What would help Americans 250 years from now understand the Oregon of 2026?
For the eight members of Oregon’s congressional delegation who selected the state’s contributions to the semiquincentennial congressional time capsule, the answers were as eclectic as the Beaver State’s geography and people: A gemstone found only in eastern Oregon, a pair of socks, a mail ballot, sheet music from “Portlandia,” a portrait of a trailblazing state senator and more.
“Although there may have been skeptics who feared that asking several Oregonians to agree on time capsule items might resemble a ‘Parks and Rec’ episode, our state’s diversity, beauty and innovative spirit made this task a labor of love,” the state’s senior senator, Democrat Ron Wyden, said in a statement. “What my colleagues and I have submitted shows why Oregon is such a special place to live, work and raise a family.”
The congressional time capsule, sealed in late June beneath the U.S. Capitol’s visitor center to be opened in 2276, is distinct from America’s Time Capsule, the 900-pound vault that will be interred in Philadelphia on July 4. Oregon’s contribution to that time capsule, selected by a state commission, is a handcrafted pin from Portland-based artist Lillian Pitt, who is of Warm Springs, Wasco and Yakama descent and grew up on the Warm Springs Reservation in Central Oregon.
Pitt’s pin, “She Who Watches,” is a depiction of a famous petroglyph that represents Tsagaglalal, a wise and powerful chief transformed to stone who continues to keep vigil over her people and the Columbia River.
“I am honored that my work will be included in this time capsule and am heartened to know that when it is opened in 250 years, people will be reminded of those who have made this land their home since time immemorial,” Pitt said in a statement.
Here’s a closer look at the items Oregon’s congressional delegation picked for their time capsule.
A ballot and envelope
Oregon was the first state to vote entirely by mail, running every election by mail since 2000. The time capsule includes a ballot envelope from Marion County Clerk Bill Burgess, addressed to the famed suffragist Susan B. Anthony at her New York home-turned-museum.
Sheet music and lyrics of songs about Oregon
The state’s largest city has long had a fraught relationship with the eight-season sketch comedy show “Portlandia,” equal parts love letter and lampooning of the city’s hipster culture. The song “Portland, Oregon (You’re My Home),” canonically a theme song the show’s mayor asks Carrie Brownstein’s and Fred Armisen’s characters to compose, includes references to public transit, “underemployed coffee drinkers” and beards on men and women alike.
Dolly Parton’s “Eugene” is a love song to the Lane County fans who welcomed her at a Valentine’s Day show in 1972, when she was a little-known young singer traveling the country. Only one Oregon-born musician made the cut, Eugene’s Mat Kearney, with his song “Coming Home (Oregon).”
Photo of late state Sen. Avel Gordly
Avel Gordly, who died in February, was the first Black woman elected to the Oregon state Senate and an advocate for social justice, mental health and education. U.S. Rep. Janelle Bynum, Oregon’s first Black member of Congress, urged her inclusion in the time capsule.
“In a time when Black women’s contributions and accomplishments in service to America are being overlooked, recognizing Sen. Gordly stands as a testament to strength, resilience, and independence,” Bynum said in a statement. “These are not just her values, but they are Oregon values.”
A sunstone
The official state gemstone is a rare labradorite found only in eastern Oregon’s high desert, where it formed from lava flows millions of years ago. Indigenous people historically traded them across the West and used them in ceremonies, burial sites and sacred bundles.
The small gem in the time capsule is a pale yellow, but they can range in color from pale yellows and pinks to deep red and blue-green. Some sunstones appear to glow from within because of copper particles.
One day, someone will open this time capsule and get a glimpse of who we were in 2026. I hope they'll see a state that took pride in its natural beauty, celebrated its culture, valued its farmers and workers and believed deeply in democracy.
– U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas, D-Oregon
Socks
The capsule includes a pair of “Crater Lake” patterned socks from Pendleton Woolen Mills, established in 1909 in eastern Oregon. The company, known for its famous blankets and the sweater Jeff Bridges wore in “The Big Lebowski,” operates two of the longest-running woolen mills in the U.S.
News article about the Portland Fire
Oregon’s newest professional sports team, the WNBA’s Portland Fire, played its first game May 9. It ended in a 98-83 loss to the Chicago Sky, but as the printed version of an OPB article in the time capsule notes, the team and the sold-out crowd of nearly 20,000 were more excited about the birth of a new team than that temporary setback.
Agriculture illustration and iconic landscapes
Agriculture is big business in Oregon, which leads the nation in producing hazelnuts, Christmas trees, rhubarb and grass seeds. A map in the time capsule highlights the fruits, vegetables, plants, meat and fish grown in each county.
Members of Congress also selected printed photos of iconic Oregon landscapes, from snow-capped peaks to lush forests and the jagged coast.
“One day, someone will open this time capsule and get a glimpse of who we were in 2026,” Rep. Andrea Salinas, D-Oregon, said in a statement. “I hope they’ll see a state that took pride in its natural beauty, celebrated its culture, valued its farmers and workers and believed deeply in democracy.”
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