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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," as seen on the City's seal. The current mayor of Oregon City is Alice Norris.

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 musems 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.

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".

Demographics

As of the census 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.

Transportation

The city is served by the following transportation links:

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

Schools and education

The city, and several surrounding communities, is served by the Oregon City School District *, 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 girl's 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.

Notable persons

The following notable persons have ties to Oregon City:

Sister cities

Oregon City has one sister city, as designated by Sister Cities International:

External links

Cities in Oregon | Clackamas County, Oregon | County seats in Oregon | History of Oregon | Oregon City, Oregon | Oregon Trail

Oregon City | Oregon City | Oregon City, Oregon

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Oregon City, Oregon".

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