PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Feb. 14 is one special day — and no, it’s not just because of Valentine’s Day. The holiday also marks the 164th anniversary of the state of Oregon. And despite being born on V-Day, Oregon has been named the least romantic state in the U.S.
According to the Secretary of State’s website, Congress granted Oregon its statehood on Feb. 14, 1859. This made Oregon the 33rd state in the Union, but the first and only state to be admitted with laws excluding Black residents in its constitution.
“Understanding Oregon’s history of exclusion, Black history, and its impact on democracy and citizenship is vital to understanding Oregon’s past, present, and future,” the Oregon Historical Society said in a release.
So in commemoration of Oregon’s statehood, OHS is offering free admission through Tuesday in addition to hosting a special citizenship ceremony with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on the same day.
The Beaver State’s birthday follows that of its ironically older, arguably cooler sibling Portland, which was incorporated on Feb. 8, 1851. Yet the two February babies have developed vastly different reputations for love and romance.
WalletHub ranked the Rose City as the fifth best place to celebrate Valentine’s Day, based on the study’s key metrics which include budget, activities, gift accessibility and weather forecast.
Simultaneously, online sports betting website Bookies has ranked Oregon as the least romantic state in the country. The website used Google Trends data for “Valentine’s Day” searches in each state to determine the ranks.
“The state flower here is the Oregon Grape flower, which could be the worst state flower in the country,” Bookies said. “Maybe that’s why Oregon is dead-last on the romanticism rankings, including the 51st spot (we counted D.C.) in five of the six years we looked at.”
Still, Oregon shouldn’t allow Bookies to ruin its birthday plans.
