FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 1, 1997

Contact: Lisa Hill (503) 306-5221

                e-mail: [log in to unmask]



Oregon's Rich Cultural Heritage On-Line!



Portland, OR -- The Oregon Historical Society Web site
(http://www.ohs.org) is a one-stop journey for history surfers,
educators, and armchair travelers of all ages. OHS staff members have
collaborated with Thurber Technology Group to produce a Web site that
will access the rich resources that Oregonians have collected and
preserved since 1873.

        A simple click on the site map begins your trip through Oregon's
colorful cultural heritage. Access the museum's wide variety of
collections ranging from an extensive film archive to maps, manuscripts,
oral histories, artifacts, books and photographs. Oregon's visual and
written history is now available on-line!  When the search engine for the
Web site is fully developed (Fall 1997) viewers will be able to access
the full range of our on-line collections.  For instance, choose "salmon"
as a search term, and it is possible to pull up labels from canned
salmon, photographs of dip-netting at Celilo Falls, statistics on salmon
runs or maps showing fish wheels on the Columbia River.

        An exciting feature of the OHS Web site is the Education and Outreach
page with a variety of educational materials available for educators to
rent. Scan the list of slide shows, artifact kits, curriculum guides, and
traveling exhibits and bring history into your classroom or home! To find
out what else is happening at the History Center, both the Exhibitions
and Upcoming Events pages offer great activities for a group of friends,
your family or for those surprise visitors from out of town. The Museum
Store is also accessible via the Web site and offers a sampling of gifts
from the Pacific Northwest and the Oregon Heritage Collection inspired by
the collections of the Oregon Historical Society. These gifts range from
Native American beadwork to colorful Pendleton blankets to a variety of
books about the Northwest. Now you can shop from home with an easy-to-use
order form!

        The OHS Web site is made possible with the collaboration of the Portland
Area Library System (PORTALS), and generous support from M.J. Murdock
Charitable Trust, Meyer Memorial Trust, Lamb Foundation, Bank of America,
US WEST Communications, and the Higher Education Act, Title II-B as
administered by the U.S. Department of Education.