitated drastic technological advances. Many innovations were invented by Humboldt mill owners like John Dolbeer, whose steam donkey...