Happy Birthday, Oregon!

History lovers will remember that Oregon became a state on Valentine's Day, February 14, 1859. Happy 149th birthday, Oregon!

One of the most enjoyable things I've discovered about being an educator is learning fun facts about topics the students are learning. Here are 10 facts you might not know about Oregon:

• The Columbia River Gorge is considered by many to be the best place in the world for windsurfing.
• Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States and is formed in the remains of an ancient volcano.
• Eugene was the first city to have one-way streets.
• At 8,000 feet deep Hells Canyon is the deepest river gorge in North America.
• The hazelnut is Oregon's official state nut. Oregon is the only state that has an official state nut (Bill Sizemore doesn't count!). The hazelnut is also known as the filbert.
• Oregon has more ghost towns than any other state.
• In 1880 a sea cave was discovered near what is now known as Florence. Sea Lion Caves is known to be the largest sea cave in the world.
• Silver Falls State Park is the Oregon's largest state park. It features 10 waterfalls and contains a wide variety of forested hiking trails.
• A treaty between the United States and Spain established the current southern border between Oregon and California. The treaty was signed in 1819.
• Haystack Rock off Cannon Beach is 235 feet high and is the third largest coastal monolith in the world.
  

I hope you are as proud to be an Oregonian as I am. Happy statehood day!