OTE - Oregon Travel Experience

Baker/Russell Black Walnut

Posted on: December 31st, 2024 in Heritage Tree Details |

Juglans nigra

Andrew J. Baker, who arrived in the Oregon Territory in 1843 as part of the Great Migration, planted the black walnut in 1870 next to his house, built in 1852. The house, which still stands at this site, was used as a stage coach stop in the last 1800s. The property was purchased by William S. Russell and is still owned by Russell’s heirs.

Tree Facts

Height: 105 ft

Date of dedication: …

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Baker Black Locust

Posted on: December 31st, 2024 in Heritage Tree Details |

Robinia pseudoacacia

James and Elizabeth Baker were among the first Oregon Trail emigrants to settle in Eastern Oregon. They traveled from Iowa in 1862 and were one of the original five families to settle in what is now the city of La Grande. Most of La Grande was treeless prairie when they arrived. James Baker was known as a horticulturalist and planted many of the first trees in the community. Elizabeth …

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Aurora Colony Black Walnut

Posted on: December 31st, 2024 in Heritage Tree Details |

Juglans nigra

This black walnut was planted c. 1884 by the Zimmerman family who were prominent members of the Aurora Colony. Early Aurora settlers were talented and industrious. Their products gained a wide reputation for excellence during the early days of Willamette Valley settlement. As a carpenter, Christian Zimmerman helped build the village and likely planted the tree and others like it for the valuable hardwood.

Tree Facts

Height: 70 ft

Date of dedication: …

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Aspen Arborglyph Trees

Posted on: December 31st, 2024 in Heritage Tree Details |

Populus tremuloides

The carvings on the trees in this aspen grove are called “arborglyphs.” Most of the arborglyphs here were carved by Basque sheepherders who worked the top of the Steens Mountain in the early-to-middle 20th century. These historic carvings were lightly carved into the bark to make notes about the sheep, leave drawings, or as a means of letting one another know who had passed by each place.

Learn More: Visit …

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10th Mountain Division Memorial Grove

Posted on: December 31st, 2024 in Heritage Tree Details |

Mixed species grove

This grove of mixed trees species was started as a memorial for Oregon members of the 10th Mountain Division who fought in Italy during WWII. They were the only US Army Division trained in mountain warfare and were trained to fight on skis. In 1996 the first tree in this memorial grove was planted. The grove is maintained by decedents and discharged members of the 10th Mountain Division.

Location: …

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Governor Withycombe Giant Sequoia

Posted on: December 31st, 2024 in Heritage Tree Details |

Sequoiadendron giganteum

James Withycombe served as Oregon’s governor from 1914 until his death in 1919. He was one of only two foreign-born Oregon governors. Born in Tavistock, England, he came to Oregon with his parents in 1871 at 17 years of age. He purchased a farm two years later and married Isabel Carpenter on June 5, 1975. He planted this sequoia in their wedding day. Governor Withycombe was known for his …

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Beall Black Walnut

Posted on: December 31st, 2024 in Heritage Tree Details |

Juglans nigra

In 1863, on this site, Robert Vinton Beall, an Oregon Trail pioneer and relative to four Maryland governors, built one of the first frame buildings in Jackson County, a Gothic Revival house that is listed on the National Historic Register. Beall and his brother Thomas were eventually to become Jackson County’s most prosperous farmers. In 1864, Robert Beall planted this Illinois black walnut to commemorate his marriage to Ann …

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Courthouse Square Giant Sequoias

Posted on: December 12th, 2024 in Heritage Tree Details |

Sequoiadendron giganteum

These trees were planted by homesteader John R. Porter (1827-1886) in 1880. The 3-year-old seedlings were brought from California and planted to enhance the entrance to the 1873 courthouse.

Tree Facts

Approx. height: 150ft

Age at dedication: 120 years

Date of dedication: April 11, 1997

Learn More: Visit Oregon Encyclopedia

Audio Tour:

Location: Washington County Courthouse, 1st Ave & Main Street, Hillsboro

Britt Sequoia

Posted on: December 12th, 2024 in Heritage Tree Details |

Sequoia giganteum

On March 22, 1862, the day of his son Emil’s birth, Peter Britt planted this giant sequoia by his home. Britt was a pioneer photographer, skilled horticulturalist, and leader in Southern Oregon’s lucrative fruit industry. From its vantage point, this majestic tree has witnessed the unfolding of Jacksonville’s rich history — the gold rush prosperity of the mid 1800s, the decline at the turn of the century and the …

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TIC Announces New Director

Posted on: December 2nd, 2024 in News & Press |

TIC is pleased to announce that McGregor “Mac” Lynde will serve as the agency’s next Executive Director, beginning on Monday, November 18, 2024. The council agreed by unanimous vote to offer Lynde the appointment at its public meeting on Wednesday, October 23. Currently serving as Special Advisor to the Director of the Oregon Department of Emergency Management, Lynde brings to the Travel Information Council twenty-two years of experience with the …

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