The history of the gas tax began when Oregon state lawmakers were
looking for a way to fund road construction. They passed the nation’s
first per-gallon tax on gasoline in 1919. The first gasoline tax was one 
cent per gallon. The revenue was used for early road building projects 
including the Pacific Highway and the Columbia River Highway (below).

The International Rose Test Garden is a rose garden in Washington Park in Portland, Oregon. There are over 7,000 rose plants of approximately 550
varieties. The roses bloom from April through October.

In 1917 a group of Portland nurserymen came up with the idea for a rose
test garden. Portland had a group of volunteers and 20 miles of rose
bordered streets left from the 1905 Lewis & Clark Exposition, and was
already dubbed "The City of Roses".  Between Portland Parks & Recreation
and the American Rose Society, the garden idea soon became a reality.
 
 

      Meriwether Lewis (August 18, 1774 – October 11, 1809)

Meriwether Lewis explored and mapped the American Northwest with
his partner William Clark. He was appointed to be President Thomas
Jefferson‘s aide in 1801 and provided him with information regarding
army politics. In addition to helping map the U.S., he served as the   
Governor of Louisiana.

Originally inhabited by Native Americans, The Territory of Oregon was an 
organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from
August 14, 1848, until February 14, 1859, when the southwestern portion
of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Oregon.

Brian Doyle (August 12, 1956 – May 27, 2017) Born in Ottawa, Ontario.

PORTLAND, Ore. – According to a release from the University of Portland,  Brian
Doyle passed away Saturday morning from complications related to a brain tumor.

He was the author of "Mink River," "The Plover," "Chicago," and "Martin Marten." He
won a 2016 Oregon Book Award for Young Adult Literature for "Martin Marten."

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