Who We Are

OHS is a community gathering place and statewide resource that links the past to the present, building a better future by sharing an inclusive history that is meaningful to all Oregonians.

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ExhibitsView All

“We Were All Living a Dream”: Reflections on Twentieth-Century Lesbian Feminism through the Photography of Donna Pollach

Artist and photographer Donna Pollach found community among the feminist and lesbian women of Portland during the early 1970s. She captured intimate moments as they worked together to redefine conventional ideas of womanhood, family, motherhood, and relationships, photographing...


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The Yasui Family: An American Story

While the Yasui family endured racism and incarceration, they also shared a commitment to equal justice through engagement with the local, state, and national forces that determined — and withheld — their civil rights. Through photographs, personal journals, documents, and objects,...


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June Drake: Preserving the Past to Shape the Future

Over the course of 60 years, photographer June D. Drake (1880–1969) produced thousands of images in and around Silverton, Oregon, and collected objects that document the town’s evolving streetscapes, industries, and people. His work was pivotal in the creation of Silver Falls State...


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From Highway 101: Images of Oregon’s Most Iconic Highway

Mark the 100th anniversary of Oregon’s Highway 101 with photographer Peter Marbach’s visual love letter to the coast. From Astoria to Brookings, explore contemporary life, dramatic landscapes, and communities along the iconic highway.


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Amache: An American Injustice

Join OHS and McMenamins for a film screening and discussion of “Amache: An American Injustice,” which tells the story of the unjust incarceration of 120,000 innocent Japanese Americans during World War II...


McMenamins Kennedy School

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Oregon Connections: Incarceration

Join the “Oregon Connections: Incarceration” discussion with legal and historical experts Kimberly Jensen and Peggy Nagae to learn how the federal government has used declarations of war to curb the civil...


Virtual program via Zoom

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“Gaining Ground” Memorial Film Screening

OHS hosts a screening of “Gaining Ground” by filmmaker Elaine Velazquez that shows how growing healthy food is a catalyst for igniting hope and empowerment in rural and urban communities. The film was...


Lincoln Studio Theater

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Oregon Connections: Immigration and Deportation

Join the conversation with scholars Jerry Garcia and Chelsea Rose to learn how white supremacist ideology as well as ideas about rights related to family, community, culture, property, and wealth are...


Virtual program via Zoom

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House History Workshop

Join OHS Reference Librarian James Scott for a workshop on doing a formal house history. From Sanborn maps to newspapers to photographs, Scott will speak to the many tools that OHS and the web can provide...


Oregon Historical Society

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Plan Your Visit

Research and Library

OHS’s research library is an invaluable resource for learning about the past and providing context on the present. Visitors can enjoy broad access to the world’s largest collection of Oregon-related materials, both in the library’s newly renovated reading room and online.

Current Issue

Oregon Historical Quarterly

Winter 2025, 126:4

In this issue, authors explore the history of small-town queer politics in Oregon, antislavery radicals and the origins of the Oregon Republican Party, and researching alongside fire in the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest.

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In the Classroom

Education

OHS helps educators bring diverse, complex history to K–12 students through curriculum, educational materials, workshops, and programs. OHS is also a proud sponsor of Oregon History Day.

From the OHS Blog

Oregon Connections: A Conversation Series on the Right to Be Free

Scholars of history and law discuss stories from Oregon history that offer insight into how people have...

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Series tickets on sale now!

Mark O. Hatfield Lecture Series

For over 25 years, the Oregon Historical Society’s Mark O. Hatfield Lecture Series has hosted the...


Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall

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