Happy Birthday, Oregon!!

Happy 155th Birthday, Oregon!  My great-great-great-great Grandfather, Samuel Boone Shortridge brought his family here on the Oregon Trail and settled in Cottage Grove, which they affectionately called God's Country. Probably about 10 years ago the last piece of the land they owned was sold.  Our family still has rights to the old schoolhouse if it is ever not used as a school.  When I was about 13, we had the opportunity to travel to Cottage Grove and see where it all began.  My Great Aunt asked to be buried there so we would have a reason to go back. It was as beautiful as they described!  Cottage Grove now, makes the news for drugs and crime, but trust me, it was jaw-dropping beautiful.  They owned acres of property with a creek and the barn on the property was built by my great-grandpa.  We don't have any pictures, which makes me sad. :( 
We never visited before because my great-grandpa had a falling out with his family after he married a "city girl."  Sounds like a great episode of Little House. :)  Our family has always kind of been hush-hush on family history.  I can trace the Shortridge side back to England and coming over on a boat.  The trail goes cold on my great-grandma's side. She was born in Texas and the rumor was that her Dad was an Indian that "visited" her mom to leave "present's," if you get what I am trying to say here. He made up a white sounding name and even marked white on the census, but he pretty much doesn't exist.  We even had an expert genealogist on the case and she couldn't find anything.  There is one picture of him, but I am not sure where that ended up. We will probably never know, unless I invent a time machine.
My Great-Grandpa met my Great-Grandma in California, where they had 2 girls in Los Angeles and eventually made their way to Portland, where we all have pretty much stayed.  I love knowing that my ancestors risked it all, for opportunity.  They put their lives on the line and headed west.  I can imagine in my head the beautiful landscape and how they took claim to their land in Oregon and built a future.  I hope that is some way they are proud of the lineage they have created here. It is also mind boggling to think of all the history that leads a person to a specific place.  
Happy Birthday to the most beautiful state in the union!  Sure I haven't traveled much, but who needs to when you live somewhere so perfect? :)