Oregon State Overview
Capital City: Salem
Location: Northwest Pacific Coast
Date Area Became A Territory: August 14, 1848
Entered Untion Date: February 14, 1859
Entered Union Rank: 33
Present Constitution Adopted: 1859
State Name Origin: The name Oregon was first used by Jonathan Carver in 1778 and taken from the writings of Major Robert Rogers, an English army officer. Prior to that Major Robert Rogers made use of the name Oregon in a written document of 1765 bearing his name and presented to King George the Third. That document, or a Proposal as he called it, outlined the use of 200 men and officers to make an overland search for the Northwest passage.