Boring, Oregon

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Wood mill in Boring.

Boring is an unincorporated community located in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. It is located along Oregon Highway 212, approximately eight miles south of Gresham and about the same distance from Clackamas, both suburbs of Portland. The town comprises two intersections with traffic signals, an elementary school and a middle school, a branch of the Clackamas County Bank, a U.S. Post Office, a fire station (which is the headquarters of the Boring Rural Fire District), as well as other businesses.

According to Oregon Geographic Names, the community was named for W.H. Boring, an early resident of the area. Boring was platted in 1903 as "Boring Junction". The post office was established and named "Boring" the same year.

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Boring was a timber industry town throughout much of the 20th century. The Portland Traction Company, a now-defunct railroad, operated a rail line from Portland (near the current location of OMSI on the Willamette River) to Boring via Gresham. In the 1950s, the Southern Pacific and Union Pacific railroads jointly took over operation of the remaining portion of the line for freight operations. Much of the line has since been purchased by local governments with the intention of creating a long-distance bike path named the Springwater Trail.

In 2005, citizens of Boring applied to become one of the first legally recognized villages in Oregon. [1]

After many months of polarizing debate on the village issue, residents narrowly defeated the village designation in a town hall referendum, with 293 votes in favor and 298 against. [2]

[edit] Town's name

The unique name of the town often prompts its inclusion on lists of unusual place names. The name "Boring" is embraced by locals, however, and found in many local businesses, resulting in many road signs that seem humorous to outsiders.

Boosters of the village designation use the slogan "The most exciting place to live." [3]