Welcome

The U.S. District Court of Oregon Historical Society was created in 1984, following a picnic at the home of Hon. James M. Burns near the banks of the Willamette River.

Our purpose is to preserve the unique history of the U.S. District Court of Oregon, established in 1859 with Matthew P. Deady serving as Oregon’s first district judge.

We accomplish our mission through events such as our famous cases series, our annual dinner honoring a Lifetime Service Award recipient, and through our preservation efforts, particularly our oral history archives.

Please join us this year as we honor The Honorable John A. Jelderks with the Society’s 2025 Lifetime Service Award.  The dinner will start with social hour at 5:30 p.m. on November 6, 2025, at the Sentinel Hotel.  You can confirm your registration by contacting Lisa Mattera at lisa@matteraevents.com

For more information about our history, see About Us.