Oregon maintained a territorial government until February 14, 1859, when it was granted statehood.

The Oregon Trail, which stretched about 2,200 miles, was the longest of the land routes used in the Western expansion of the United States. From the mid-1830s to the late-1860s, the Oregon Trail was used by about 400,000 settlers. Use of the trail declined as the First Transcontinental Railroad was completed in 1869, making the trip west substantially faster, cheaper, and safer.

Salem was founded in 1842, became the capital of the Oregon Territory in 1851, and was incorporated in 1857.

There are five potentially active volcanoes in Oregon: Crater Lake, Mount Hood, Mount Jefferson, Newberry Caldera, and the Three Sisters region.

While beavers are no longer economically important, early settlers in the state trapped the animal for its its meat, as well as its fur, which was made into hats, earning Oregon its nickname: "The Beaver State".

Historian Stephen Arndt has identified a total of 256 Oregon ghost towns, more than any other state in the country. Many of these towns were once mining or lumber camps that were abandoned after their respective industries collapsed.

According to legend, Neahkahnie Mountain conceals a lost treasure, hidden by Spanish sailors in the late 16th century. The story has inspired hoards of treasure hunters, and some artifacts of possibly Spanish origin have been found on the mountain, but digging for treasure is prohibited on the portions of the mountain that are in the control of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.

Chosen as the state bird in 1927 by Oregon's school children in a poll sponsored by the Oregon Audubon Society, the western meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) is native throughout the western United States and known for its distinctive, flute-like song.

Crater Lake was formed more than 6,500 years ago within the remains of an ancient volcano. With a depth of 1,949 feet (594 m), it is the deepest lake in the United States.

The world's "biggest living thing" is the honey mushroom (Armillaria ostoyae) of Oregon. It covers 2,200 acres and is estimated to be over 2,400 years old. It was discovered in the late 1990s using aerial photos and through DNA testing cultures from 112 dying trees.