Say Cheese!

Oregon´s largest cheese factory is located in Tillamook.

No Sales Tax

That´s right! There´s no sales tax in Portland! In fact, there´s no sales tax in the ENTIRE state! Forget about all those mental calculations when reaching for your cash, check or charge...what you see, is what you pay.

Oregon State Song

"Oregon, My Oregon," written by J.A. Buchanan of Astoria and Henry B. Murtahg of Portland was designated the state song in 1927.

Mitch Pileggi

The X-File´s "FBI Assistant Director Walter Skinner" is native Oregonian, Mitch Pileggi. He was born in Portland in 1952, and has also appeared in many other television shows including "Dallas," "Falcon Crest," "That ´70s Show," and "ER."

Oregon´s Coastal X-Files

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the beach, here come strange and eerie happenings from the Oregon Coast! The "Green Flash" at sunset, "Water Spouts" lifting fish from the ocean to the street, "Glowing Sand," "Snow-Going-Upwards," and even the rumor of our own "Area 51" in the Van Duzer Corridor between Lincoln City and Salem. Is the truth out there?

Oregon´s Coastal X-Files

Sally Struthers

Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Sally Struthers is most well-known for her performances as "Gloria Stivic," Archie Bunker´s daughter in the 1970´s television sitcom, "All in the Family." She currently serves as the children´s ambassador for Save the Children.

Oregon Recycling

The 2.8 million residents of Oregon generate more than 5,480 tons of garbage each day; enough to cover one acre of land, eight feet deep. To reduce the amount of landfill needed, almost all city waste-hauling companies offer curbside recycling services for an assortment of materials including aluminum, corrugated cardboard boxes, dry cell batteries, glass jars and bottles, newspaper, plastic containers, tin cans, used motor oil, waste paper, and yard waste.

Oregon State Flag

The state flag is navy blue, with gold lettering and symbols. Adopted in 1925, the flag has the legend, "THE STATE OF OREGON" on the face, written above a shield surrounded by 33 stars representing the fact that Oregon was admitted as the 33rd state. The shield, which is part of the state seal, has the number 1859 written below it. 1859 is the year that Oregon was admitted as a state. The reverse side of Oregon´s flag shows a beaver.

Margaux Hemingway

Born Margot Byra Hemingway in Portland, Oregon in 1955, she actually grew up on a farm in Ketchum, Idaho. Her dad, Jack Hemingway, was the son of the Nobel prize-winning author Ernest Hemingway, and her sister is Mariel Hemingway. She passed away in 1996 without probable cause, although the L.A. coroner´s office concluded that she killed herself by taking an overdose of a sedative. She was the fifth person in her family to commit suicide.

Rebecca Schaeffer

Promising young actress, Rebecca Schaeffer, is (unfortunately) most noted for being shot to death by a stalker in West Hollywood at the age of 21. She played the television role of Patti Russell on "My Sister Sam," with Pam Dawber, and was scheduled to audition for Francis Ford Coppola´s "The Godfather: Part III" the morning she was murdered.

Doc Severinsen

Johnny Carson´s flamboyant bandleader and jazz trumpet player on "The Tonight Show," Doc Severinsen, is a native Oregonian. He was born in Arlington, Oregon, in 1927.

Sometimes a Great Notion (1971)

Originally titled, "Never Give an Inch," this film portrays a family of fiercely-independent Oregon loggers, led by patriarch Henry Fonda, as they struggle to keep the family business alive amidst changing times. One of the most memorable moments is when Hank (Paul Newman) tries to save his brother´s (Richard Jaeckel) life by blowing air into his lungs when he is pinned underwater by a fallen tree. Lee Remick and Michael Sarrazin also star.

Double-Sided Flag

Oregon has the only state flag featuring two separate designs. The state seal is on one side and a beaver appears on its reverse.

Tonya Harding

Two-time U.S. national figure skating champion, Tonya Harding, was born in Portland, Oregon in 1970. She is probably best remembered for her alleged involvement in the "whack heard around the world" on January 6, 1994, when Nancy Kerrigan was struck on the knee by Shane Stant. She denied any prior knowledge or involvement, but she was stripped of her national title and banned for life by the U.S.

City of Portland Incorporated

On February 8, 1851, Territorial Governor John P. Gaines signed An Act to Incorporate, passed as HB 29 by Territorial House of Representatives on January 14.

International Rose Test Garden

Since 1917, the International Rose Test Garden, located high above downtown, has continuously cultivated more than 500 varieties of roses.

Matt Groening

Matt Groening, cartoonist, made television history by creating the first animated prime time series in 20 years, "The Simpsons." He was born in Portland, Oregon in 1954.

City of Roses

Portland is also known as "The City of Roses" and is considered to be an outstanding example of urban planning. (Sometimes we just call her the Rose City!)

Ginger Rogers (non-native)

Although Ginger Rogers was born in Independence, Missouri, she owned the 1000-acre "Rogue River Ranch" near Eagle Point, Oregon from 1940 to 1990. The ranch was a working dairy for many years and supplied milk to Camp White in Southern Oregon during World War II. The Craterian Ginger Rogers Theater in Medford, Oregon is named in her honor.

Scratch-Offs

Oregon State Lottery "Scratch-it" tickets went on sale for the first time on April 25, 1985 at 2,500 retail locations (First Game--Pot of Gold).