A Glimpse into History: What Prominent People Have Said About Nature in Oregon and the Need to Conserve It

Oregon, the jewel of the Pacific Northwest. Explorers, preachers, politicians, environmentalists, and settlers have all waxed poetic about the majesty of Oregon and its beauty. This book brings together what people have said about Oregon, especially people living in Oregon at the time they wrote the words. From the early European settlers to modern-day conservationists, all were affected in some way, shape, or form by the majesty of Oregon, and they had to set it down into word. Whether it was letters to loved ones back East, in a diary, or even in newspaper articles, each person talks about similar things but also about the different areas that had an impact on them. This book is one you want to take your time on–no need to rush through it. Read it a chapter at a time and take a break; one can only handle so much beauty at once. Each chapter covers a different part of Oregon’s history, with a selection from many different voices. Also included with each author is a short biography off to the side about the person, the impact they had on the state of Oregon, and what they are most known for. I found those little bios highly informative. I grew up in Oregon, so most of the names were familiar to me, as they helped me learn more about certain people I did not know much about. Give this book to friends who live in Oregon, used to live in Oregon, or have visited Oregon and loved it. The words are impactful, and I believe the author choose these selections to remind us of our love of nature and our need to protect it. Hopefully it will have an impact on people who read it on the importance of protecting what we have left from overdevelopment and protecting it for future generations. Because we only get one shot at protecting our environment. Reading the early authors, you can see that we have lost so much already but that Oregon always strove to protect those areas that needed to be protected, whether it was Crater Lake National Park or the National Forests in the mountains. So take the time to enjoy this immensely enjoyable book and take it for a stroll through a meadow, lake, or mountain and imagine how would you write about that place to someone else so that they could enjoy the experience as well.