Oregon City, Oregon
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| Oregon City, Oregon |
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| Nickname: "End of the Oregon Trail, OC" | ||
| Motto: Urbs civitatis nostrae prima et mater | ||
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| Coordinates: | ||
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| Country | United States | |
| State | Oregon | |
| County | Clackamas | |
| Founded | 1829 | |
| Incorporated | 1844 | |
| Mayor | Alice Norris | |
| Area | ||
| - City | 21.6 km² (8.4 sq mi) | |
| - Land | 21.1 km² (8.1 sq mi) | |
| - Water | 0.5 km² (0.2 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 42 m (138 ft) | |
| Population | ||
| - City (2004) | 28,964 | |
| estimated | ||
| Time zone | PST (UTC-8) | |
| - Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) | |
| Website: http://www.orcity.org | ||
Oregon City is the first city in the United States incorporated west of the Rockies. It is the county seat of Clackamas County, Oregon. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 25,754; a more recent estimate has the population at 28,964.
Known in recent decades as the site of several large paper mills on the Willamette River, the city played a significant role in the early history of the Oregon Country. It was established by Dr. John McLoughlin in 1829 near the confluence of the Clackamas River with the Willamette to take advantage of the power of Willamette Falls to run a lumber mill. During the 1840s and 1850s it was the destination for those wanting to file land claims after traveling the Oregon Trail. It was the capital of the Oregon Territory from its establishment in 1848 until 1851 and rivaled Portland for early supremacy in the area. The center of the city retains part of its historic character through the preservation of houses and other buildings from the era of the city's founding.
The city's motto is Urbs civitatis nostrae prima et mater (First and mothertown of our state), as seen on the City's seal. The current mayor of Oregon City is Alice Norris.
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[edit] Museums
Many historical buildings have been preserved in Oregon City, including McLoughlin's Georgian home and the Ermatinger House from 1845. The Stevens Crawford Museum is a 1908 structure with 15 furnished rooms, many with their original fittings, as the house was used as a home continuously until 1968.
Other museums include the Museum of the Oregon Territory and the End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center , with costumed "living history" guides. The city archives also include the incorporation plat for the city of San Francisco.
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 21.6 km² (8.4 mi²). 21.1 km² (8.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.5 km² (0.2 mi²) of it (2.52%) is water. The Willamette River flows along the northwest side of Oregon City, and the Clackamas River merges with the larger river to the north of the city, providing recreational facilities.
The Willamette Locks in Oregon City were the first multi-lift navigational locks in the United States and are now a National Historical Site, although still in use. The first long-distance electrical service in the United States was also located in Oregon City.
The town is divided into upper and lower areas; the lower area is on a bench next to the Willamette River, and the upper area atop a bluff composed of Columbia Plateau basalt. For many years, Indian trails connected the two, but stairs were built in the 19th century. In 1915 the town built the water-powered Oregon City Municipal Elevator to connect the two parts, which was converted to electricity in the 1920s. In 1952, a new electric elevator was constructed with the specification that it was to be "as plain as possible and without ornament."
[edit] Neighborhoods
Oregon City has several neighborhoods represented by official neighborhood associations [1]:
- The Park Place neighborhood is in the northeastern corner of the city, located on a bluff overlooking Abernethy Green. The neighborhood includes a housing project, as well as numerous rural properties. Park Place, formerly an independent community, also includes unincorporated areas outside the city limits. First called Clackamas (a name that was later given to a community three miles north), then Paper Mill, the community was finally named Park Place for a park in a nearby oak grove. Park Place was platted in 1889, and a post office was established the following year. For a while the name was changed to "Parkplace."[2]
- The McLoughlin neighborhood is bordered by Washington Street and Singer Hill on the Northwest, a bluff overlooking Abernethy Creek on the northeast and east, and Division Street on the south. It also includes extends to the west to border the Canemah district. The John McLoughlin House and the upper entrance to the Municipal Elevator are located in this neighborhood.
- The Barclay Hills neighborhood lies between Rivercrest Park on the west, the city limits on the east, the McLoughlin Neighborhood on the north, and Warner-Milne Road on the south. This neighborhood is bisected by Molalla Avenue, the former route of Oregon Route 213 before it was moved to the Oregon City Bypass to the east.
- The Canemah neighborhood lies along Oregon Route 99E, and is a narrow strip of land sandwiched between the Willamette River and a bluff. Canemah was once an independent city before being annexed into Oregon City. Canemah was founded in 1845 and was the portage site around Willamette Falls for many years. It was supposedly named after an Indian chief.[2]
- The Rivercrest neighborhood includes Rivercrest Park, and the residential communities overlooking the Willamette River to the west.
- The South End neighborhood lies to the southwest of Rivercrest Park. It centers around the intersection of South End and Warner-Parrot roads, and was the location of Oregon City's (now defunction) drive-in movie theater.
- The Hazel Grove/Whistling Farm neighborhood lies in the southwestern corner of the city, lying between the bluffs over the Willamette River and the unincorporated areas to the south.
- The Tower Vista neighborhood lies southeast of South End, and east of Hazel Grove/Whistling Farm. It is bordered on the east and southeast by Leland Road.
