Protecting Our State's Cultural Legacy

History shapes people’s understanding of who they are as individuals and as members of a civilization. The Oregon Historical Society is a scholarly asset and a public resource dedicated to putting the power of history into everyone’s hands and to advancing knowledge in all corners of the world.

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Comic City, USA

With recent blockbuster smashes featuring superhero legends, the comic book industry has experienced a surge of popular support. While there are many Oregonians picking up a comic book for their first time, the comic industry in Oregon has...

August 12, 2016 – January 31, 2017

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Democracy’s Blueprints: The Documents that Built America

The blueprints of American democracy, drawn from as far back as the Magna Carta in the thirteenth century and including the founding documents of this nation, are laying out the pathways of the twenty-first century. As the nation has grown...

July 29, 2016 – February 1, 2017

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Document of a Dynamic Community: The Skanner Photography of Julie Keefe

A long-time fixture in Portland, The Skanner News Group has documented a dynamic community undergoing tremendous social and economic changes over the past four decades. Established in 1975, The Skanner has advanced the cause of the Black...

August 24 – December 18, 2016

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The Portland Police Historical Society: Preserving the History and Honoring the Service of Portland Law-Enforcement Officers, 1851 – Present

On loan from the Portland Police Museum (located on SW 2nd Avenue in downtown Portland), this local exhibition celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Portland Police Historical Society through artifacts, photographs, and documents relating...

September 12, 2016 – July 4, 2017

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History Hub

History Hub is an exhibit where Oregon’s youth, students, and families can explore the topic of diversity through fun, hands-on interactives, objects, and pictures. History Hub is developed in partnership with an advisory committee of...

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Wake Of Vanport 2016 Series

Ten new stories told by Vanport survivors and others closely related to the era will be screened. The...


The Hollywood Theatre

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Jumping into the Fire in 1945: Black Paratroopers in the Pacific Northwest

In 1945, an elite unit of the Army’s best trained paratroopers arrived at Pendleton Field as part of a...


McMenamins Kennedy School

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Artistic Business: Oregon Cartoonists on their Work and the Industry

Join us for a wide-ranging discussion among a diverse group of working Oregon comic artists, including...


Oregon Historical Society

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“A Road Suited to the Times”: The Columbia River Highway at 100

Join us for a glass lantern slide show celebrating the 100 year anniversary of the building of the...


Hollywood Theatre

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Pearl Harbor Remembrance: Conflict Transformation across 75 Years

President Roosevelt’s "day which will live in infamy" has been recognized every December 7th as a pivotal


Oregon Historical Society

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Oregon Historical Quarterly covers

Oregon Historical Quarterly

The Journal of Record for Oregon History

The Oregon Historical Quarterly is a scholarly asset and a public resource that is dedicated to putting the power of history into everyone’s hands and to advancing knowledge in all corners of the...

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Digital History

Digital History Projects

The Oregon Historical Society’s Digital History Projects provide the most authoritative and comprehensive online resources on Oregon history. The...

History Near You

Oregon History Wayfinder

An interactive map of Oregon History.

Library

Research and Library

Davies Family Research Library's collections encompass library and archival materials, including books,...

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Mark O. Hatfield Distinguished Historians Forum

For nearly 20 years, the Oregon Historical Society has presented the Mark O. Hatfield Distinguished...


First Congregational United Church of Christ

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Venue Rental

Located in the heart of downtown Portland and overlooking the historic South Park Blocks, the Oregon Historical Society offers the blend of the old, the new and the beautiful, creating a memorable venue for all occasions. The Historical Society is an ideal venue for weddings, receptions, award dinners, lectures, seminars, business meetings, holiday parties and birthday celebrations.