Portland has many nicknames, but one of the oldest and most famous is the “City of Roses.” Even though roses are not native to Oregon, they became an important symbol of Portland more than a century ago.
The story begins in 1837, when Anna Maria Pittman married Methodist missionary Jason Lee near Champoeg. As a wedding gift, she received a rose bush that was brought to the Pacific Northwest from the eastern United States. The rose grew well in Oregon’s mild climate. Cuttings from the plant were shared and planted in several places, including the Champoeg area and the grounds of Willamette University. This helped start the region’s long tradition of growing roses.
In 1889, Georgiana Pittock, the wife of The Oregonian publisher Henry Pittock, organized a group of friends who loved roses. They formed the Portland Rose Society, which helped make rose growing a popular hobby throughout the city.
Portland’s connection to roses grew even stronger during the 1905 Lewis and Clark Exposition, the city’s only world’s fair. To make the city look beautiful for visitors, Portland planted about 10,000 rose bushes along its streets. One of the most popular varieties was the Madame Caroline Testout rose, a large pink hybrid tea rose first developed in France in 1890. The colorful displays helped visitors associate Portland with roses.
After the fair, Mayor Harry Lane wanted to keep the excitement going. In 1907, Portland held the first Portland Rose Festival, an annual celebration that continues today. The festival helped strengthen the city’s identity as the “City of Roses.”
Portland’s roses also played an important role during World War I. Many European rose gardens were threatened by the war, so rose growers from England sent plants to Portland to protect them. These roses were planted in what became the International Rose Test Garden, which was dedicated in 1924 in Washington Park. The garden is now one of Portland’s most famous attractions.
Today, roses appear throughout the city—in parks, gardens, and even on street signs. Although roses did not originally grow in Oregon, they became part of Portland’s identity through community pride, gardening traditions, and city celebrations.
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Discussion Questions:
Look for roses around downtown Portland. Can you find rose symbols on signs, buildings, or in parks?
Why did roses grow well in Oregon even though they were not native to the region?
How did the 1905 Lewis and Clark Exposition help promote roses in Portland?
Why were European roses sent to Portland during World War I?
How does the Portland Rose Festival help celebrate the city’s history today?
Vocabulary:
Climate
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State Education Standards:
Social Studies 3.11. Describe how individuals, groups, events, and developments have shaped the communities and regions. Historical Knowledge
Social Studies 3.12. Compare and contrast the history of the local community to other communities in the region. Historical Knowledge
Social Studies 3.17. Use a variety of historical sources (artifacts, pictures, documents) to identify factual evidence. Historical Thinking
Social Studies 3.19. Analyze how people, other living things, and the environment are affected by events. Social Science Analysis