Oregon's 150th Birthday: February 14, 2009

Oregon just turned 150. Easterners shrug, especially those from the original 13 colonies. To them, Oregon is more like a distant cousin than a ruggedly handsome, more athletic younger brother. For any true Oregonian, our beloved state's 150th birthday is a big deal.

Oregonians, though, aren't the type to draw attention to themselves. So February 14, 2009 arrived mostly in a St. Valentine mood, even for Oregonians, few of whom seem acquainted with the bloated word "Sesquicentennial".

My first knowledge of sesquicentennials came in Texas. Folks from The Lone Star State are famously disinclined toward humility, an unfortunate fact from a Northwest perspective. Texans seemed determined to have their state's 150th birthday rank second only to "Remember the Alamo" on the top 10 list of Things Memorable About Texas.

Oregon's 150th was notable mainly for recognizing the role of Native Americans in the history of our state, complete with high ranking politicians offering them apologies and genuflections to assuage the social injustices of the mid-19th century. Of course, the Indian tribes of Oregon are now exceptionally well-funded, thanks to casinos, so they've got that going for them. And nobody suggested out loud that the political homage to them might somehow be related to their newfound prosperity. Oregonians are too polite for that.

The truth is, I love this state. As a native Oregonian, I'm in the minority. My ancestors came out west in covered wagons on the Oregon Trail in the 1840's, which makes me as Oregonian as a person can get. I've been fortunate to see much of the world, and I can't image living anywhere else. Our quality of life cannot be surpassed. Sure, the rainy winters can be dreary, but the turning of seasons builds character and helps measure the passage of time. That's what I tell myself. And my sun-loving wife, a native Oregonian herself, who benefits from the occasional reminder of this fact.

So Happy 150th Birthday Oregon! We know our slice of paradise is an acquired taste for some. We like the fact that Oregon is relatively undiscovered, like the undetected beauty of the girl in the back row with dorky sunglasses and her hair in pigtails. We prefer it that way.