In 1991, the Oregon Council for the Humanities published The First Oregonians, the only single-volume, comprehensive history of Oregon's Native Americans. A regional bestseller, this collaborative project between the council, Oregon tribes, and scholars served as an invaluable reference for teachers, scholars, and general-interest readers before it went out of print in 1996. Now revised and expanded for a new generation of Oregonians, The First Oregonians provides a comprehensive view of Oregon's native peoples from the past to the present. In this remarkable volume, Oregon Indians tell their own stories, with more than half of the book's chapters written by members of Oregon's nine federally recognized tribes. Chapters on each tribe examine lifeways--from the traditional to the present day. Using oral histories and personal recollections, these chapters vividly depict not only a history of decimation and decline, but also a contemporary view of cultural revitalization, renewal, and continuity. The First Oregonians also includes essays exploring geography, federal-Indian relations, language, and art written by prominent Northwest scholars. And, as with the first edition, this new edition is richly illustrated with almost two hundred photographs, maps, and drawings. No other book offers as wide a variety of views and stories about the historical and contemporary experience of Oregon Indians. The First Oregonians is the definitive volume for all Oregonians interested in the fascinating story of Oregon's first peoples.

Oregon Archaeology tells the story of Oregon's cultural history beginning more than 14,000 years ago with the earliest evidence of human occupation and continuing into the twentieth century.

Renowned author Jane Kirkpatrick gives us the life of the suffragist Abigail Scott Duniway. Oregon columnist and publisher Steve Forrester gives us Richard Neuberger, whose election to the U.S. Senate changed Oregon and national politics. Acclaimed journalist R. Gregory Nokes gives us the abolitionist Jesse Applegate. Based largely on primary sources, the authors present compelling, three-dimensional views of adventurous, consequential and sometimes heart-breaking lives.

From the beginning, even before the wagon trains, African Americans have played an essential part in building Oregon. In Marion and Polk counties, they overcame the obstacles of wilderness, prejudice, and isolation, helping to create a vibrant community. They have often been left out of the paintings and statues, but Perseverance brings you many of their names and describes the ways they have made history, taking their rightful place among pioneers past and present in the Willamette Valley. Oregon history is the richer for Perseverance. Thanks to the Oregon Northwest Black Pioneers for documenting the history and character of Oregon 's African Americans. We can now fully embrace the African American community 's perseverance and hardships and triumphs and rejoice in their innumerable contributions to our state. This book shines a spotlight on some important Oregonians you ve probably never heard of, and fills large gaps in our state 's history. Mary Oberst, First Lady of Oregon, 2003 11 This carefully researched document brings the story of Oregon 's African Americans to life. Perseverance is a must read for those who love history and, even more, tales of the people who made Oregon. Victor Atiyeh, Governor of Oregon, 1979 87 This book fills a big gap in the history of African Americans in Oregon. I encourage history lovers to read it and learn more about an important aspect of Northwest history. George L. Vogt, Executive Director, Oregon Historical Society Perseverance offers an extremely insightful picture of Oregon history, providing a glimpse into the true diversity of Oregon society by giving voice to those who have previously been ignored. Readers will learn about the heritage of the African American community in western Oregon as well as the complexities and challenges they faced. Peter MacMillan Booth, PhD, Willamette Heritage Center at The Mill

The first history of Oregon to appear in twenty-five years, "Oregon's Promise explores familiar and neglected people and movements in the state's history, while challenging readers to view Oregon's past, present, and future in a new way. David Peterson del Mar recognizes that the words "Oregon history" conjure up images of Lewis and Clark and rugged pioneers. But he argues that the explorers' impact was both different from and less significant then commonly assumed, and that the state's settlers were much more varied, contentious, complicated, and interesting than conventional heroic stereotypes would suggest. "Oregon's Promise is a concise general history spanning the period from that of the region's earliest inhabitants to the present. It moves beyond the more familiar episodes of Oregon history to discuss indigenous peoples before and after contact with whites, the profound and evolving impact of broad forces like industrialization and suburbanization, and the varied fortunes of a growing stream of people form across the world who have sought the good life in Oregon. It explores the tensions behind contemporary disagreements rending our political, social, and cultural fabric. The book's many themes revolve around Peterson del Mar's consideration of how Oregonians have attempted to build a prosperous and just society. He examines both the traditional center of Oregon history and its often overlooked margins--the people who have struggled to be included in Oregon's promise. Each chapter includes brief biographies of noteworthy Oregonians. David Peterson del Mar is both a respected historian and an engaging writer, with a talent for explaining Oregon's past in a way that will appeal togeneral readers as well as to scholars and students.

When Calvin Tibbets ventured to Oregon Country in 1832 it was looking more British than American. That's because Hudson's Bay Company, the Crown's proxy, had virtual control of the area and some of their French Canadian employees had retired to farms along the Willamette River. The only Americans there before Tibbets were explorers, fur trappers, scientists, and sailors. His goal was different: to settle Oregon with Americans and make it part of the United States. Tibbets got along with his Canadian neighbors and native tribes long enough to assist fellow American settlers when they arrived: first missionaries, then retiring mountain men, and finally wagon train pioneers who crossed the Oregon Trail in such great numbers that the British finally gave up their claims to Oregon in 1846. Unfortunately, Tibbets died soon after achieving his goal, and all that he had done to achieve it soon faded into the shadows of Oregon history. In making the case for Calvin Tibbets being considered Oregon's first pioneer, this book shines a bright light back on him. New details gleaned from original sources are integrated with previously published, but scattered, accounts of Tibbets' many adventures. Readers will likely learn things they didn't know about John McLoughlin, Jason Lee, Ewing Young, Bethenia Owens-Adair, Elbridge Trask, Joe Meek, Solomon and Celiast Smith, and others who played important roles in early Oregon.