Clackamas County Historical Society

Name: Clackamas County Historical Society
Address: Oregon City, OR, US
Telephone: (503) 655-5574
Price range: $

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Clackamas County Historical Society

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Clackamas County Historical Society (CCHS), in Oregon City, Oregon, is a nonprofit regional educational institution. Visit us at: www.clackamashistory.org

Since 1952, CCHS has served as the steward of Oregon's early history. Museum of the Oregon Territory, 211 Tumwater Drive, Oregon City OR 97045

Stevens Crawford Heritage House, 603 6th Street, Oregon City OR 97045

Clackamas County Family History Society Library at Museum
Research Library open Wednesdays and 1st and 3rd Saturday. BY APPOINTMENT ONLY.

10/28/2026

The unveiling of our "Making Paper" exhibit is TOMORROW! Come join us Thursday, October 29, 2026, at 4PM at the Museum of the Oregon Territory as we hold the community opening of our new outdoor exhibit space. This exhibit tells the story of the "paper makers" at the Willamette Falls, such as this Crown-Zellerbach employee. Crown-Zellerbach pioneered the development of coat paper in 1947, which would later be used to print publications such as LIFE and TIME. At the peak of its production in the 1950's, the mill was one of the largest employers in Oregon with 1,400 employees who operated ten paper machines.

Hosted in partnership with Portland General Electric, this event will feature partner presentations (including a presentation by Clackamas County Commissioner Diana Helm), refreshments, and an invitation to check out the new outdoor exhibit. Better yet, admission is FREE! For more information, visit our website (link in profile). Parking is limited. Carpooling encouraged.

10/27/2026

Saturday Night Spirits is happening November 14! Grab your tickets before they're sold out (event page on our website, visit our profile page).

10/23/2026

One of the most well-known figures in the Oregonian’s history is Henry Pittock, the publisher who led the newspaper for nearly 60 years and built the iconic Pittock Mansion. But did you know he was just 25 years old when he took over the publication? Pittock began working for the newspaper at age 18, when it was known as the Weekly Oregonian. Under founder Thomas J. Dryer, he hand-printed and delivered the paper, gradually working his way up to shop foreman and eventually becoming a partner. In 1860, facing mounting debt, Dryer transferred the publication to Pittock. Just one year later, Pittock transformed the Weekly Oregonian into a daily newspaper, helping shape the future of one of Oregon’s most enduring news institutions.

On Thursday, November 19, learn more about this newspaper's fascinating history as Oregonian Reporter Samantha Swindler () presents our latest Look Back Lecture series presentation, "175 Years of the Oregonian." Presentation begins at 7:00 PM. Admission is $10 for Members, $20 for Non-Members. For more information and the latest updates, visit our website (link in bio).

First Photo: Henry Pittock in 1861. Public domain.
Second Photo: First steam press used to print the Oregonian in 1862. Public domain.

10/22/2026

A casual observer may mistake this stretch of chain merely for a particularly "artistic" fence, but befitting its placement outside a history museum, it's also a historic artifact! This "green chain" operated within the Crown-Zellerbach Paper Mill in West Linn, hauling logs floated to the mill down the Willamette River to a saw to be cut into pieces called "chocks." These chocks would later be ground into a pulpy slurry and transformed into paper, which included revolutionary products like the coated paper the millworkers pioneered in 1947, and publication-grade stock that would be printed and turned into copies of TIME magazine.

You can learn more about this process and more next week on Thursday, October 29, beginning at 4PM, when we're holding the community opening of our outdoor interpretive exhibit "Making Paper"! Hosted in partnership with Portland General Electric, this event will feature partner presentations (including a presentation by Clackamas County Commissioner Diana Helm), refreshments, and an invitation to check out the new outdoor exhibit. Better yet, admission is FREE! For more information, visit our website (link in bio). Parking is limited. Carpooling encouraged.

10/21/2026

"What does the river mean to you?" This question is one posed by our permanent exhibit "Land & People of the Willamette Valley: A History Shaped by the River," where we invite visitors to explore the connection the Willamette has had with the many people and cultures that have called its banks home. On our postcard memory wall, we invite our guests to reflect and share their own personal stories of connection.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, many of them revolved around fishing and the famous "hog lines" that used to populate the river. "Fishing the "hog line" in the 70's. We were in our 20's," reads one. "The old guys fishing were NOT happy to see a woman on the line, but then accepted me after I caught a 35 lb. fish and flayed it by myself!" Another writes, "When I moved to Jennings Lodge in 1987, during fishing season you could walk across the river on the bows [of] the boats in the "hog lines" that stretched from east to west shore."

Floods were another common subject, bringing a wash of bittersweet memories. "The flood of 1964 was very bad," one visitor recounts. "My dad was flooded out. He worked in a sawmill along the river." Yet another begins with "When I was 6 [years] old, the river flooded. My older brother and I walked down to the river and watched it run."

Others use the postcards to describe their experience with the museum and exhibit itself. "My brother is mean," one postcard says (this one is a favorite among our staff 😆). "But otherwise this place is great! And I REALLY like the morse code thingy-majig."

If you would also like to try the "morse code thingy-majig" or share your own memories of the river on our postcard wall, come on down and visit us! The Museum of the Oregon Territory is open Wednesday through Saturday, 10:30 AM - 4:00 PM. For more information, including directions, admission prices, and current discount programs, please visit our website (link in bio).

10/17/2026

This piece of incredible machinery once powered an entire industry at the Willamette Falls. Formerly installed at the Crown-Zellerbach mill site in West Linn, this Francis Turbine harnessed the power of the Willamette River to power the mill and produce paper that would go on to circulate across the nation. On Thursday, October 29, beginning at 4PM, in partnership with Portland General Electric, we're holding the community opening of our outdoor interpretive exhibit "Making Paper"! Come learn about the incredible story of the mill, machinery, and people behind the paper.

Event will feature partner presentations, including a presentation by Clackamas County Commissioner Diana Helm. Come celebrate with us! Hear from Commissioner Helm and other community partners, enjoy refreshments, and be among the first to explore the new exhibit.

Admission is free. Refreshments provided! Parking is limited. Carpooling encouraged. For more information, visit our website (link in bio).

10/16/2026

Join us on Saturday, November 14th for one of our most popular events!

The Francis Ermatinger House and the Stevens-Crawford House are coming together once again for a fun night of exploring the history and happenings of these two amazing Oregon City historic homes! See rooms in both historic houses that are normally not open to the public! The Stevens-Crawford House will be opening up the attic space and basement for visitors to investigate, and the Ermatinger House will be letting visitors explore the basement.

For more information, including the event schedule, or to buy tickets, please visit the official event page (link in bio).

10/14/2026

On Thursday, November 19, join Oregonian Reporter Samantha Swindler on a deep-dive through newspaper history in our latest Look Back Lecture series presentation, "175 Years of the Oregonian"! The Oregonian was founded in 1850. It’s the oldest newspaper on the West Coast and one of Oregon’s oldest continuously operating businesses. The talk will include ties to Clackamas County, including the race between Portland and Milwaukie to see who would get a newspaper first, and Oregonian editor Thomas Dryer’s infamous feuds with Asahel Bush, editor of Oregon Statesman, originally founded in Oregon City.

Presentation begins at 7:00 PM. Admission is $10 for Members, $20 for Non-Members. For more information and the latest updates, visit our website (link in bio).

Address

Oregon City, OR

Telephone

(503) 655-5574

Website

http://www.clackamashistory.org/

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