Oregon Historical Society

The Oregon Historical Society occupies a brick building featuring a wide, bronze frieze wrapping around its exterior. This relief sculpture depicts scenes from Oregon history, including the arrival of pioneers and the activities of indigenous peoples. The society began in eighteen ninety-eight when a group of citizens worried that stories of the region were vanishing. They started collecting diaries, maps, and artifacts to save that record. Today, the building houses millions of items, including the original compass used by William Clark.