🌊 Oregon purchasing a waterfall

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2026 · ISSUE NO. 23

📜 THIS WEEK IN OREGON HISTORY

September 28, 1937 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt had a busy day in Oregon, 89 years ago this Monday. His train arrived from Boise at 6:45 a.m., and he spent the morning dedicating Bonneville Dam. Then he and Eleanor left the dam in an open touring car with a 40-vehicle motorcade, heading up the Mount Hood Loop Road. At Timberline Lodge, still under construction at the time, he spoke from what is now called the Roosevelt Terrace. The bronze plaque he read aloud dedicates the lodge as a monument to the skill and faithful performance of WPA workers.

The state of Oregon is about to purchase a waterfall. Abiqua Falls, to be precise. This waterfall had been on private land (although public access had been available), and now the state wants to turn this gem into an official state recreation area. (More)

In an effort to help alleviate congestion along the coast, a number of towns launched trolley services this summer. One such trolley in Yachats has finished up its first season and gave rides to more than 3,400 folks! (More)

A week or two ago, we shared that Phil & Penny Knight had given a big chunk of change to Providence Hospital, and now they’re back in the news again. This time, they’ve donated $1 billion to UofO to help establish a brand new college of engineering. (More)

Want to get that Insta-worthy drone shot at a state park? Now you can, permit-free, at 20 parks, including 11 on the coast. Just don’t be surprised if you get some dirty looks from folks who are looking for some peace and quiet instead of listening to annoying humming overhead. (More)

One of Oregon’s older and more well-known craft breweries is shutting down. Oakshire Brewing out of Eugene has announced that it is closing all operations as of this week. They cited rising costs, increased competition, and changes in consumer demand as the reasons. (More)

Folks riding along the Amtrak Cascades line today will be the first in the country to experience the brand-spankin’ new Airo trains. The trains include a whole lot of new stuff, and for riders, they should notice the better seats, bathrooms, charges, and other creature comforts. (More)

Portland may not be #1 when it comes to foodie awards like Michelin stars, but that didn’t stop WalletHub from naming it the #2 foodie city in America. Portland came in behind Miami and eked out its neighbors to the north and south as San Francisco took home the #3 ranking, and Seattle was listed at #4. (More)

Timberline Lodge's exterior played the Overlook Hotel in which 1980 horror film?

Answer at the bottom of today’s newsletter

🪕 Oregon Coast Jazz Party

Things are about to get a little jazzier on the Oregon Coast as Nye Beach is playing host to the annual Oregon Coast Jazz Party.

🇬🇷 Portland Greek Fest

Celebrate Portland’s rich Greek heritage with three days of dancing, food, church tours, and everything else Greek!

🍁 Bend Fall Festival

One of Central Oregon’s biggest events of the year takes over the streets of downtown Bend for a full weekend of art, food, music, activities, and more.

🎨 Art Along the Rogue

There’s never a bad time to celebrate art in Oregon, and there is no better weather in southern Oregon (usually) than right now. Enjoy the crisp fall days by checking out some of the region’s best artists at this annual celebration.

🖌 Octoberfish

Had enough of the Oktoberfests? Switch things up with Octoberfish in Charleston. This celebration of the culture of the Coos Bay area includes food, music, drinks, and more.

🚜 Morrow County Harvest Fest

Head out east for an end-of-season celebration in the town of Boardman. There will be local vendors on hand selling their wares, live entertainment, and a kids’ corner to keep the little ones entertained.

🍫 Portland Craft Chocolate Festival

Tough to go wrong with this one! Come hang with small-batch chocolate makers, confectioners, bakers, educators, and curious eaters together under one roof for a delicious weekend built around craft and community.

🍽 Taste of Baker

Join the 2,500 attendees who taste and sip their way around the best eateries that this Eastern Oregon town has to offer.

Look west from Tillamook Head on a clear day, and you'll see it: a lighthouse on a lonely rock about a mile out in the Pacific. Its official name is the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse, but everyone calls it Terrible Tilly.

The trouble at this lighthouse-to-be started before construction even began. In 1879, a Portland mason named John Trewavas went out to survey the rock, lost his footing on the landing, and was swept into the sea. Local workers wanted no part of the job after that, so a crew was brought in from outside the area to blast the top off the rock. One storm stranded them out there for 16 days.

Just weeks before the light was finished, the ship Lupatia drifted too close in heavy fog. Workers heard the crew calling out, hung lanterns in the unfinished tower, and lit a bonfire. It wasn't enough. All 16 sailors died when the ship crashed onto the shoreline. The light finally switched on January 21, 1881.

Life on the rock never got easier. Keepers couldn't bring their families. Storms broke windows and flooded the building. In October 1934, the worst storm on record hurled boulders through the lantern room and smashed the lens. The light went dark for good in 1957.

Then things got weird. In 1980, investors turned Tilly into a columbarium called Eternity at Sea, storing about 30 urns of cremated remains before the state pulled the license in 1999. Today, the rock belongs to the seabirds and sea lions as part of the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge, and it is closed to public access.