Perched atop the Oregon ​​​​State Capitol stands a gilded statue of a bearded man. Is he a politician? A hipster? Marketing for the Portland Timbers?

No. The “gold man” is the “Oregon Pioneer,” a symbol of the independent spirit of Oregonians.

The ability of ordinary people to affect change in Oregon is a long-standing tradition, exemplified by the regilding of the Oregon Pioneer in 1984. When the Oregon Legislature was unable to appropriate funding for the refurbishment, school children collected $40,000 worth of dimes to complete it.