Hello Oregon!
I’m Sara, Restore Oregon’s development manager, and I’m so excited to introduce myself. I’m newish to the organization but am thrilled to be here, working behind the scenes to help people save historic places in Oregon.
The holiday season is upon us, and with that comes the year-end giving season, a crucial time for nonprofits like Restore Oregon. I hope you’ll consider supporting us, but that’s not why I’m writing today.
(This doesn’t mean you can’t give now, though, you can do that here!)
I am writing today to share this sweet story of a beloved Portland holiday icon. As a native Oregonian, seeing the White Stag deer’s red nose was an annual tradition when we visited family in Milwaukie. Like many, we always made time to see that nose shining bright!
Since starting at RO, I’ve been soaking up information about preservation and reuse so imagine my delight when I learned this icon of Portland’s holiday spirit began as a reuse project (preservation is reuse!), became a city-wide gesture of love in 1959, a historic landmark in 1978, and lives timelessly in the memories of countless people near and far.
All this to say: It’s astonishing how many ways history, architecture, cultural heritage, and community intersect. And sometimes all it takes to remind us of preservation and reuse’s importance is seeing that red nose shine bright each year.
Thank you for supporting Restore Oregon and the work we do to help people save historic places. We are building a community—and I couldn’t be more grateful for you. Enjoy the story below!
Sara Masser
Development Manager
Did you know…
It all began in 1957 when the original sign for White Satin Sugar Co. was reused for the White Stag Sportswear company. A few years later Elizabeth Blair Hirsch, wife of White Stag’s chief executive Harold S. Hirsch suggested to her husband that the deer needed a red nose for Christmas.
According to Elizabeth’s son, as quoted in The Oregonian article, Joseph Rose: The love story behind the White Stag sign's glowing red nose:
“Harold said he'd consider the suggestion. He wasn't sentimental. He certainly wasn't a fan of Santa Claus lore. But he wanted to make his wife happy. "Somehow he just made it happen," said Conklin, 77, a retired Portland lawyer and publisher. "He did it because he loved mom."
The wording and ownership of the White Stag sign may have changed over the years, but thank goodness this local holiday treasure was saved, preserved, and incorporated into the Portland history books.
It’s an incredible story of reuse, love, and tradition. Read more about the White Stag sign history here!