The Queen of Portland’s Roses: The Life of Georgiana Burton Pittock

Georgiana Burton Pittock was a remarkable woman whose good deeds are legendary. Charitable organizations she founded, to ease the life of Oregon pioneers, still exist today, more than one hundred years later.But her other contribution may be even more widely appreciated. Without doubt, she’s The Queen of Portland’s Roses. Georgiana gave Portland its city identity-without her, there would be no City of Roses, no Rose Festival and no citywide fascination with anything rose. She introduced in Oregon the idea of rose competitions and even held rose festivals right in her own yard. Georgiana Pittock was a true pioneer, having crossed the Oregon Trail as a child. In Portland, she met and later married Henry Pittock, owner of The Oregonian newspaper. They raised a family and built their dream home high on a hill overlooking downtown Portland. Now known as Pittock Mansion, it’s Oregon’s beloved house museum and a star locale for Hollywood movies.