Fade in Oregon (and a star is reborn)
November 18th, 2010
This week marks a big change for a Portland icon that has graced the city’s waterfront for years. The beloved Made in Oregon sign is recognized as a symbol of Portland, the gateway to a great state. It has inspired artists, authors, hoteliers and politicians; the image has been incorporated into everything from fine photography, posters and woodblock prints (see below) to hotel décor and the Mayor’s website. Its subtle message that Portland is an indie city endears it to those bohemian and mainstream alike; Time and Travel+Leisure have used the Made in Oregon image to represent the city.
The sign has a long history in Stumptown. 
Originally installed with as "White Satin Sugar" in 1941, it was changed to read "White Stag" to reflect new ownership in 1959. In 1997, building tenant H. Naito Corporation edited the sign to "Made in Oregon," the name of its retail stores. Over the ensuing years, as several generations of Portlanders came of age and the celebrated waves of young creatives arrived on our shores, the sign’s inclusive message was adopted by both natives and transplants. We are all, in ways both poetic and literal, made in Oregon.
Fast-forward to September 2010: after a long debate over who would maintain the sign (including a controversial proposal by the new tenant for it to read "University of Oregon"), the City of Portland took ownership of the sign and approved changing the wording once again. The sign’s leaping deer, a fixture since the its White Stag incarnation (complete with red nose during the holidays), will remain, but the lettering will now read "Portland Oregon."
Will this new incarnation be embraced by Oregonians of all stripes, by natives and newcomers, by those who document and interpret our fair city? We’ll find out the day after Thanksgiving, when the revised sign is illuminated. Culture watchers, be on the lookout!
Tags: Downtown, landmarks, made in oregon, made in oregon sign, old town
November 18th, 2010 at 6:23 pm
Why can’t they just leave it alone.At least the white stag is staying.
November 18th, 2010 at 6:41 pm
Sad to see the “Made in Oregon” sign will be changed. But…. if it has to be changed, I’m glad the white stag will remain and Portland, Oregon is about as good an alternative as I can think.
December 1st, 2010 at 8:07 am
Why turn the inclusiveness of a slogan that embraces the whole state into something that further separates metropolitan Portland from the state’s more rural/agricultural population (that we should all be celebrating)? Why not leave it as a beacon for every Oregonian, born and adopted, and avoid leaning toward urban exclusivity in any way? Completely absurd. Makes me very mad.