Living History Program
The Portland Rose Festival Foundation is thrilled to bring back the award-winning Living History Program from its inaugural year in 2007. The series is an educational initiative designed to bring both Portland and Rose Festival history to life for festival-goers and local students.
In 2007, The International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA) recognized the Rose Festival Living History Program as both one of the Best Educational Programs and Best Community Outreach Programs in the world.
Included with the program are the Living History characters, Mayor Harry Lane and Georgiana Pittock, who are visible throughout the festival season at various events. In addition, the characters provide 45-minute presentations to local elementary schools. These visits go hand-in-hand with the Living History curriculum packet, which is Oregon content standards approved and was developed by the Rose Festival.
The Rose Festival Living History Program is made possible by a generous grant from The Randall Group.
2008 Participating Schools:
- Astor Elementary School
- Capitol Hill Elementary
- Columbia Christian School
- Harold Oliver Elementary School
- Laurelhurst Elementary School
- Markham Elementary School
- Oregon Episcopal School
- Peninsula Elementary School
- Rieke Elementary School
- Sacramento Elementary School
- Shaver Elementary School
- Stephenson Elementary School
- Winterhaven Elementary School
Living History Characters:
Mayor Harry Lane
Father of the Rose Festival
(August 28, 1855 - May 23, 1917)
Sometimes called the 'father of the Rose Festival,' Portland's Mayor Harry Lane was a doctor and a scrapper, down-to-earth and surprisingly honest. At the end of the celebrated Lewis & Clark Exposition in 1905, Mayor Lane gave a speech announcing a plan to use the proceeds of the fair – actual stock dividends -– to purchase the land around the forestry building for a park and to fund a "permanent rose carnival" to be held each summer. He offered up his stock dividend of $30, plus an additional $100, to get the funding started. "It would be the greatest permanent advertising for this city that was ever attempted and would make Portland's fame as a rose city world-wide," he said. See Mayor Harry Lane come to life during the Rose Festival's annual celebration!
Georgiana Pittock
Mother of the Rose Society
(November 14, 1845 - June 12, 1918)
Mrs. Henry Pittock is an iconic Portland figure who was instrumental in organizing the first Rose Show in 1889. She is often referred to as the 'mother of the Rose Society.' Georgiana was a pioneer in the truest sense, emigrating via wagon train on the Oregon Trail and ending up a woman of spirit who was ahead of her time in her civic activities and causes. The first Rose Show was a fundraiser for Georgiana's church. Vivacious and frank, she was a great lover of gardening and of the rose, and her influence helped to christen Portland the 'City of Roses.' Her former residence, the Pittock Mansion, is one of Portland's beloved landmarks and a popular tourist attraction. Meet Georgiana Pittock during the Rose Festival's annual celebration!
See the school visitation schedule below.
Please see the following:
(Note: This document is in .pdf format.)
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Schedule
