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Historic Sites in Oregon
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Fort Clatsop National Memorial
This site celebrates the 1805-06 winter encampment of the
33-member Lewis and Clark Expedition. A 1955 community-built
replica of the explorers' 50'x50' Fort Clatsop is the focus of
this 125-acre park. The fort, historic canoe landing, and spring
are nestled in the coastal forests and wetlands of the Coast
Range as it merges with the Columbia River Estuary. The Salt
Works unit commemorates the expedition's salt-making activities.
Salt obtained from seawater was essential to the explorers'
winter at Fort Clatsop and their journey back to the United
States in 1806. For information call: (503)861-2471
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument
Preserved fossil record of plants and animals. This remarkably
complete record, spanning more than 40 of the 65 million years
of the Cenozoic Era (the "Age of Mammals and Flowering Plants")
is world-renown. Authorized October 26, 1974, and established in
1975, this 14,000 acre park is divided into three widely
separated units; the Sheep Rock Unit, Painted Hills Unit, and
Clarno Unit. The monument's main headquarters is at the visitor
center in the Sheep Rock Unit. There is also a park office
located in John Day, Oregon. For information call: (541)987-2333
Nez Perce National Historical Park
For thousands of years the valleys, prairies, and plateaus of
north-central Idaho and northeastern Oregon were home to the Nez
Perce people. Today, the 38 separate sites of the Nez Perce
National Historical Park, scattered across the states of Idaho,
Oregon, Washington and Montana, have been designated to
commemorate the legends and history of the Nee-Me-Poo (or Nez
Perce) and their interaction with explorers, fur traders,
missionaries, soldiers, settlers, gold miners, loggers, and
farmers who moved through or into the area. The areas
encompassing these sites display the great diversity of the
American West -- topography, rainfall, vegetation, and scenery,
ranging from the semi-arid regions of Washington, to the lush
high mountain meadows of Idaho and Oregon, to the prairies of
Montana. As you travel from site to site you will gradually
sense the importance of the land in contributing to the rich and
diverse cultural history of the Nez Perce people. Touring this
park is unlike traveling in most parks, for this one is as much
an idea as it is actual physical property. In some cases the
idea is the stronger force, for the physical remains of the past
have either disappeared or the original appearance has been
greatly altered. Through the diversity of the sites and the
gradual accumulation of information as you tour them, you can
come to appreciate the human history of this region. Park
headquarters is located in Spalding, Idaho, 11 miles east of
Lewiston, Idaho, with the headquarters for the Big Hole National
Battlefield site 10 miles west of Wisdom, Montana. Stop at the
respective visitor centers to orient yourself to the park and
its story. The uniformed staff can answer your questions,
whether they pertain to the history of the region and the Nez
Perce or how to get around and find the services you need. Both
visitor centers contain an auditorium where films and
interpretive talks are given and the Spalding visitor center
contains a museum of Nez Perce culture. The headquarters for the
Bear Paw Battlefield site is located in Chinook, Montana and
information can be obtained and exhibits viewed at the Blaine
County Museum in Chinook. Interpretive shelters at Heart of the
Monster (Kamiah) and White Bird Battlefield tell the story of
events at each location. The shelter at White Bird presents a
panoramic view of the battlefield. From this point you can get
an idea of how the battle occurred and how skillfully the Nez
Perce used the terrain to defeat the U.S. Army. A self-guided
(primitive) hiking trail is accessible via old U.S. 95 north of
White Bird. At Kamiah the exhibits explain the Heart of the
Monster -- the Place of Beginning where the Nez Perce people
sprang from the drops of blood squeezed from the monster's
heart. An audio station recounts the legend. Self-guiding trails
are present at the Big Hole and Bear Paw Battlefield sites. For
information call: (208)843-2261
Oregon Caves National Monument
Oregon Caves National Monument is small in size, 480 acres, but
rich in diversity. Above ground, the monument encompasses a
remnant old-growth coniferous forest. It harbors a fantastic
array of plants, and a Douglas-fir tree with the widest known
girth in Oregon. Three hiking trails access this forest. Below
ground is an active marble cave created by natural forces over
hundreds of thousands of years in one of the world's most
diverse geologic realms. For information call : (541)592-2100
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