The History of Oregon's
Capitol
and Legislators

| Capitol History | Women Legislators |
| Alphabetical Listing of Legislators | Legislators and Staff 1841-1949 |
| Pen Pictures of Representative Men of Oregon |
| Capitol Tour |  State Motto |

Some publications on this site are made available as Adobe Acrobat .pdf files. Download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Oregon State Capitol History     return to top

Oregon's present Capitol has its origins in two fires. On Dec. 30, 1855, fire swept through a newly occupied Statehouse, completely destroying the structure. The Holman Building, in the business section of Salem, served as a temporary Capitol from 1859 until another one was completed in 1876. On April 25, 1935, fire again destroyed the elegant Statehouse patterned after the U.S. Capitol.

Francis Keally with the New York firm of Trowbridge & Livingston designed the current building, which was dedicated October 1, 1938. A four-story structure of Modern Greek architecture, it was completed at a cost of $2.5 million and is the fourth newest Capitol in the United States. The exterior is faced with white Danby Vermont marble. The rotunda, the halls, and all of the lobby areas are lined with a warm, delicately polished Rose Travertine from Montana. The floor and staircases of the rotunda utilize large squares of Phoenix Napoleon grey marble from Missouri with borders of Radio Black marble from Vermont.

A Capitol "Wings" project, completed in 1977, at a cost of $12.5 million, added further space for legislative offices, hearing rooms, support services, a first floor galleria, and underground parking.

The beauty of the entire Capitol plan is enhanced by its utility. The building houses several elected state officials - the Governor, the Secretary of State, and the State Treasurer - in addition to the entire Legislative Branch of state government. Spacious hearing rooms provide Oregonians an opportunity to participate in legislative decision making and to view state government at work.

Alphabetical Listing of Legislators      return to top
(courtesy of the Oregon State Library, Salem, OR, Special Collections) 

Published in 1968 by David C. Duniway, State Archivist, the Members of the Legislature of Oregon 1843-1967, is a compilation of former legislators. In the future, an updated list will reflect the period from 1967 to the present.

Oregon Legislative Assembly,
Legislators and Staff 1841-1949      return to top
(courtesy of the Oregon Secretary of State, Archives Division, Salem, OR)

Legislators and staff of the Oregon Legislative Assembly are included here, starting with the first meeting in 1841 and going through the 1949 Regular Session.

Pen Pictures of
Representative Men of Oregon      return to top

by Frank E. Hodgkin and J. J. Galvin (Special acknowlegement to the Oregon State Library , Salem, OR  for providing materials for this page)
A document written in 1882 that includes biographies of State Officers, Senators, Representatives and Distinguished Men of Oregon

Women Legislators     return to top

A history of women legislators from 1860 to the present. Many of the entries also have links to related voters pamphlets and other election materials.

State Motto     return to top

Our territorial motto eventually becomes our state's motto

Online Capitol Tour     return to top

An online tour of the State Capitol, including images of the Rotunda murals

return to top