14th February: Oregon

On this date, in 1859, Oregon was admitted to the Union as the 33rd state. Here are some things you might not know about Oregon.

1. Oregon is the only US state whose Flag has two different designs - the state seal in Blue and gold on the front, and a golden Beaver on the back, the beaver being the official state animal.
2. Oregon is the only state which has an official state nut - the Hazelnut. Then it has all the usual official symbols - state fish: Chinook Salmon; State Bird: Western Meadowlark; State Tree: Douglas Fir; State Insect: Oregon Swallowtail; State Rock: The Thunder-egg (geode); State Beverage: Milk; State Song: Oregon, My Oregon; State Gem: Oregon sunstone; State Motto: Alis volat Propriis (She flies with her own wings).
3. The capital is Salem, but the city everyone has heard of is Portland. Portland has its own Leprechaun colony, the only one west of Ireland. They live in the world's smallest official park, which measures just two feet across. The park was created in 1948 by World War II veteran Dick Fagan, who decided to do something special with the hole built for a streetlamp which was never placed.
4. As well as the world's smallest park, Oregon has the world's shortest river, D River in Lincoln City, which is only 121 feet long. At the other extreme, the state is also home to the world's biggest Mushroom, which is 2.4 miles across and is believed to be between 1900 and 8650 years old; and the deepest lake in the USA - Crater Lake, which is in the crater of an ancient volcano and is about 2,000 feet deep; the nation's deepest river gorge - Hells Canyon at a depth of 8,000 feet, and the world’s tallest barber shop pole at Forest Grove.
5. Oregon has a town called Sisters and a town called Brothers. There's also a town named Boring, which is twinned with a town in Scotland called Dull. The state has over 60 ghost towns, too, more than any other state.
6. Simpsons creator Matt Groening was born in Portland. In 2012 he finally answered the debate about which state the family's home of Springfield was in - Oregon. Many of the characters are named after streets in Portland.
7. If you're interested in Carousel horses or rosaries, Oregon is the place to be as there are museums there dedicated to both.
8. Some more about Portland - the name was decided on the flip of a coin. It was almost named Boston. It is the only major city in the U.S. built on a dormant volcano; and the people here seem to like taking their clothes off - Portland has the most strip clubs per capita than any other city in the country, and is the venue for the annual World Naked Bike Ride. 10,000 naked cyclists take part, making it the world's largest naked cycling event.
9. No one knows for sure how Oregon got its name. Some believe it is derived from the French word for hurricane (ouregan), others believe it's from the Spanish word orejon, meaning "big ears."
10. When in Oregon, it's illegal to whistle underwater, box with a Kangaroo, eat Ice cream on Sundays, juggle without a licence, walk down a sidewalk and knock the head off a Snake with a walking cane, or wear roller skates in Toilets. Bathing suits must cover the body from neck to knee, and dishes must be left to drip dry.

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