State Heritage Tree Dedication - Vanport Cottonwoods In Portland (Photo) - 05/13/26

(Portland, Oregon) The Travel Information Council and its volunteer Oregon Heritage Tree Committee, along with Portland Parks & Recreation Urban Forestry, the Vanport Placemarking Project, and the Vanport Mosaic Festival, invite the public to participate in the induction of the Vanport Cottonwoods into the Oregon Heritage Tree Program. The event will take place on Friday, May 29 at 10 a.m. at the trees, which can be accessed from the parking lot at 1810 N Broadacre Rd, Portland OR 97217 near the entrance to the Portland International Raceway.

The Vanport Cottonwoods, scientific name Populus trichocarpa, are collectively Oregon’s 86^th Heritage Tree, a designation that recognizes trees with statewide or national significance. The trees range from 75-100 ft tall with an average crown spread of 34 ft. The stand is estimated to be approximately 90 years old.

Speakers at the event include Vanport survivors and descendants, Indigenous community leaders, professional arborists, and the chair of the Oregon Heritage Tree Committee.

Vanport was among the largest wartime housing projects in the United States, housing over 40,000 people at its peak during World War II. From 1942 to 1948 it was also the second largest city in Oregon. It was built in one year to house workers and families in war industries, primarily at the Vancouver and Portland shipyards. Vanport was wiped out by Columbia River floodwaters on Memorial Day weekend, May 30, 1948.

Today, there are few remnants of this community on the landscape. Thanks to a collaboration between Nidus Consulting, Outdoor History Consulting, and the Vanport Placemarking Project, several cottonwood trees have been identified that likely survived the Vanport Flood. The team utilized aerial photos from the City of Portland’s Archives to track images of the same stands of trees in the same locations over decades to provide strong evidence.

Oregon Heritage Tree Committee Chair Dave Hedberg emphasizes how the cottonwoods aid us in connecting to Oregon’s past. “These trees were likely younger trees growing among clusters of larger trees during the time of Vanport. For over 75 years, they have grown while the landscape transformed. Imagine what these trees have witnessed: construction equipment building a city from farmlands, workers leaving for shifts at the shipyards, kids playing in and around the banks of the slough, and the violent and sudden destruction of the 1948 flood.”

Vanport is also significant because of diverse populations who called it home, particularly Black and Indigenous communities. When displaced after the flood, many Vanport residents remained in Portland and have helped shape the culture and history of the city. 

Vanport Placemarking Project helped prepare the nomination for the heritage trees. Their goal is to install signage in strategic locations to highlight Vanport’s history and share how it has shaped and impacted the environment and people. Thomas Meinzen, operations director of Vanport Placemarking Project notes, “As living monuments, these cottonwoods help anchor the stories of Vanport survivors and their families to this place.”

The dedication will take place under the umbrella of the Vanport Mosaic Festival, a 10-day event that amplifies, honors, and preserves the silenced histories that surround us in order to understand our present, and create a future where we all belong.

The Oregon Heritage Tree Program is the first state-sponsored heritage tree program in the country. It was established in 1995 to increase public awareness of the important contribution of trees to Oregon’s history and the significant role they play in the quality of our daily life. The program is administered by the Oregon Travel Information Council and a committee of dedicated volunteers from across the state. For more information regarding the Heritage Tree program visit www.oregontic.com/oregon-heritage-trees.

Sponsoring Group Of The Oregon Nisei Veterans Historical Marker Honored With Oregon Heritage Excellence Award (Photo) - 04/29/26

(Mt. Angel) The coalition that sponsored the Oregon Nisei Veterans WWII Memorial Highway  Historical Marker was honored with an Oregon Heritage Excellence Award on Wednesday, April 29, 2026 in Mt. Angel by the Oregon Heritage Commission.

The group was recognized for its grassroots collaboration that culminated in the dedication of a 41-mile stretch of Highway 35 from Government Camp to Hood River as the Oregon Nisei Veterans WWII Memorial Highway and a state-sponsored historical marker telling the story of more than 430 Oregon Nisei who served in World War II, even as many of their families were incarcerated under Executive Order 9066. Their project stood out as a model of excellence in coalition building and increasing public awareness of past events.

The group consists of descendants of Nisei veterans and organizations including the Oregon Nisei Veterans, American Legion Post 22, Japanese American Museum of Oregon, Japanese American Citizens League, and The History Museum of Hood River County.

The Oregon Historical Marker Program, who approved the concept for the historical marker and worked with the group to write and design the signage now present on Highway 35, is housed within the Oregon Travel Information Council.

Eliza Canty-Jones chair of the Oregon Travel Information Council says the agency is an enthusiastic proponent of their award. “During the writing and design of the historical marker, we saw first-hand the group’s dedication and care in bringing little-known history of second-generation Japanese American veterans into the public realm. We appreciate everyone who worked hard to mend past harms and preserve these historical memories for the future.”

The historical marker incorporates local history to tell this story. In WWII, around 33,000 Nisei, second-generation Japanese Americans, served in the U.S. military. An estimated 437 were Oregonians, many from the Hood River Valley. During the time of extreme anti-Japanese attitudes in the United States, Nisei served honorably across military units. Still, anti-Japanese sentiments ran high back at home.

In November 1944, the names of 16 Nisei soldiers were blotted from a local honor roll of 1,600 veterans. That injustice came to light decades later with research done by local author and educator Linda Tamura. Her research in local newspapers uncovered details of racism and discrimination families may have found too difficult to discuss, which spurred this public project.

Eric Ballinger and daughter Mia of Bend who initiated the project say, “Designating the Veterans Highway to the Nisei was an important step in publicly recognizing their sacrifices. The addition of the historical marker allows us to share that history with the public and change the narrative to one of pride, honor, and healing.”

Linda Tamura, a lead organizer, adds, “Our communities came together to honor the valor of our Nisei veterans - who served our country even as they and their families faced wartime discrimination. And now we’re partnering with the American Legion Post 22, who have publicly apologized for past acts and resolved to ‘lead our community to honor and respect all of our Nation’s people, regardless of race or color.’  What a message for our youth - and for our future!”

The Oregon Historical Marker Program is administered by the Oregon Travel Information Council and a committee of dedicated volunteers from across the state. The Travel Information Council is a semi-independent state agency created by the State of Oregon in the 1970s to operate the highway blue logo sign program following the Highway Beautification Act. The agency now also operates the Oregon Historical Marker and Heritage Tree Programs as well as 39 rest areas at 25 locations in Oregon, providing clean, safe, and inviting locations that are open and free to use.

For more information regarding the Historical Marker program visit https://oregontic.com/oregon-historical-markers