| West Linn, Oregon | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| — City — | |||
| West Linn City Hall | |||
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| Motto: City of Hills, Trees and Rivers | |||
| Location in Oregon | |||
| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | United States | ||
| State | Oregon | ||
| County | Clackamas | ||
| Incorporated | 1913 | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | John Kovash[1] | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 7.9 sq mi (20.5 km2) | ||
| • Land | 7.4 sq mi (19.1 km2) | ||
| • Water | 0.5 sq mi (1.3 km2) | ||
| Elevation | 105 ft (32 m) | ||
| Population (2006) | |||
| • Total | 24,180 | ||
| • Density | 3,013.7/sq mi (1,163.1/km2) | ||
| Time zone | Pacific (UTC-8) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | Pacific (UTC-7) | ||
| ZIP code | 97068 | ||
| Area code(s) | 503 | ||
| FIPS code | 41-80150[2] | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 1128884[3] | ||
| Website | westlinnoregon.gov | ||
West Linn is a city in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. Now a prosperous southern suburb of Portland, West Linn has a history of early development, prompted by the opportunity to harvest energy from nearby Willamette Falls. It was named after Senator Dr. Lewis Fields Linn of Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, who had advocated the American occupation of Oregon as a counterclaim to the British. As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 22,261. The 2006 estimate is 24,180 residents.[4]
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Major Robert Moore arrived in 1839—before the Champoeg Meetings—having been the senior member of the first attempt to create an American state in Oregon, the Peoria Party. His title stems from his military service in the War of 1812.[5] Sometime after journeying around the Willamette Valley and Columbia Basin, Moore bought title to approx. 1,000 acres (400 ha) on the west side of Willamette Falls, across the Willamette River from Oregon City, from a local Native American chief, on which he platted a town he called "Robin's Nest" in early 1843. He also filed a provisional claim with the then government of the Oregon Country, not knowing if his unique transaction would be honored by the eventual governing laws. The later Territorial Legislature of Oregon voted to rename it Linn City on December 22, 1845 as a memorial to Senator Dr. Lewis Fields Linn after whom Linn County is also named. Dr. Linn was a neighbor and family friend of the Moores from their time as settlers in the early Missouri Territory.
For many years Linn City was an intense political and commercial rival to the adjacent town of Oregon City, but it suffered a series of natural and man-made setbacks. Moore's death was in September 1857. A major fire then a flood put an end to the pioneer settlement in 1861, dispersing many of the surviving family members throughout the Pacific Northwest. Decades later, however, the seminal village site was redeveloped as a locked canal and industrial complex.
West Linn was incorporated in 1913 and merged with the adjacent town of Willamette in 1916, which had incorporated five years earlier.[6]
A number of embezzlement cases were discovered by the new administration and council in 2006,[7] with the largest involving the embezzlement of $1.4 million by the finance manager,[8] who was on a first-name basis with the staff of the Spirit Mountain Casino, about 50 miles (80 km) away. Although Oregon law requires that municipal accounts be audited yearly, the City of West Linn had discontinued these audits in 2002. Regular audits were reinstated in 2006, after the completion of a forensic auditor's investigation into the missing funds.[9]
According to the United States Census Bureau, West Linn has a total area of 7.9 square miles (20 km2), of which 7.4 square miles (19 km2) is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km2) (6.57%) is water. The city is located between the Willamette and Tualatin rivers; it includes the former townsites/developments of Bolton, Multnomah City, Sunset City, and West Oregon City.
The Nature Conservancy maintains the Camassia Natural Area in central West Linn.[10] The 26-acre (11 ha)-area is located on a rocky plateau exposed by the Bretz Floods and now named after the camas which bloom there in spring; it hosts about 300 other species, including the white rock larkspur, a species located in only a half dozen other places in the world.[11] It supports Oregon white oak-madrone woodlands, a stand of quaking aspen, wet meadows, ponds, and vernal pools.[11]
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 22,261 people, 8,161 households, and 6,275 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,013.7 people per square mile (1,163.1/km²). There were 8,697 housing units at an average density of 1,177.4 per square mile (454.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.32% White, 2.91% Asian, 0.54% African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.74% from other races, and 2.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.87% of the population.
There were 8,161 households out of which 41.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.5% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.1% were non-families. 18.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.11.
In the city the population was spread out with 29.0% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 28.4% from 45 to 64, and 7.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 99.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $72,010, and the median income for a family was $83,252 (These figures had risen to $94,844 and $108,821 respectively as of a 2007 estimate[12]). Males had a median income of $61,458 versus $38,733 for females. The per capita income for the city was $34,671. About 2.9% of families and 3.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.6% of those under age 18 and 4.2% of those age 65 or over.
The city operates a public library that is part of the Library Information Network of Clackamas County.
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