Oregon Historical Society facts for kids
Seal of the Oregon Historical Society
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| Formation | 1898 |
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| Type | Historical society |
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Executive director
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Kerry Tymchuk |
| Website | ohs.org |
The Oregon Historical Society (OHS) is a group that helps people learn about the history of Oregon. It also connects Oregon's story to the bigger picture of U.S. history. Started in 1898, the Society gathers, saves, and shares historical items. It works with other groups and people who have similar goals. The OHS runs the Oregon History Center, which includes the Oregon Historical Society Museum in downtown Portland.
Contents
How the Oregon Historical Society Started
The Oregon Historical Society began on December 17, 1898. It was formed in Portland at the Portland Library Building. Its main goal was to "bring together... data for the history of the commonwealth." This meant collecting as much information as possible about Oregon's past. They also wanted to encourage people to use this information.
The first president of the OHS was Harvey W. Scott. In its first year, 370 people joined the Society. George H. Himes became the first curator in 1899. A curator is someone who manages and cares for a museum's collections. He held this job for 40 years!
Early Homes of the OHS
Soon after it started, the Society opened its first office and museum. This was inside Portland City Hall. Here, they began building a research library. They also started collecting historical objects. In 1900, the first issue of the Oregon Historical Quarterly was published. This was the official magazine of the organization.
In 1913, the Society moved from City Hall to the Tourny Building. But they only stayed there for about four and a half years. In September 1917, they moved again. Their new home was Portland's Public Auditorium, which is now called Keller Auditorium. Finally, in 1966, the Society moved to its current location.
Leaders of the OHS
Thomas Vaughan was the director for 35 years, stepping down in 1989. After some changes, Chet Orloff became the executive director in 1992. He led the Society for nine years, retiring at the end of 2000.
In 2006, George L. Vogt became the eighth executive director. In 2007, the State of Oregon gave the Society $2.8 million. This money helped with about 30% of their yearly costs. Even though the OHS is not a state group, this funding was very helpful. In 2011, Kerry Tymchuk took over as the permanent director.
How the Oregon Historical Society is Funded
The Oregon Historical Society gets money from different places. In November 2010, voters in Multnomah County approved a special property tax. This tax helps fund the OHS for five years. Because of this, people living in Multnomah County can visit the museum and research library for free!
In 2011, the Oregon Legislative Assembly (Oregon's law-making group) approved $2.5 million. This money helped the Society pay off the loan for its large warehouse. This warehouse is about 100,000 square feet. It is kept at a special temperature to protect the Society's valuable items. These items include old maps, books, films, and other historical objects. Also in 2011, the OHS received a $2 million gift from Fred Fields. He was a well-known businessman in Oregon.
What the Oregon Historical Society Has
The Society's museum, archives, and research library hold a huge collection of historical items. Imagine:
- About 8.5 million feet of film and videotape!
- Over 2.5 million photographs!
- 85,000 artifacts (historical objects)!
- 30,000 books!
- 25,000 maps!
- 16,000 rolls of microfilm!
- 12,000 feet of important documents!
- More than 8,400 hours of oral history recordings from over 2,100 interviews!
The OHS has one of the biggest collections of old photographs in the United States.
Publications
The OHS has published the Oregon Historical Quarterly every year since 1900. Since 1929, the Oregon Historical Society Press has published over 150 books. These books cover Oregon's history, politics, culture, and biographies of important people. One famous book is Oregon Geographic Names. The Society continues to publish the Oregon Historical Quarterly.
Museum Store and Storage
The OHS Museum Store is located in the lobby of the Sovereign Hotel. This building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
From 1986 to 2001, the Society used a building in the Pearl District to store most of its collection. This was also where they processed new items. In 2000, they sold that building. They then moved their storage and processing to a warehouse in Gresham. This new warehouse is where they keep their precious historical items safe.
