Portland History - The Clearing

This week, we started discussing the history of Portland.  We used our Portland textbook to learn about the native trees of this area, and how our valley and mountain ranges were formed.

We discussed the Missoula Floods, and how that cataclysmic event shaped the Willamette Valley.

We took a Portland map and are working to transport it back about 14,000 years.  The Missoula Flood period is over and it has left the Willamette Valley with rich, fertile soil.  There is a clearing close to the Willamette River where animals congregate and enjoy the fresh water.   Douglas Fir, Western Hemlock and Western Red Cedar trees populate the forests that cover the valley.

This map is chronological.  As we learn more about how Portland changed and how it was settled, our map will  reflect those changes.  Keep an eye out for pictures to see what we are learning!