Oregon Chai, Inc. Business Information, Profile, and History

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pop (2000e) 3 421 400; area 251 409 km²/97 073 sq mi. State in NW USA, divided into 36 counties; the ‘Beaver State’; established as a fur-trading post on the site of the present town of Astoria, 1811; occupied by both Britain and the USA, 1818–46, when the international boundary was settled on the 49th parallel; became a territory, 1848; joined the Union as the 33rd state, 1859; population grew after 1842 with settlers following the Oregon Trail, and again in the late 19th-c after the completion of the transcontinental railway; capital, Salem; other chief cities, Albany, Eugene, Portland, Springfield; bounded W by the Pacific Ocean; rivers include the Columbia, Snake, Willamette; split by the Cascade Range; fertile Willamette R valley in the W, with the Coast Ranges beyond; High Desert in the E, a semi-arid plateau used for ranching and wheat-growing; Blue Mts and Wallowa Mts in the NE; Fremont Mts and Steens Mts in the S; highest point Mt Hood (3424 m/11 234 ft); several small lakes in the S, including Upper Klamath L and L Albert; about half the area forested; produces over a quarter of the USA's softwood and plywood; electronics, food processing, paper, fishing; livestock, wheat, dairy produce, fruit, vegetables; major tourist region; Crater Lake National Park in the SW.

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Oregon (pronounced The pronunciation , while common, is incorrect., ?o.??.??n Occurs among speakers where the horse-hoarse merger has occured, which include the majority of native Oregonians.) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Oregon borders the Pacific Ocean on the west, Washington on the north, Idaho on the east, and California, and Nevada on the south. Two north-south mountain ranges?the Pacific Coast Range and the Cascade Mountain Range?form the two boundaries of the Willamette Valley, one of the most fertile and agriculturally productive regions in the world.fact

Oregon has one of the most diverse landscapes of any state in the US. It is one of the few places in the Northern Hemisphere where lift-serviced alpine skiing is available year round.fact

Oregon's population in 2000 was 3,421,399, a 20.4% increase over 1990.

History

Oregon's earliest residents were several Native American tribes, including the Bannock, Chinook, Klamath, and Nez Perce. In 1811, New York financier John Jacob Astor established Fort Astoria at the mouth of the Columbia River with the intention of starting a chain of Pacific Fur Company trading posts along the river. In the War of 1812, the British gained control of all of the Pacific Fur Company posts.

By the 1820s and 1830s, the British Hudson's Bay Company dominated the Pacific Northwest. John McLoughlin, who was appointed the Company's Chief Factor of the Columbia District, built Fort Vancouver in 1825.

In 1841 the master trapper and entrepreneur Ewing Young died with considerable wealth, with no apparent heir, and no system to probate his estate. Doctor Ira Babcock of Jason Lee's Methodist Mission was elected Supreme Judge. Babcock chaired two meetings in 1842 at Champoeg?half way between Lee's mission and Oregon City?to discuss wolves and other animals considered troublesome at the time. This government was first of several acting governments of the Oregon Country (also referred to as the Republic of Oregon) citeneeded prior to American annexation.

The Oregon Trail infused the region with new settlers, starting in 1842–43, after the United States agreed to jointly settle the Oregon Country with the United Kingdom. Cooler heads prevailed, and the Oregon boundary dispute between the United States and British North America was set at the 49th parallel. The Oregon Territory was officially organized in 1848.

Settlement increased due to the Donation Land Claim Act of 1850, in conjunction with the forced relocation of the native population to Indian Reservations in Oregon. The state was admitted to the Union on February 14, 1859.

At the outbreak of the American Civil War, regular troops were withdrawn and sent east. The First Oregon Cavalry served until June 1865.

In the 1880s, railroads enabled marketing of the state's lumber and wheat, as well as the more rapid growth of its cities.

Industrial expansion began in earnest following the construction of the Bonneville Dam in 1943 on the Columbia River. (See: State of Jefferson, State of Klamath, State of Shasta and Cascadia.)
Oregon state ballots often include politically conservative proposals (e.g. Those trade routes brought the term eastward.

• In a 2004 article for the Oregon Historical Quarterly, Professor Thomas Love and Smithsonian linguist Ives Goddard argue that Rogers chose the word based on exposure to either of the Algonquian words wauregan and olighin, both meaning "good and beautiful".
  

