Oregon Centennial

Last updated

The Oregon Centennial was the 100th anniversary of the statehood of the U.S. state of Oregon. The day of the anniversary was February 14, 1959, but centennial events took place throughout the year. Festivities were held all over the state, with the major attractions at the Oregon Centennial Exposition and International Trade Fair, located at the Expo Center [1] in Portland's Kenton neighborhood, which took place from June 10 to September 17, 1959.

Contents

The chief dramatic event of the Oregon Centennial Exposition was the presentation of The Oregon Story at the Exposition Arena, a spectacular featuring more than 700 actors, the Hollywood Bowl Ballet and the Portland Symphonic Choir. Music was composed by Meredith Willson with the production directed by Vladimir Rosing. [2]

Entertainment included Roy Rogers & Dale Evans, Lawrence Welk, Harry Belafonte, and Art Linkletter's House Party broadcast on CBS. [3] The exposition's theme was "Frontier of the Future". Centennial-related events and attractions included a play, a musical, parades, specially commissioned artworks by muralist Carl Morris, [4] and a railroad line that used two trains built for the Portland Zoo Railway (now the Washington Park and Zoo Railway). [5] Local communities created monuments to celebrate the anniversary, including a totem pole located at the Oregon Zoo [6] and a huge statue of Paul Bunyan in Kenton. Many communities had to raise money to finance their celebration plans. One method used to raise funds was the sale of Oregon Centennial Tokens. Many private companies also created Centennial items for sale. In 2009, the state celebrated the Oregon Sesquicentennial, also known as "Oregon 150".

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World's fair</span> Large international exhibition

A world's fair, also known as a universal exhibition or an expo, is a large international exhibition designed to showcase the achievements of nations. These exhibitions vary in character and are held in different parts of the world at a specific site for a period of time, typically between three and six months.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Totem pole</span> Monumental carvings by Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest

Totem poles are monumental carvings found in western Canaada and the northwestern United States. They are a type of Northwest Coast art, consisting of poles, posts or pillars, carved with symbols or figures. They are usually made from large trees, mostly western red cedar, by First Nations and Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast including northern Northwest Coast Haida, Tlingit, and Tsimshian communities in Southeast Alaska and British Columbia, Kwakwaka'wakw and Nuu-chah-nulth communities in southern British Columbia, and the Coast Salish communities in Washington and British Columbia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shaniko, Oregon</span> City in Oregon, United States

Shaniko is a city located in Wasco County, Oregon, United States, on U.S. Route 97 and about 8 miles (13 km) north of Antelope. The population was 36 at the 2010 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oregon Zoo</span> Zoo in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

The Oregon Zoo, originally the Portland Zoo and later the Washington Park Zoo, is a zoo located in Washington Park, Portland, Oregon, approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) southwest of downtown Portland. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest zoo west of the Mississippi River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Centennial</span>

The Canadian Centennial was a yearlong celebration held in 1967 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Canadian Confederation. Celebrations in Canada occurred throughout the year but culminated on Dominion Day, July 1, 1967. Commemorative coins were minted, that were different from typical issues with animals on each — the cent, for instance, had a dove on its reverse. Communities and organizations across Canada were encouraged to engage in Centennial projects to celebrate the anniversary. The projects ranged from special one-time events to local improvement projects, such as the construction of municipal arenas and parks. The Centennial Flame was also added to Parliament Hill. Children born in 1967 were declared Centennial babies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pietro Belluschi</span> American architect

Pietro Belluschi was an Italian-American architect. A leading figure in modern architecture, he was responsible for the design of over 1,000 buildings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Expo '74</span> Worlds fair held in Spokane

Expo '74, officially known as the International Exposition on the Environment, Spokane 1974, was a world's fair held May 4, 1974, to November 3, 1974 in Spokane, Washington in the northwest United States. It was the first environmentally themed world's fair and attended by roughly 5.6 million people. The heart of the fair park grounds was located on Canada Island, Havermale Island, and the adjacent south bank of the Spokane River, comprising present-day Riverfront Park, in the center of the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Forestry Center</span>

The World Forestry Center is a nonprofit educational institution in Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon. Located near the Oregon Zoo in Washington Park, the organization was established in 1964 as the Western Forestry Center, with the actual building opening in 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition</span> 1905 Worlds Fair in Portland, Oregon

The Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition, commonly also known as the Lewis and Clark Exposition, and officially known as the Lewis and Clark Centennial and American Pacific Exposition and Oriental Fair, was a worldwide exposition held in Portland, Oregon, United States in 1905 to celebrate the centennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. While not officially considered a World's Fair by the Bureau of International Expositions, it is often informally described as such; the exposition attracted both exhibits and visitors from around the world. During the exposition's four-month run, it attracted over 1.6 million visitors, and featured exhibits from 21 countries. Portland grew from 161,000 to 270,000 residents between 1905 and 1910, a spurt that has been attributed to the exposition.

