Interesting facts about your State/Province

[Brad Russ]

Facts about Oregon:

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Did You Know . . .


In agriculture, the state leads in growing peppermint, cover seed crops, blackberries, boysenberries, loganberries, black raspberries, and hazelnuts.

Oregon has the only nickel smelter in the United States.

Two mammals are unique to Oregon - the Camas pocket gopher and the Ashland shrew.

The Columbia River, which forms 3/4ths of the northern boundary of the state, was first explored by an American, Robert Gray, in 1792.

Oregon is known as the Beaver State.

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Some Famous Oregonians:


Doc Severinsen (1927- ), band leader and jazz trumpet player. He was the band leader for The Tonight Show when Johnny Carson hosted it.


Abigail Scott Duniway (1834-1915), journalist and woman-suffrage leader

Matt Groening (1954- ), cartoonist. He is the creator of the animated show, The Simpsons.


Ursula LeGuin (1929- ), author. She has written science fiction and fantasy novels and short stories, including The Wizard of Earthsea trilogy and The Left Hand of Darkness.


Lindsay Wagner (1949- ), actress. She starred in the TV series, The Bionic Woman.

[PZelda]

I can't think of any geographical facts but Angie Dickinson was born in a small town about 2 to 2.5 hours east-south of here (Kulm, ND), Lawrence Welk was born in Strasburg, ND...I believe 1 to 2 hours east of me. I attended & graduated from the same school Phyllis Frelich (deaf actress) went to, and I know her whole family (they seriously could set a Guinness world record for the biggest deaf family ever). I went to school with Josh Duhamel's first cousin, which was pretty damn cool. I even got to meet Josh once...It was a REALLY long time ago, before he hit it big in Hollywood. His cousin was the same age my older sis was, and they were BEST friends, so yeah.

[TripperFan]

The most interesting fact I have, is that I don't have a State!!




However, where I was born in Ontario, a small, northern town called Sudbury - we used to call it the Nickel Capital of the World - not sure if that's accurate, but it still produces 10 - 15% of the world's nickel.

So we have something in common Brad!!

(It was also used by the Apollo astronauts as training ground for them and the moon rover prior to their missions - only because the landscape is very similar to that of the moon in some areas). (And yes, six months in Sudbury seems like six years).

[Rebel Queen 1980]

I know some facts about Texas.

Texas ranks 2nd in land size.


The Permian Basin are which includes Midland-Odessa is the home to
the largest rock collection from Permian geolic period, It is also home to
the Permian High School Panthers,The football team documented in the 2004
movie '' Friday Night Lights.''

Actress Carol Burnett is from San Antonio, Tx.

The Sweeten kids from Everybody Loves Raymond are from Brownwood,Tx.

[vienna waits]

birthplace of michael jackson.

[bad_boy]

Florida
Cape Canaveral is America's launch pad for space flights.
Gatorade was named for the University of Florida Gators where the drink was first developed.
Saint Augustine is the oldest European settlement in North America.
Dr. John Gorrie of Apalachicola invented mechanical refrigeration in 1851.

[Fleet]

California:

The hottest temperature ever recorded in the U.S. (134 degrees, Death Valley, July 10, 1913).

The world's oldest trees (Bristlecone Pine, the oldest ~4,000 years).

Tallest trees (Redwood, over 350 feet).

Tallest mountain, excluding Alaska... Mt. Whitney, 14,494 feet.

Lowest elevation in the Western Hemisphere... Death Valley, -282 feet.

Greatest altitude change in U.S. (in Death Valley, telescope peak, 11,049 feet, straight down to Badwater on the valley floor, -279.8 feet).

The largest basin on the West Coast (Los Angeles basin).

The southernmost location of a glacier during the ice age, San Gorgonio Mt.

Those listed above are all from memory; there are probably a few more I can't remember.

[Viviana]

-Why is NYC Called the Big Apple?
In the 1920s, a sportswriter for the Morning Telegraph named John Fitzgerald overheard stablehands in New Orleans refer to NYC's racetracks as "the Big Apple." He named his column "Around the Big Apple." A decade later, jazz musicians adopted the term to refer to New York City, and especially Harlem, as the jazz capital of the world. There are many apples on the trees of success, they were saying, but when you pick New York City, you pick the big apple.

-Statue of Liberty Stats
The Lady in the Harbor is 101 feet tall from base to torch, 305 feet tall from pedestal foundation to torch. She has a 35-foot waist and an 8-foot index finger, and she weighs 450,000 pounds.

-Did you know…?
There are 6,374.6 miles of streets in New York City.

-New York City has 578 miles of waterfront.

-Why Cabs Are Yellow
John Hertz, who founded the Yellow Cab Company in 1907, chose yellow because he had read a study conducted by the University of Chicago that indicated it was the easiest color to spot.


I got that from a site

[Mijada]

I don't know too many interesting facts about Michigan. I personally feel the state is WAY underrated though. There are many great sites here that I don't think a lot of out of staters know about. There are over a hundred waterfalls in the Upper Penninsula alone. When the Mackinac Bridge was completed in the 50's it was the longest suspension bridge in the world at that time.
I'm not sure if these facts are true but someone at work told me that MI has more golf courses and more boat owners than any other state.

[Brad Russ]

Those are some cool facts. Thanks for sharing. I love reading about that kind of stuff. Not exactly sure why, it just fascinates me. Half of the stuff I learn about my own State, I didn't even know, LOL. If anyone is interested in finding interesting facts about their State, just go to a search engine, and enter: interesting facts about (Enter your State), and a bunch of stuff will probably come up. Here's some more facts I found about Oregon:

Oregon's state flag pictures a beaver on its reverse side. It is the only state flag to carry two separate designs.

