Not only is Feb. 14 known as a day of love, sweets, and relationships, it is also known as the day that Oregon was born.

159 years ago, Oregon was admitted to the Union, becoming the 33rd state of America. Previously, Oregon had been a territory and not formally admitted to the Union. From the Lewis and Clark expedition to 2018, Oregon has endured settlers, pioneers, modernists and much more. In 1805 Lewis and Clark began a journey to discover what America had to offer, and they ended this adventure in Oregon.

The first settlement ever built and established in oregon was in 1811, over 200 years ago, and this settlement marked the beginning of a huge growth in development for Oregon.

When looking at oregon, one can look at the ongoing era of modern development, and use that as a gauge of how it has grown over the years. Since 1859 Oregon has welcomed cars, technology, and overall development socially and economically.

“I really love Oregon because of the nice people, bipolar weather, and Powell’s Books,” said Shelby Krueger ‘18.

While modern development did not truly begin until the days after the Bonneville dam was built, the Oregon population had noticed new things being presented to them in the way of buildings, cars and buggies, and electricity.