Timber to Tech: The Evolution of Oregon’s Economy
If you’re an Oregon local, you’d know we live by the code, “Grow where you’re planted.” And that’s exactly what our industry has been doing. From the dense timber forests to the silicon thickets of chips and circuits, Oregon’s economy is no stranger to transformation.
The Timber Tales
Along the Columbia River Gorge, the timber stories are as common as the sight of salmons battling through the rapids. You’d probably be familiar with the powerful sound of log trucks echoing through the valleys, carrying their cargo from towns like Cottage Grove and Coos Bay, outbound to the rest of the world.
At one point, the scent of sawdust drifting in from the Oregon Pacific from mills in Astoria or Newport was as comforting to native Oregonians as the sweet farmers’ market marionberries in late July. But like all cycles, the formidable timber era saw critical prey – environmental changes, changing government regulations, and market shifts led to raw hands clasping pink slips rather than chainsaws.
Enter, Silicon Forest
As the cries of chain saws grew faint, the hum of machines echoed into the new dawn. The Beaver State morphed, adapted and embraced the tech boom with open arms and a heart full of hope.
We couldn’t forget the nervousness that buzzed around when Intel first set up shop in Hillsboro. Folks questioned if Silicon Valley tech giants could even take root in our fertile land. Would our tight-knit communities, built on shared potlucks and charity bingo nights, be able to mesh with the tech world’s circuit boards and coding jargon?
But with every passing winter rainfall, Oregon’s Silicon Forest thickened. From Newport to Bend, startups sprung up like fresh trillium blooming along the McKenzie River Trail. Companies like Tektronix and Mentor Graphics planted their seeds in Beaverton, and let’s not forget about the growth of Puppet and Elemental Technologies right in our beloved Rose City.
The New Bedrock
As Oregonians, we truly know the power of transformation. While life in Oregon isn’t all Tillamook cheese, Pendleton blankets, and celebratory quaffs from Deschutes Brewery after a Ducks’ win, our dedication to molding the world around us is unyielding.
In many ways, poly’s process transformed more than just our local economy. Jazzed up cafes sprouted in old log towns, stimulating a hybrid culture where flannel met firmware, and where meetings happened around bonfires rather than boardrooms. And there’s nothing like polishing off a day of coding with a tall cool pint of Rogue Ale’s Dead Guy.
Times have changed, folks. Digging boots into hip-deep mud to heave out a fallen conifer has been replaced with pulling up boots to the desk, assembling code to build digital fortresses.
Embracing the Bittersweet
Sure, we’ve traded sawdust for silicon, exchanged hardhats for free Wi-Fi—but that’s the nature of seasons changing here in the Pacific Northwest. Many of us have felt that odd sense of nostalgia when passing by an old timber mill while on the way to snag a Dutch Bros coffee in Eugene.
Change may be bittersweet, but it’s the essence of survival. Modifying without losing our core is an Oregonian hallmark—a testament to the spirit of this land. From logging boots to booting up, the story of Oregon continues to be about resilience and adaptation.
So here’s to you, Oregon, with your gnarled roots deeply entrenched in the soil of your past while your branches stretch out eager fingertips towards a future built, coded, and hardwired in technology. The next time you stroll along Powell’s City of Books or hitch a ride on the Portland Aerial Tram, take a moment to appreciate how far your roots have traveled.
Just remember, no matter how high tech we get, there will always be a slice of us that yearns for the whiff of Douglas fir and the music of the Oregonian winds. After all, at heart, we are still just rain-kissed folks with a love for weekend lightning storms and an unending fascination for our flourishing regional ecosystem, be it timber or tech.