ONE OF THE real privileges of being a lifelong Oregonian of a certain, er, vintage, is the opportunity to have seen this state in its golden age — roughly, 1946 through 1980 — through a child’s eyes.
The basic style and culture of the Beaver State have changed a lot over the last 50 years. And, for the most part, it’s changed for the better ... but not entirely.
Sociologists would say this change was the transition from a “modernist” culture — proud, conformist, and optimistic about the future — to a “postmodernist” culture — self-critical, eclectic, and neutral or pessimistic about the future. A similar change happened nationwide during that time.
A representative from the Atomic Energy Commission talks about nuclear energy with visitors to the Oregon Centennial Exposition. (Image: Oregon Historical Society)
But Oregon is a special case, because two unique things happened here to highlight and accelerate this culture shift:
At the high point of postwar Modern Oregon, the state (1) threw a $2.6 million party to celebrate. Which gave Oregonians something solid to look back on a few decades later, when (2) the money ran out.
The result — well, let’s explore it from the perspective of my imaginary friend Fred....
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A representative of the helicopter-logging company Sky King stands next to his company’s brand-new 1959 Buick looking at an exhibit of an enormous old-growth log at the Centennial Exposition. (Image: Salem Public Libraries)
(Sources: “Centennial Exposition of 1959,” an article by David Kludas published March 23, 2022, on The Oregon Encyclopedia; Salem Public Library archives)
Background image is a hand-tinted photo of the then-new railroad lines along the Deschutes River, from a postcard published circa 1915.
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