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Oregon
State of Oregon
Map of the United States with Oregon highlighted
Map of the United States with Oregon highlighted

Oregon (/ˈɒrɪɡən, -ɡɒn/ ⓘ ORR-ih-ghən, -⁠gon) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western United States, 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 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 the early 19th century, and the first permanent European settlements in Oregon were established soon afterward by trappers and fur traders. The United States received joint occupation rights to the region from the United Kingdom through the Treaty of 1818. The Oregon Treaty of 1846 formally brought Oregon under American sovereignty, and the Oregon Territory was created two years later. Oregon was admitted to the United States on February 14, 1859, becoming the 33rd state.

Today, with 4.2 million people over 98,000 square miles (250,000 km2), Oregon is the ninth-largest and 27th-most populous U.S. state. The capital, Salem, 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 26th 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 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 km2) of the Malheur National Forest. (Full article...)

The statue is located outside the Oregon Convention Center
The Dream, also known as the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Sculpture, is an outdoor bronze sculpture of Martin Luther King Jr. by Michael Florin Dente, located outside the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon. The 8-foot (2.4 m) memorial statue was dedicated on August 28, 1998, the 35th anniversary of King's "I Have a Dream" speech. It depicts King plus three allegorical sculptures: a man who symbolizes the American worker, a woman who represents immigration, and a young girl shown releasing King's coattail, who represents, according to Dente, the "letting go" that occurs when people sacrifice time and energy fighting a struggle. It is part of the City of Portland and Multnomah County Public Art Collection courtesy of the Regional Arts & Culture Council. Lee P. Brown and Vera Katz, mayors of Houston and Portland, were present at the dedication ceremony. The memorial is considered a black heritage site and has been used as a reference point for gatherings. It has also appeared in public art guides and walking tours. Seventy-five bronze replicas of the work exist, and Dente planned to send pieces of the original mold to each of their owners once all were sold.

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1972 FBI composite drawing of D. B. Cooper
D. B. Cooper (aka "Dan Cooper") is a pseudonym of an aircraft hijacker who, on November 24, 1971, after receiving a ransom payout of US$200,000, jumped from the back of a Boeing 727 as it was flying over the Pacific Northwest of the United States somewhere over the Cascade Mountains, possibly over Woodland, Washington. Three significant clues have turned up in the case. In February 1980, eight-year-old Brian Ingram found approximately $5,800 in decaying $20 bills that were uncovered on the banks of the Columbia River. Ingram was eventually allowed to keep $2,860 of the money. In late 1978, a placard which contained instructions on how to lower the aft stairs of a 727, believed to be from the rear stairway of the plane from which Cooper jumped, was found just a few flying minutes north of Cooper's projected drop zone. In October 2007, the FBI announced it obtained a partial DNA profile of Cooper from the tie he left on the hijacked plane. The Cooper case (code-named "Norjak" by the FBI) still remains an unsolved mystery. On December 31, 2007, the FBI revived the unclosed case by publishing never before seen composite sketches and fact sheets online in an attempt to trigger memories that could possibly identify Cooper. In a press release, the FBI reiterated that it does not believe Cooper survived the jump. The FBI expressed an interest in obtaining his identity.

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The following are images from various Oregon-related articles on Wikipedia.

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Yaquina Head Light
Yaquina Head Light
Credit: Mary Beth Seibert, color corrected by Howcheng

The Yaquina Head Light, also known early in its existence as the Cape Foulweather Lighthouse, is a lighthouse on the Oregon Coast. It is located in Lincoln County, near the mouth of the Yaquina River near Newport at Yaquina Head. Built from 1871 to 1873, it was automated in 1966 and is currently an active aid to navigation.

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I might go to Canada eventually, but I think I’ll stop along the Columbia on the way. I’d like to check around Portland and Hood River and The Dalles to see if there’s any of the guys I used to know back in the village who haven’t drunk themselves goofy. I’d like to see what they’ve been doing since the government tried to buy their right to be Indians.

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Willamette River
Willamette River
Credit: Cacophony
The Willamette River as it passes through downtown Portland, Oregon, in 2007. The bridges, from right to left, are the Sellwood, Ross Island, Marquam, Hawthorne, Morrison, Burnside, Steel (the black bridge that is partially obscured), Fremont (the arch bridge at far left). The mountains, from right to left, are Mount Hood, Mount Adams (only the tip is visible) and Mount St. Helens.

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