Seal of Oregon
Great Seal of the State of Oregon | |
---|---|
Armiger | State of Oregon |
Adopted | February 14, 1859 |
Motto | "The Union" established in 1957 "She Flies With Her Own Wings" established in 1987 |
The Seal of the State of Oregon is the
History
The first seal for Oregon was during the Provisional Government that ran from 1843 to 1849. That government used the Salmon Seal, a round seal featuring three sheaves of grain and a single salmon.[2] The salmon was at the bottom, with Oregon along the top. The salmon was designed to symbolize the fishing industry and the grain to represent agriculture. Designed to be neutral concerning the Oregon Question and whether the U.S. or Britain would ultimately control the region, the seal was used until the Oregon Territory was created and the territorial government arrived in 1849.[2]
With the arrival of Governor Joseph Lane in 1849 the territorial government took control of the region.[2] That year the government adopted a new seal featuring a motto and a variety of motifs. In the center was a sailing vessel used to represent commerce, and above that was a beaver to symbolize the fur trade that was prominent in Oregon's early recorded history.[2] On the left of the ship was a Native American and on the right an eagle. Above the beaver on a banner was the Latin motto, Alis Volat Propriis, translated as "She flies with her own wings".[2] Around the perimeter were five stars at the bottom and the words "Seal of the Territory of Oregon" along the top and sides.
In 1857, the
Design
Whereas the existence of an Oregon state seal is written into
According to ORS 186.020, the seal consists of an outer ring with the text "State of Oregon", "1859". The inner circle contains an American eagle atop a shield. The shield depicts mountains, an elk, a covered wagon, and the Pacific Ocean. In the ocean, a British man-of-war is departing and an American steamer is arriving, symbolizing the end of British rule in the Oregon Country.[4] The elk represents the plentiful game found in the state.[3] The second quartering shows a sheaf, a plow, and a pickaxe. These symbolize mining and husbandry.[3] The banner is inscribed "The Union". Thirty-three stars surrounding the shield represent the number of states upon Oregon's entry into the union in 1859.
The seal appears on the obverse of the state flag of Oregon.
References
- ^ a b "Oregon Almanac Symbols - Nut to Shoes - Seal, State". Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f Horner, John B. (1919). Oregon: Her History, Her Great Men, Her Literature. The J.K. Gill Co.: Portland. p. 96, 127, 174.
- ^ a b c d Corning, Howard M. (1989). Dictionary of Oregon History. Binfords & Mort Publishing. p. 233.
- ^ a b "State Seal of the State of Oregon". Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved 2016-03-07.
Further reading
- F.H.S., "Oregon Without a Seal of State," The Oregon Native Son [Portland], vol. 1, no. 1 (May 1899), pp. 23–27.
External links
- The Seal of the State of Oregon
- Seal, State from the Oregon Almanac section of the Oregon Blue Book, online edition