- The Hillendale neighborhood lies south of Warner-Milne Road, west of Leland Road, north of Clairmont Street and Beavercreek Road, and west of OR-213 and the city limits. City Hall is located here, as is the Clackamas County jail.
- The Gaffney Lane neighborhood, centered around the elementary school of the same name, lies south of Hillendale, west of OR-213, and north/east of the city limits.
- The Caufield neighborhood contains those parts of the city located south of Park Place, and east of OR-213. Clackamas Community College is located here, as is Oregon City High School.
In addition, the downtown core of Oregon City, along with Abernethy Green and those portions of the city north of I-205, are not represented by any neighborhood association.
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 25,754 people, 9,471 households, and 6,667 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,221.6/km² (3,163.9/mi²). There were 10,110 housing units at an average density of 479.5/km² (1,242.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.44% White, 1.12% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 1.08% Native American, 0.58% African American, 2.15% from other races, and 2.53% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.98% of the population.
There were 9,471 households out of which 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.0% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.6% were non-families. 22.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.0% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $45,531, and the median income for a family was $51,597. Males had a median income of $38,699 versus $29,547 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,870. About 6.5% of families and 8.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.0% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Transportation
The city is served by the following transportation links:
[edit] Road
Interstate 205 passes through the city's northern edge, and is the only freeway to serve the city. In addition, three state highways (OR 43, OR 99E, and OR 213) pass through or terminate in Oregon City. The former two serve the city's downtown core, the latter provides service to the southern parts of Oregon City.
[edit] Rail
The Union Pacific Railroad mainline passes through the city, and provides service to the Blue Heron paper mill immediately west of downtown. The city also has an Amtrak depot.
[edit] Air
There are no public airports located within the city. Oregon City is served by Portland International Airport, located 15 miles (25 km) to the north, and by Portland-Mulino Airport, a general-aviation facility located in the town of Mulino, located approximately 15 miles to the south.
[edit] Water
The Willamette River in Oregon city is navigable to small craft, and Oregon City has a thriving fishing and recreational boating industry. The Willamette Falls Locks allows boats to navigate around the falls. The Clackamas River is not navigable, except for the lowermost portions.
[edit] Transit
As part of the greater Portland metropolitan area, Oregon City is served by Tri-Met, the regional transit company, with several bus lines. In the early 20th century, a trolley line operated by the now-defunct Portland Traction Company connected Oregon City with Portland; remnants of this line are still visible (such as an abandonded bridge across the Clackamas River, just east of the OR-99E bridge). The City operates a "historic trolley" service during the summer months, primarily to serve the needs of tourism. (The vehicles used are redecorated buses, and operate on roads instead of rails).
[edit] Business and economy
For much of its existence, Oregon City's economy has been dominated by the forestry industry, until the decline of the Pacific Northwest lumber industry started in the 1980s. At its height, several mills operated in the city and surrounding communities; all but one paper mill have been shuttered.
Today, the city is home to several notable high technology and light manufacturing concerns. Notable companies based in Oregon City include Benchmade, a leading manufacturer of high-end cutlery. Chrome Systems Corporation (formerly Chrome Data) was founded there, but has since moved its operations to nearby Portland. Medrisk, LLC is a major insurance brokerage which does business in the Northwest and is headquartered in Oregon City.
[edit] Schools and education
The city, and several surrounding communities, is served by the Oregon City School District [3], a public school district consisting of 10 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, a traditional 4-year high school (Oregon City High School), and an alternative secondary school. Several schools in the district offer bilingual English/Spanish programs. Oregon City High School is the third most populated high school in Oregon, and is a state and national power in girls' basketball, winning three consecutive USA Today girls' national championships in the 1990s.
The city also is the home of Clackamas Community College. In addition, numerous private and parochial schools serve the community.
[edit] Notable residents
- George Abernethy, the first Governor of the Oregon Territory
- Meredith Brooks, singer/songwriter
- Miranda Gaddis and Ashley Pond, two school-age murder victims
- Kenneth Scott Latourette, historian
- Jonah Nickerson, pitcher for the Oregon State Beavers men's baseball team, and the Most Outstanding Player of the 2006 College World Series
- Jeffrey St. Clair, journalist and author
- John Stalberger and Mike Marshall, the inventors of footbag
- Trevor Wilson, a former major-league pitcher for the San Francisco Giants and Anaheim Angels
[edit] Sister cities
Oregon City has one sister city, as designated by Sister Cities International:
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.orcity.org/neighborhood-associations/
- ^ a b McArthur, Lewis A., Lewis L. McArthur [1928] (2003). Oregon Geographic Names, Seventh Edition, Portland, Oregon: Oregon Historical Society Press. ISBN 0-8759527-7-1.
- ^ [1] Oregon City School District Home Page
[edit] External links
- Historic Oregon City, End of the Trail, Clackamas Heritage Partners provides online access to the primary cultural and historical sites of Oregon City
- Oregon City official website, includes information on history, museums, and culture.
- Oregon City Chamber of Commerce
- Community Profile from the state of Oregon's website
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