Oregon has more ghost towns than any other state.

The Columbia River gorge is considered by many to be the best place in the world for windsurfing.

Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States and is formed in the remains of an ancient volcano.

Oregon and New Jersey are the only states without self-serve gas stations.

Eugene was the first city to have one-way streets.

Pilot Butte, a cinder cone volcano, exists within the city limits of Bend.

At 329 feet the Coast Douglas-Fir in Oregon is considered the tallest tree in the state.

At 8,000 feet deep Hells Canyon is the deepest river gorge in North America.

The hazelnut is Oregon's official state nut. Oregon is the only state that has an official state nut. The hazelnut is also known as the filbert.

Oregon's state birthday is on February 14, Valentine's Day.

The "Oregon Pioneer" statue that tops the capitol building is a work by Ulric Ellerhusen. This heroic figure represents the spirit of Oregon's early settlers.

The state park system has 159 yurts located in 19 parks. Yurts are a circular domed tent suitable for camping.

Navy blue and gold are Oregon's official state colors.

The Chinook salmon is Oregon's official state fish.

The Willamette River was discovered in 1792.

In 1858 the richest gold find in the Cascade Mountains was discovered in the Bohemia Mining District at Sharp's Creek near Cottage Grove.

Dorris Ranch in Springfield became the first commercial filbert orchard in the state.

In 1876 the University of Oregon opened in Eugene. Deady Hall was the first building on campus and still exists.

In 1880 a sea cave was discovered near what is now known as Florence. Sea Lion Caves is known to be the largest sea cave in the world.

The nation's most photographed lighthouse is the Heceta Head Lighthouse located in Lane County.

Darlingtonia Wayside is Oregon's only rare plant sanctuary.

Oregon's second highest waterfall is Salt Creek Falls in the Cascade Mountain range. It drops 286 feet.

The H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest is one of the largest long-term ecological research sites in the United States.

Eugene is rated by "Bicycling Magazine" as one of the top ten cycling communities in the United States.

There are nine lighthouses standing along the coastline. Five are still being used; the others are designated historic monuments.

Portland is considered an example of outstanding urban planning. The city is known as The City of Roses.

High above the city of Portland the International Rose Test Garden features more than 500 varieties of roses cultivated continuously since 1917.

At 11,239 feet Mount Hood stands as the tallest peak in Oregon. Mount Hood is a dormant volcano.

Silver Falls State Park is the Oregon's largest state park. It features 10 waterfalls and contains a wide variety of forested hiking trails.

Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States. It was formed more than 6,500 years ago. Its crystal-blue waters are world renowned.

Discovered in 1874 the caves located in Oregon Caves National Monument are carved within solid marble.

The world's largest rosary collection is exhibited at The Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center. A local resident collected the exhibit.

The Carousel Museum contains the world's largest and most comprehensive collection of carousel horses.

Fort Clatsop National Memorial contains a replica of Lewis and Clark's 1805-1806 winter outpost.

The small village of Bickelton is filled with bluebird houses seen on the posts of every house.

The Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area is a spectacular river canyon cutting the only sea-level route through the Cascade Mountain Range.

The Ries-Thompson House is the oldest remaining residence in Parkdale. Built circa 1900 the home and area offer a commanding view of Mount Hood.

Tillamook is home to Oregon's largest cheese factory.

Florence is known as Oregon's rhododendron capital.

The Oregon Legislature designated the Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifolium) as the Oregon state flower by resolution in 1899.

Oregon's capitol building is located in Salem. Earlier capitals include the cities of Oregon City and Corvallis.

The Columbia River forms most of the northern border between Oregon and Washington. The Snake River forms over half of the eastern boundary with Idaho.

In 1905 the largest long cabin in the world was built in Portland to honor the Lewis and Clark expedition.

A treaty between the United States and Spain established the current southern border between Oregon and California. The treaty was signed in 1819.

The Oregon Trail is the longest of the overland routes used in the westward expansion of the United States.

The Tillamook Naval Air Museum is housed in the world's largest wooden clear-span building.

Haystack Rock off Cannon Beach is 235 feet high and is the third largest coastal monolith in the world.

The Tillamook Rock Lighthouse, built in 1880, is currently used as the site of the final resting place of up to 467,000 cremated individuals.

The Seaside Aquarium was the first facility in the world to successfully breed harbor seals in captivity.

[Southern Hellraiser]

Birthplace of
Oprah Winfrey
Lance Bass
and a LOT more things.

[Kay Scarpetta]

Massachusetts:

It sucks.

[dawsongirl]

Nate lives here.

[Steve M.]

New Jersey:

The only President to serve two nonconsecutive terms - Grover Cleveland - was born here.

It's the only state apart from Oregon to forbid self-serve gasoline stations.

Previous governors include William Franklin (illegitimate son of Benjamnin Franklin), former Union Army general George McClellan, and Princrton University president anmd future U.S. President Woodrow Wilson.

Current governor - uhh, we don't have a governor right now. The state Senate President is running the place until we can elect a new one.

Famous living New Jerseyans - Bruce Springsteen, Susan Sarandon, Bill Maher, Frankie Valli, Andrew Shue, a lot of nasty rappers from Newark.

Things that will make us punch your lights out if you mention them - Jim McGreevey, the New Jersey Turnpike, our chemical refineries.

[Hollow]

****izona

the dumbest bitch in the world lives here
dave mustaine lives here