Oregon (Photo credit: B_Zedan) |
The first people to live in Oregon came in around 15,000 years ago, and have been living there ever since. Cave markings have been found on the walls, found mostly along the lower Columbia River. The first European explorers to come to the area were actually Spanish, but they never set up any major bases, which is why most of the present day cities have no Spanish names.
Everyone has heard of the Oregon Trail, but why was the destination Oregon? Simply because it had some of the most fertile soil in the US, making it an ideal place to farm. The great migration of people to Oregon set up strong economies and trading routes for many generations to come, and eventually led to Oregon being recognized as a state in 1859.