Kenton is a neighborhood in the north section of Portland, Oregon, United States. The neighborhood was originally a company town founded in 1911 for the Swift Meat Packing Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington Park (Portland, Oregon)</span> Public urban park in Portland, Oregon

Washington Park is a public urban park in Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon. It includes a zoo, forestry museum, arboretum, rose garden, Japanese garden, amphitheatre, memorials, archery range, tennis courts, soccer field, picnic areas, playgrounds, public art and many acres of wild forest with miles of trails.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington Park and Zoo Railway</span> Railway in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

The Washington Park & Zoo Railway (WP&ZRy) is a 2 ft 6 in narrow gauge recreational railroad in Portland, Oregon's Washington Park with rolling stock built to 5/8 scale. Opened in three stages in 1958, 1959 and 1960, it provided transportation between the Oregon Zoo, Hoyt Arboretum, International Rose Test Garden, and the World Forestry Center. The extended line was about 2 miles (3.2 km) long. The service is currently operating on a 12-mile (0.80 km) loop within the zoo grounds. The railway carries about 350,000 passengers per year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oregon State Fair</span> United States historic place

The Oregon State Fair is the official state fair of the U.S. state of Oregon. It takes place every August–September at the 185-acre (0.75 km2) Oregon State Fairgrounds located in north Salem, the state capital, as it has almost every year since 1862. In 2006, responsibility for running the fair was delegated to the Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department, and the division is now known as the Oregon State Fair & Exposition Center (OSFEC), which holds events on the fairgrounds year-round.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portland Expo Center</span> Convention center in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

The Portland Expo Center, officially the Portland Metropolitan Exposition Center, is a convention center located in the Kenton neighborhood of Portland, Oregon, United States. Opened in the early 1920s as a livestock exhibition and auction facility, the center now hosts over 100 events a year, including green consumer shows, trade shows, conventions, meetings and other special events. Located on the north side of Portland near Vancouver, Washington, it includes the northern terminus for the Yellow Line of Portland's light-rail transit system and has connections to TriMet Bus Line 11-Rivergate/Marine Dr.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Linn A. Forrest</span> American architect

Linn Argyle Forrest, Sr. (1905–1987) was an American architect of Juneau, Alaska who worked to restore "authentic Southeast Alaska Native architecture, especially totem poles". During the 1930s and the Great Depression, he oversaw Civilian Conservation Corps programs of the New Deal to preserve totem poles and other aspects of traditional, native architecture. In conjunction with a $24,000 U.S. grant to the Alaska Native Brotherhood as a CCC project, Forrest oversaw the construction of the Shakes Island Community House and totems at Wrangell, Alaska during 1937–1939. Drawing on this experience, he later wrote The Wolf and the Raven: Totem Poles of Southeastern Alaska, which has been printed in 20 editions.

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Portland, Oregon, United States.

<i>Sacajawea and Jean-Baptiste</i> Statue in Portland, Oregon

Sacajawea and Jean-Baptiste is a bronze sculpture of Sacagawea and Jean Baptiste Charbonneau by American artist Alice Cooper, located in Washington Park in Portland, Oregon, in the United States.

A centennial, or centenary in British English, is a 100th anniversary or otherwise relates to a century, a period of 100 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Statue of Paul Bunyan (Portland, Oregon)</span> Statue of Paul Bunyan in Portland, Oregon

Paul Bunyan Statue is a 31-foot-tall (9.4 m) concrete and metal sculpture of mythical logger Paul Bunyan in the Kenton neighborhood of Portland, Oregon, United States. It was built in 1959 to commemorate the centennial of Oregon's statehood during the Centennial Exposition and International Trade Fair, which was held in the Kenton area.

<i>Salmon Cycle Marker</i> Sculpture in Portland, Oregon

Salmon Cycle Marker is a 2005 sculpture by Ken MacKintosh and Lillian Pitt, installed outside Portland State University's Native American Student and Community Center, in the U.S. state of Oregon.

References

  1. "Portland Expo Center History" (PDF). Portland Metropolitan Exposition Center. 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 26, 2011. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
  2. "Oregon Story to Climax Exposition",The Eugene Guard, August 9, 1959.
  3. Bottenberg, The Everly Brothers, Ray and Jeanna Bottenberg. Images of America, Vanishing Portland. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing. 2008, p. 117.
  4. "Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art displays murals by artist Carl Morris". Inside Oregon.
  5. "History of the railway". Washington Park and Zoo Railway. Oregon Zoo . Retrieved April 11, 2012.
  6. Native American totem poles restored, reinstalled at zoo. Oregon Zoo. Accessed 30 October 2014.