OTE - Oregon Travel Experience

Subject:Klamath Lake wildlife sanctuary and Oregon’s largest body of water.
This is Oregon’s largest body of water, about 90,000 acres. Indians inhabiting its shores (‘People of the Lake’) lived well on wild fowl, fish and wocus seeds. The first known white visitors (1825-26) were Hudson’s Bay trappers under Tom McKay and Finan McDonald. In 1846, while exploring here, John C. Fremont received news of the war with Mexico, which caused him …

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Subject:Campsite of emigrants on the Oregon Trail.
HISTORIC OREGON TRAIL
Weary emigrants traveling westward on the Oregon Trail favored a campsite on the near bank of the Umatilla River at this point. On leaving they climbed the same hill the highway now traverses, then recrossed the Umatilla River at Echo 20 hot, dusty miles westerly.
In the years 1863-64 at this site a settlement composed of 3 buildings called Middleton, the first County …

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Subject:Provides information about the devastating waves called ‘tsunamis’ which can strike the Oregon coast and what action should be taken in case of such an occurrence.
TSUNAMI – SEASIDE
Devastating waves called ‘tsunamis’ can strike the Oregon coast at any time. These waves are caused by great undersea earthquakes that occur along the Cascadia Subduction Zone, one of the largest active faults in North America.
Tsunamis are dangerous and destructive. They have struck …

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Subject:Provides information about the devastating waves called ‘tsunamis’ which can strike the Oregon coast and what action should be taken in case of such an occurrence.
Devastating waves called ‘tsunamis’ can strike the Oregon coast at any time. These waves are caused by great undersea earthquakes that occur along the Cascadia Subduction Zone, one of the largest active faults in North America.
Tsunamis are dangerous and destructive. They have struck the Oregon …

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Subject:Pioneer community settled in the 1850’s.
This pioneer community gateway to the Columbia Gorge was settled in the 1850’s. Cattle herds of early pioneers were driven to the nearby Sandy River from the Dalles while the emigrants rafted their wagons down the Columbia. First known as Sandy, the present name came from fish ponds built by the town’s founder, Captain John Harlow. By the turn of the century railroad and river …

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Subject:The site of disastrous forest fires in 1933, 1939 and 1945.
Oregon’s Historic Tillamook Forest Fire of 1933 spread over 240,000 acres of forest land, fires in 1939 and 1945 brought the total to 355,000 acres. Over 13 billion board feet of timber were killed. Devastation by these disastrous fires aroused Oregon voters to approve a bond issue for reforestation and protection of the burned area. Access roads were built and …

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Subject:Describes the devastating forest fires of 1933, 1939 and 1945 and subsequent reforestation.
Trees on 240,000 acres were killed in 1933 in one of the Nation’s worst forest fires which started four miles northeast of this point. Later fires extended the burn to 355,000 acres-to more than 13 billion board feet of timber. This area is now being reforested with Douglas Fir, spruce, cedar and hemlock. With effective protection a new …

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Subject:While trying to find their way into the upper Williamette Valley, emigrants traveled an alternate route that started in present-day Vale and traversed the desert near this site.
MEEK/ELLIOTT THE TERRIBLE TRAIL
Weary Oregon Trail emigrants, eager to ease travel or gain mileage, often attempted cutoffs and shortcuts. While many of these alternate routes proved successful, others did not–they became roads to ruin for some and the end of the trail for …

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Subject:The Sunset Highway is dedicated to members of the 41st Division who wore the Sunset emblem.
This highway is reverently dedicated to Oregon’s sons. Members of the 41st division, both living and dead, who wore the Sunset emblem and offered their all in complete devotion to the cause of world peace.