Less supported theories are based on it having a Spanish etymology. Others have speculated that the name is related to the kingdom of Aragon: the major part of the Spanish soldiers that conquered the West Coast from California to Vancouver Island in the 18th century were, in fact, from Catalonia, a principate of the ancient Crown of Aragon in Spain.

In 1778, Jonathan Carver used Oregon to label the Great River of the West in his book Travels Through the Interior Parts of North America. this use helped establish it in modern use.

Geography

Oregon's geography may be split roughly into six areas:

• the Coast Range,
  
• the Willamette Valley,
  
• the Cascade Mountains
  
• the Klamath Mountains,
  
• the Columbia River Plateau, and
  
• the Basin and Range Region.
  

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Oregon is 295 miles (475 km) north to south at longest distance, and 395 miles (475 km) east to west at longest distance. As a West Coast state, its lowest point is sea level.
Crater Lake National Park is the state's only national park, and the site of Crater Lake, the deepest lake in the U.S. at 1,943 feet. Similar federally-owned, protected recreation areas that are entirely in Oregon include: John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Newberry National Volcanic Monument, and Oregon Caves National Monument.

Areas that are partly in Oregon and partly in neighboring states include the California National Historic Trail, Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, the Lewis and Clark National and State Historical Parks, the Nez Perce National Historical Park, and the Oregon National Historic Trail.

Oregon claims the D River is the shortest river in the world, though the American state of Montana makes the same claim of its Roe River. Oregon is also home to the smallest park in the world, Mill Ends Park in Portland.

Law and government

The Oregon Country functioned as an independent republic citeneeded with a 3-person executive office and a chief executive until August 131848, when Oregon was annexed by the United States, at which time a territorial government was established. Oregon maintained a territorial government until February 141859, when it was granted statehood.

State government

Oregon state government has a separation of powers similar to the federal government. It has three branches, called departments by the state's constitution:

• a legislative department (the bicameral Oregon Legislative Assembly),
  
• an executive department which includes an "administrative department" and Oregon's governor serving as chief executive, and
  
• a judicial department, headed by the Oregon Supreme Court.
  

Governors in Oregon serve four-year terms and are term limited to two consecutive terms, but an unlimited number of total terms. The Oregon Legislative Assembly consists of a thirty-member State Senate and sixty-member House. The state supreme court has seven elected justices, including the only openly gay state supreme court justice in the nation, Rives Kistler. The only court that may reverse or modify a decision of the Oregon Supreme Court is the United States Supreme Court.

Oregon is one of the few states whose legislature is biennial. Recent legislatures have had to be called into special session repeatedly to address revenue shortfalls resulting from economic downturns, bringing to a head the need for more frequent legislative sessions.

The state maintains formal relationships with the nine federally-recognized tribal governments in Oregon:

• Burns Paiute Tribe
  
• Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians
  
• Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
  
• Confederated Tribes of Siletz
  
• Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs
  
• Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
  
• Coquille Tribe
  
• Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Indians
  
• Klamath Indian Tribe of Oregon
  

Oregon adopted many electoral reforms proposed during the Progressive Era, due to the efforts of William S. Under his leadership, the state overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure in 1902 that created the initiative and referendum processes for citizens to directly introduce or approve proposed laws or amendments to the state constitution. In following years, the primary election to select party candidates was adopted in 1904, and in 1908 the Oregon Constitution was amended to include recall of public officials. More recent amendments include the nation's only doctor-assisted suicide law, called the Death with Dignity law (which was challenged in 2005 by the Bush administration in the U.S. Supreme Court), legalization of medical marijuana, and among the nation's strongest anti-sprawl and pro-environment laws.

Of the measures placed on the ballot since 1902, the people have passed 99 of the 288 initiatives and 25 of the 61 referenda on the ballot, though not all of them survived challenges in courts (see Pierce v. During the same period, the legislature has referred 363 measures to the people, of which 206 have passed.

Oregon has been a pioneer in the use of vote-by-mail:

• 1981 The Oregon Legislative Assembly approves experimentation with vote-by-mail for local elections.
  
• 1987 Vote-by-mail becomes permanent, with the majority of Oregon's counties making use of it.
  
• 1995 Oregon becomes the first state to conduct a federal primary election totally by mail.
  
