Oregon State Capitol Unveiled: Surprising Facts You Didn’t Know

Located in downtown Salem, the Oregon State Capitol is an interesting Art Deco building. Visible from far away, it dominates the area and has a beautiful park around it. We learned a lot of fun and surprising facts about this capitol when we visited it on our All States Capitols Quest. What do YOU know about Oregon and its capitol?

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Oregon Capitol Capitol Intro

The State Capitol is really interesting, but how did Oregon come to be? Before we learn interesting capitol facts, let’s talk about Oregon itself. The land, the peoples…

Let’s Start At The Very Beginning…

Of course we could start at the tectonic plates moving around and the formation of many volcanoes in Oregon, but for this post I limit myself to the human inhabitants.

Who Were the First People Living in Oregon?

Unsurprisingly, there were lots of people living here long before the Europeans “discovered” it and named it Oregon. One of these groups called themselves the Wishrams (″Spearfish People”), and had an interesting legend about why the Columbia river sparkled in the sun light.

According to the Wishram Indian legend, three stars descended from the sky to rest by the Columbia River. Two of the stars took Wishram women as their wives and whisked them away to the heavens. However, the third star was a sleepyhead, and while he slumbered, the Wishram people attempted to capture him. In the ensuing struggle, the star shattered into numerous pieces, falling into the river and thus giving the Columbia its shimmering sparkle.

Thirteen thousand years ago, some one lost a sandal in a cave at Fort Rock and this is the earliest physical evidence of human habitation. These sandals are the oldest shoes in the world!

In addition, human excrement (think fossilized poop…) was found in the Paisley Caves and is the oldest human DNA evidence in North America.

By the 16th century, Oregon was home to many Native American groups, including the Chinook. They had no idea that their world would soon be invaded by people from another continent.

What About the First Europeans?

The first Europeans to arrive in Oregon were likely Spanish explorers in the late 18th century. The Spanish were the first to explore the Pacific Coast, though their focus was primarily on California.

However, the first known European to explore the Oregon Coast was British navigator Captain James Cook in 1778. After Cook, other explorers from various European nations, including the British and the Spanish, followed.

One of the most notable early groups to explore and map Oregon was the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804-1806). While not the first Europeans, their expedition was the first official American mission to explore the Pacific Northwest and establish American presence in the area.

Big and Bad-Ass: 1818 – 1846 Oregon Country

Oregon Country was a vast region in the Pacific Northwest that was disputed by several countries in the 19th century, including the United States, Great Britain, Spain, and Russia.

Because it was rich in natural resources, everyone wanted to settle there. Loosely defined, the country was stretching from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean and from California what now is Southern Alaska. In 1818 the US and Great Britain made a pact that both countries could share and had full and free access.

Victoria, Vancouver and Vancouver Island all were part of Oregon country, as well as Washington, Idaho, and parts of Wyoming and Montana. Meanwhile, the indigenous people were unable to protect their land from the European invaders.

Getting Rid of Canada: 1846 – 1859 Oregon Territory

Oregon Country seemed like a good idea until it wasn’t. More and more Americans showed up (cue the Oregon trail) and tensions between them and the British settlers grew. Eventually, instead of war, the Oregon Treaty of 1846 peacefully divided the land at the 49th parallel, with Britain retaining what became British Columbia and the U.S. gaining the Oregon Territory.

The Oregon Territory now consisted of present-day Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and parts of Wyoming and Montana. Still, the indigenous people of the land were not a part of the treaty, it was always the Europeans deciding.

Finally! Statehood as the 33th State of the Union

In the 1850s, settler debated statehood, but some worried about increased taxes. Others saw it as a way to gain more control over their own laws. Finally, in 1847, they drafted a state constitution and requested statehood. The document was progressive in some ways, like banning slavery, but it also included discriminatory laws that excluded Black people from settling in Oregon.

Congress approved Oregon’s request for statehood, and on February 14, 1859, Oregon officially became the 33rd state of the United States. However, statehood came at a politically sensitive time, just before the Civil War, and Oregon’s admission as a free state helped maintain the balance between free and slave states.

Fun Facts about the Oregon State Capitol

Now that you know a bit of background about the state of Oregon, FKA as Oregon Country, let’s move to its capital city and its Capitol. Did you know that Salem wasn’t the capital at first and not everyone was happy when it did become the capital?

Oregon’s Capital Shuffle: A Game of Musical Chairs with Cities!

Oregon’s capital has changed locations a few times before settling in Salem. Firstl was Oregon City, from 1843 until 1851, when the territorial legislature decided to move the capital to Salem, believing it was a more central location for governance. This decision was not without controversy, as some leaders preferred Oregon City to remain the capital.

Making everyone unhappy, in 1855, the legislature moved the capital to Corvallis. Within a few months, the U.S. Congress overruled the decision and ordered the capital to return to Salem, where it has remained ever since.

