PORTLAND, Ore. (CNS) Oregon's rich Catholic history begins a few miles north in what was then Oregon Country and now is Washington state. Archaeological digs at Fort Vancouver, Washington, have uncovered a trove of Catholic artifacts from the earliest days of the church in the Pacific Northwest, including a crucifix, rosary beads and a Miraculous Medal, all from the 1840s.
Most Oregonians take Catholic schools for granted. But only a century ago, a majority of the state’s voters chose to outlaw private schooling altogether.