Boring, Oregon
| Boring | |
|---|---|
| Unincorporated community | |
 | |
| Nickname(s): "The most exciting place to live."[1] | |
  Boring | |
| Coordinates: 45°25′48″N 122°22′25″W / 45.43000°N 122.37361°WCoordinates: 45°25′48″N 122°22′25″W / 45.43000°N 122.37361°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| County | Clackamas |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 8,000[2] |
| Time zone | Pacific (PST) (UTC-8) |
| • Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) |
Boring is an unincorporated community located in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States, on Oregon Route 212. It is approximately eight miles south of Gresham and about the same distance from Clackamas, both suburbs of Portland. The town is roughly twenty-two miles southeast from downtown Portland.
History
The community was named after William H. Boring, an early resident of the area.[3] Boring was a Union veteran who had moved out to Oregon after the Civil War.[citation needed] He had served with the 33rd Illinois Infantry, Company D, after enlisting on August 16, 1861 and was mustered out on February 1, 1865 due to disability.[citation needed] Boring died in 1932 at the age of 91 and was buried with his wife Sarah in Damascus Pioneer Cemetery.[4]
Boring was platted in 1903 as "Boring Junction".[3] The post office was established and named "Boring" the same year, and the builders of the interurban railway adopted Boring as the name of the community.[3]
In 2005, citizens of Boring applied to become one of the first legally recognized villages in Oregon.[5] However, after many months of polarizing debate on the village issue, residents narrowly defeated the village designation in a town hall referendum in August 2006, with 293 votes in favor and 298 against.[6]
The unusual name of the town often prompts its inclusion on lists of unusual place names.[7] 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."[8] Boring served as inspiration for the Disney animated TV series Gravity Falls.[9]
In June 2012, in a play on the town's name, the Boring Community Planning Organization voted to "pair" with Dull, Scotland, for the purpose of promoting tourism in both towns.[10][11] Dull is a tiny village of only 84 residents, while Boring has about 8,000.[2]
Economy
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 the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) on the Willamette River) to Boring via Gresham.[12] 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 for the creation of a long-distance rail trail named the Springwater Corridor.
The town was also home to Wescott's, builder of fiberglass reproduction bodies for custom cars,[13] but that shop is officially in the city of Damascus now that there are official city limits.
The town is home of a campus of Guide Dogs For The Blind, Inc., the oldest guide dog training program on the US west coast.[14]
Sister Cities
Gallery
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A lumber mill in Boring
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Road sign on Oregon Route 212
See also
References
- ↑ http://www.wolfpk.com/boringvillage/
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Dungca, Nicole (April 25, 2012). "Dull woman pushes for Boring partnership: Oregon town teams up with Scottish village". The Oregonian. Retrieved June 7, 2012.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 McArthur, Lewis A.; Lewis L. McArthur (2003) [1928]. Oregon Geographic Names (7th ed.). Portland, Oregon: Oregon Historical Society Press. p. 101. ISBN 0-87595-277-1.
- ↑ http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Boring&GSfn=william&GSmn=H&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSob=n&GRid=8033579&df=all&
- ↑ http://web4.co.clackamas.or.us/mrm/1547.html
- ↑ Hathcock, Marcus (August 23, 2006). "Five votes sink Boring village". The Sandy Post. Retrieved June 7, 2012.
- ↑ TripAtlas
- ↑ "Boring Village". Retrieved 2008-01-01.
- ↑ "Gravity Falls inspired by Boring Oregon".
- ↑ "Boring in Oregon votes to pair with Dull in Perthshire". BBC. June 5, 2012. Retrieved June 7, 2012.
- ↑ Fuggetta, Emily (June 5, 2012 (print edition June 6, 2012)). "Boring group makes Dull decision: Partnership official with Scottish village". The Oregonian. p. C1. Retrieved June 7, 2012.
- ↑ The Rise and Fall of the Portland Traction Company
- ↑ Street Rodder, 1/85, p.74.
- ↑ http://www.guidedogs.com/site/PageServer
- ↑ Gambino, Lauren. "Dull and Boring? Sounds exciting". KVAL. Retrieved February 22, 2013.
- ↑ LeVeille, David. "A Tale of Dull and Boring Sister Cities". The World.org. Retrieved 2013-07-15.
- ↑ BBC News - Boring in Oregon votes to pair with Dull in Perthshire
External links
Media related to Boring, Oregon at Wikimedia Commons
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