Oregon Encyclopedia Project

The Oregon Encyclopedia, a partnership of Portland State University and the Oregon Historical Society, is a comprehensive and authoritative compendium of information about the Oregon's history and culture. When the encyclopedia is completed in December 2009, the year of Oregon's state sesquicentennial, it will include:

• Hundreds of entries and essays on Oregon subjects

• Coverage of significant people, events, places, institutions, and more, from 10,000 years ago to the present

• Essays and entries on ethnic groups and communities throughout Oregon's history

• Entries on art, architecture, literature, performing arts, music, and popular culture

• Hundreds of images, documents, and maps

• Essays that add new perspective to issues and events

• Special sections for teachers and students

The Oregon Encyclopedia has three senior editors, an experienced editorial staff, and twenty-six specialists from across the state. All entries and essays will be written by knowledgeable authors, reviewed by experts, and authorized by editors and fact-checkers to ensure accuracy. The web site will grow each week until the end of Oregon's sesquicentennial in 2009, providing new entries and resources and describing ways for all Oregonians to contribute.

The Statehood Sesquicentennial edition is only the beginning. Oregon's history and culture are dynamic, and the encyclopedia is designed to expand and grow as new material is developed and new web-based features are created. Through its web site and in communities and classrooms across the state, The Oregon Encyclopedia will be the authoritative and creative resource on all things Oregon—a substantive and lasting recognition of the state's sesquicentennial.