Third Time’s the Charm: A History of Fire

The Oregon State Capitol has a history of burning down—twice. The first fire happened in 1855, destroying the original wooden capitol building in Salem. No one knows exactly how it started, but some suspect it was arson due to political fights over where the capital should be located.

The more devastating fire occurred in 1935, when the second capitol, built in 1876, burned to the ground. The fire started in the basement, possibly due to faulty wiring, and quickly spread, reducing the grand domed building to rubble. After this disaster, in 1938, they built the current fire-resistant Oregon State Capitol. It was made of concrete with a unique Art Deco design. Thankfully, it has remained standing ever since.

Fun fact: you can still find some of the column remnants from the old capitols, turned into an art installation in the park surrounding the Oregon State Capitol.

Bricks, Bars, and Building a Capitol: Inmates Laying the Foundation

Surprising to me, prison inmates helped build parts of the Oregon State Capitol. Inmates from Oregon’s penitentiary worked in a brick-making facility, producing the bricks needed for the building.

The park next to the Capitol still features remnants of the old columns. The inner core of them used the bricks created by prisoners.

Ring in Freedom: Get Hands-On with Oregon’s Liberty Bell Replica!

Unlike the original one, in Oregon you can find a liberty bell that you can touch and admire up close.

This Liberty Bell replica is a full-scale reproduction of the famous Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. It was one of 55 replicas cast in 1950 as part of a U.S. Treasury Department campaign to promote the sale of Savings Bonds. Each state, along with U.S. territories, received a bell, and Oregon’s was placed at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem. They all have an unique serial number. This one is number 16.

Unlike the original Liberty Bell, Oregon’s replica has no crack. It sits outside the capitol building as a symbol of freedom and democracy. When we discovered our first liberty bell replica during our visit to the New Hampshire State House, we decided to go on a quest to find all of those 55 liberty bell replicas.

True Fact: The Tree that Went to the Moon!

Do you know that one of the trees at the Oregon Capitol actually went to the moon? This Douglas-fir was raised from seed carried to the moon by astronaut Stuart Roosa of the Apollo 14 space mission in 1971. It was the first “Moon Tree” to be planted in Oregon and was planted here by Governor Bob Straub on Arbor Day, April 30, 1976 to celebrate America’s bicentennial.

Such a cool idea and it is mind blowing that this tree went farther into space than the majority of humans ever will!

The Golden Pioneer

The Capitol is topped by a distinctive gold statue known as the “Golden Pioneer”. This 22-foot tall statue represents a settler and symbolizes the pioneers who shaped Oregon’s history. Covered in gold leaf, they stand on a 320-foot tall dome, visible from far and wide.

Be Green! Eco-Friendly Roof –

The Capitol has a solar panel array on its roof to help generate renewable energy. First statehouse in the USA to install solar panels, they are now joined by others, like Hawaii, Maryland and California.

The solar installation provides power to the Capitol building. In addition, it reflects Oregon’s focus on environmental consciousness and green energy solutions.

Rolling Rolling Rolling, Spring Break Quake

In addition to its fiery history, the Oregon Capitol has been subjected to earth quakes. Not very surprising since it is located in an area prone to earth quakes, both big and small.

On March 25, 1993, the magnitude 5.6 Scotts Mills earthquake damaged the cupola. This “Spring Break Quake” shook the building enough to shift the statue on top and crack the cupola. Repairs cost $4.3 million ($ 9.4 million as of 2025) and included reinforcing the structure with additional concrete and steel bars. Let’s hope it will hold up during the next earth quake!

Did You Enjoy Learning These Oregon Capitol Facts?

Of course this is just the tip of an iceberg about Oregon, its fascinating history and its Capitol. Have you been to this capitol? What about your own state’s state house? Please let us know in the comments!

Other Capitols and State Houses you should Visit

• Ten Surprising New Hampshire State House Facts New Hampshire people are cheapskates!
• Ten Surprising Vermont State House Facts Discover ancient fossils;
• The Maine State House With bells on;
• The Massachusetts State House Where the Boston Italian North End was born;
• The Old State House in Boston, site of the Boston Massacre. Do you know how many people died?
• Connecticut Capitol Fun Facts Home of the so-called “Black Law”;
• Rhode Island State House: Ten Surprising Facts Discover its Dutch history;
• New York State Capitol. An expensive boondoggle;
• Alaska Capitol. Which animal guards it?
• Washington State Capitol. Women’s suffrage for the win!
• Breaking news: why Puerto Rico has a State House of its own!
• The US Virgin Islands have a Capitol Building in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas. Voted the state Capitol building with the best view!
• So we annexed this state, against the Queen’s will, go visit Hawai’i and her State Capitol;
• The Oregon Capitol kept burning down, hoping the current one won’t!
• Get inspired by our Travel Quests and start your own!