• 1996 Ron Wyden, Bob Packwood's replacement, is elected by mail with a 66% turnout.
  
• 1998 Through a voter initiative, Oregonians confirm their overwhelming support for vote-by-mail.
  
• 2000 Oregon becomes the first state in the nation to conduct a presidential election entirely by mail.
  

  The state legislature is split between the two parties, with Republicans dominating the House of Representatives and Democrats controlling the Senate.
  

  The distribution, sales and consumption of alcoholic beverages are regulated in the state by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission. Thus, Oregon is an Alcoholic beverage control state.
  

  Entering the Union at a time when the status of "Negroes" was very much in question, and wishing to stay out of the looming conflict between the Union and Confederate States, Oregon banned African Americans from moving into the state in the vote to adopt its Constitution (1858). in 2002, additional language now considered racist was struck from the Oregon Constitution by the voters of Oregon.
  

  Federal government

  Oregon is represented in the United States legislature by two Senators and five Representatives. (See also the historical US Congressional Delegations from Oregon.)
  
  In the U.S. Electoral College, Oregon casts seven votes. See United States court of appeals.
  
  See also : United States presidential election, 2004, in Oregon

  Economy

  The Willamette Valley is very fertile and, coupled with Oregon's famous rain, gives the state a wealth of agricultural products, including cattle, dairy products, potatoes, peppermint, and apples and other fruits. While the history of the wine production in Oregon can be traced to before Prohibition, it became a significant industry beginning in the 1970s and Oregon is home to ten wine appellations, with three others straddling the Oregon-Washington border.www.oregonwine.org/ Oregon Wine Center Due to regional similarities of climate and soil, the grapes planted in Oregon are often the same varieties found in the French region of Alsace.
  
  Vast forests have historically made Oregon one of the nation's major timber production and logging states, but forest fires (such as the Tillamook Burn), over-harvesting, and lawsuits over the proper management of the extensive federal forest holdings have reduced the amount of timber produced. According to the Oregon Forest Resources Institute, timber harvested from federal lands dropped some 96% from 1989 from 4,333 million to 173 million board feet (10,000,000 to 408,000 m³) in 2001. Examples include Weyerhaeuser's acquisition of Willamette Industries in January, 2002, the announcement by Louisiana Pacific in September, 2003 that they will relocate their corporate headquarters from Portland to Nashville, and the experiences of small lumber towns like Gilchrist. Tektronix was the largest private employer in Oregon until the late 1980s. Medford is home to two of the largest mail order companies in the country: Bear Creek Corporation which sells gift items under several brands, and Musician's Friend an international catalog and Internet retailer of music gear.
  
  Oregon had one of the largest salmon-fishing industries in the world, although ocean fisheries have reduced the river fisheries in recent years. The Oregon Shakespeare Festival, held in Ashland, is a tourist draw near its Californian border which complements the area's scenic beauty and opportunity for outdoor activities.
  
  Oregon is home to a number of smaller breweries.
  
  Oregon's gross state product is $145.35 billion as of 2005. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 72,263 people, and migration within the country produced a net increase of 77,821 people.
  
  As of 2004, Oregon's population included 309,700 foreign-born (accounting for 8.7% of the state population) and an estimated 90,000 illegal aliens (2.5% of the state population).
  
  The largest reported ancestry groups in Oregon are: German (20.5%), English (13.2%), Irish (11.9%), American (6.2%), and Mexican (5.5%).
  
  Most Oregon counties are inhabited principally by residents of European ancestry. Concentrations of Mexican-Americans are highest in Malheur and Jefferson counties.
  
  6.5% of Oregon's population were reported as under 5, 24.7% under 18, and 12.8% were 65 or older. "Non-religious" is an umbrella term which is sometimes synonymous with or includes elements of atheism, agnosticism, skepticism, freethought, humanism, secular humanism, heresy, logical positivism, and even apathy.
  

