Ross Simpson

An autonomous government was formed in what was then called Oregon Country
in 1843, Oregon Territory was created in 1848 and in 1859 Oregon became the
33rd state of the Union.

At the outbreak of the American Civil War, regular U.S. troops were withdrawn and
sent east. Volunteer cavalry recruited in California were sent north to Oregon to
keep peace and protect the populace. The First Oregon Cavalry served until June
1865.

In the 1880s, the growth of railroads helped market the state’s lumber, wheat, and
the rapid growth of its cities.

Mount Hood reflected in Mirror Lake