Historian Bob Reinhardt’s essay introduces readers to the myriad ways that people interacted with their environments to create this place we know as Oregon—from the Native people who made this land their home for thousands of years before Lewis and Clark, to the complex challenges rural and urban Oregonians alike will grapple with in the coming decades.​

Section I: Prehistory and the Early Environment

Original Oregonians​

Oregon and Imperial Ambition

Oregon Becomes American

Creating an Exclusive Paradise

Expanding into New Environments​

Section II: Confidence in Control of Oregon’s Environments

Connecting Oregon

Industrialization and Urbanization

Reforming Industrial Oregon

World War I and Reactionary Oregon

Confidence Amidst the Crises of Depression and World War II​

Section III: Pursuing Growth and Sustainability

Postwar Boom

The Oregon Story and Other Narratives

The Gaps Widen

Bridges and Divides

The Potential for Conflict and Pragmatic Compromise

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Further Reading​​