  2000-2003 population trends

  Estimates released September 2004 show double-digit growth in Latino and Asian American populations since the 2000 Census. Eugene, home of the University of Oregon, is the third largest city, closely following Salem.www.pdx.edu/prc/annualorpopulation.html
  
  Oregon City was the first incorporated city west of the Rockies and later, the first capital of the Oregon Territory, from 1848 to 1852, when the territorial capital was moved to Salem, Oregon. It was also the end of the Oregon Trail and the site of the first public library established west of the Rocky Mountains, stocked with only 300 volumes. The University of Oregon in Eugene is Oregon's flagship liberal arts institution, while Oregon State University in Corvallis is the flagship agricultural school. The State also has three regional universities: Western Oregon University in Monmouth, Southern Oregon University in Ashland, and Eastern Oregon University in La Grande. Concordia University, Lewis & Clark College, Marylhurst University, Reed College, Warner Pacific College, and the National College of Natural Medicine are also in Portland. Pacific University is in the suburb of Forest Grove.
  
  There are also private colleges further south in the Willamette Valley. McMinnville has Linfield College, while nearby Newberg is home to George Fox University. Salem is home to two private schools, Willamette University and Corban College. In addition to the University of Oregon, Eugene is home to the campuses of Northwest Christian College and Eugene Bible College. Colleges belonging to the state are:
  
  • Blue Mountain Community College in Pendleton
    
  • Central Oregon Community College in Bend
    
  • Chemeketa Community College in Salem
    
  • Clackamas Community College in Oregon City
    
  • Clatsop Community College in Astoria
    
  • Columbia Gorge Community College in The Dalles
    
  • Klamath Community College in Klamath Falls
    
  • Lane Community College in Eugene
    
  • Linn-Benton Community College in Albany, with a campus in Corvallis
    
  • Mount Hood Community College in Gresham
    
  • Oregon Coast Community College in Newport
    
  • Portland Community College in Portland
    
  • Rogue Community College in Grants Pass
    
  • Southwestern Oregon Community College in Coos Bay
    
  • Tillamook Bay Community College in Bay City
    
  • Treasure Valley Community College in Ontario
    
  • Umpqua Community College in Roseburg
    

  Professional sports teams

  The only major professional sports team in Oregon is the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association. The Rose Garden's other tenants include the Portland Winter Hawks, a longstanding and popular Western Hockey League team, and the Portland Lumberjax, an expansion National Lacrosse League team.
  
  In addition to the Winter Hawks and Lumberjax, Portland has two more minor-league sports teams who play at PGE Park. The Portland Timbers of the USL First Division are a very popular soccer team, and the Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League are the Triple-A club of the San Diego Padres. The Eugene Emeralds and the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes both play in the Single-A Northwest League. Oregon also has four teams in the fledgling International Basketball League: the Portland Chinooks, Central Oregon Hotshots, Salem Stampede, and the Eugene Chargers.
  
  Even with all of these professional options available, the state's two major college teams, the Oregon Ducks and Oregon State Beavers remain the most popular sports entities in the state. They are:
  

  State flower: Oregon-grape (since 1899)
  

  State song: "Oregon, My Oregon" (written in 1920 and adopted in 1927)
  

  State bird: Western Meadowlark (chosen by the state's children in 1927)
  

  State tree: Douglas-fir (since 1939)
  

  State fish: Chinook salmon (since 1961)
  

  State rock: Thunderegg (like a geode but formed in a rhyolitic lava flow; since 1965)
  

  State animal: American Beaver (since 1969)
  

  State dance: Square dance (Adopted in 1977)
  

  State insect: Oregon Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio oregonius; since 1979)
  

  State fossil: Metasequoia (since 2005)
  

  State gemstone: Oregon sunstone, a type of feldspar (since 1987)
  

  State nut: Hazelnut (since 1989)
  

  State seashell: Oregon hairy triton (Fusitriton oregonensis, a gastropod in the cymatiidae family; since 1991)
  

  State mushroom: Pacific Golden Chanterelle (since 1999)
  

  State beverage: Milk (since 1997)
  

  State fruit: Pear (since 2005)
  

  State motto: Alis Volat Propriis, Latin for ?She Flies With Her Own Wings? in 1957.www.leg.state.or.us/history/motto.htm)
  

  State hostess: Miss Oregon (since 1969)
  

  State team: Portland Trail Blazers of 1990?1991 (since 1991)
  

  See also

  • Wikitravel Entry: Oregon
    
  • Music of Oregon
    
  • Scouting in Oregon
    
  • The Begum's Millions, a Jules Verne utopian fantasy set in Oregon
    

  Notes and references