Oregon City, Oregon
Oregon City is a city in and the county seat of Clackamas County, Oregon, United States, located on the Willamette River near the southern limits of the Portland metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 37,572. Established in 1829 by the Hudson's Bay Company, in 1844, it became the first U.S. city west of the Rocky Mountains to be incorporated.
History
The land was originally home to Clowwewalla, Cashhooks and the Molalla Native Americans.File:John Mix Stanley Oregon City on the Willamette River detail 1 Amon Carter Museum.jpg|thumb|upright=1|left|Detail from Oregon City on the Willamette River by John Mix Stanley,
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 Hudson's Bay Company's 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 as the last stop on the 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. In 1846, the city's newspaper, the Oregon Spectator, was the first American newspaper to be published west of the Rocky Mountains. Oregon City College was established in 1849 as a Baptist school, but was defunct by the 1870s. Oregon City was the site of the Beaver Coins Mint, producing the short-lived independent Oregon Territory currency in 1849.
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.
Former Catholic archdiocese
The town became the see city of the first Roman Catholic archdiocese in the western United States, when the diocese of Oregon City, established in 1846, was raised to metropolitan rank, with Archbishop François Norbert Blanchet as its ordinary. Its territory included all of the western United States. The population in the area of Oregon City declined due to the California Gold Rush. The population of nearby Portland grew, and the headquarters of the archdiocese was moved there in 1926. In 1928 the name Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon replaced the former name. No longer a residential bishopric, Oregon City is now a titular see.Geography
The town is divided into upper and lower areas. The lower area is on a bench next to the Willamette River. The upper area is atop a bluff composed of Canemah basalt, which flowed about 2.5 million years ago from a vent to the southeast in the Boring Lava Field. For many years, Indian trails connected the two levels, 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."According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, of which is land and is water. The major waterways of Oregon City include the Willamette River, which flows along the northwest side of the city, and the Clackamas River, which merges with the larger Willamette to the north of the city. The Willamette forms the boundary between Oregon City and West Linn; the Clackamas serves as the boundary between Oregon City and Gladstone.
Willamette Falls
The Willamette Falls Locks in West Linn were the first multi-lift navigational locks in the United States and are now a National Historical Site, no longer in use. The first long-distance electrical service in the United States originated in Oregon City in 1889, transmitting electricity to Portland.Climate
Oregon City has a Mediterranean climate. The Mediterranean climate regime resembles the climate of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, parts of western North America, parts of Western and South Australia, in southwestern South Africa and in parts of central Chile. The climate is characterized by hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters.The average temperature throughout the year is, with the highest average temperature in July and August being, and December being the coldest month with an average temperature of. The annual precipitation is. It is mainly concentrated in winter, and the precipitation in July and August is obviously much less than in other months. In terms of temperature, there are 122 days with temperatures exceeding per year, 18 days with temperatures exceeding, and one high-temperature day exceeding. However, there is no more than one ice day with the maximum temperature below per year. Extreme temperatures range from on January 31, 1950, to on June 28, 2021.
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. The last paper mill in the immediate vicinity closed in 2017 but reopened in 2019 under new ownership.With the growth of the Portland Metro region, Oregon City has become largely a suburb of Portland. Tourism is a growing sector with the emphasis on the city's history and the major renovation of the Willamette Falls area into a public-access, mixed-use space through the Willamette Falls Legacy Project.
Government
Oregon City is governed by a Mayor and a City Commission composed of the Mayor and four Commissioners elected from the City at large for terms of four years each.Oregon City was the capital of the Oregon Territory until 1851; the following governors served during that time:
- George Abernethy, provisional governor of the Oregon Country 1845–48
- Joseph Lane, first governor of the Oregon Territory, 1848–50
- Kintzing Prichette, 2nd Territorial Governor of Oregon, 1850
- John P. Gaines, 3rd Territorial Governor of Oregon, 1850–53. During his term, the territorial capital of Oregon moved to Salem.
Education
The city also is the home of Clackamas Community College, numerous private and parochial schools, and a public library that is part of the Library Information Network of Clackamas County.
Points of interest
Museums and historic buildings
Museums include the Museum of the Oregon Territory and the End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center, with costumed "living history" guides. The Clackamas County Historical Society archives, housed in the Museum of the Oregon Territory, also include the incorporation plat for the city of San Francisco. Clackamas Heritage Partners owns and operates these museums, along with the Stevens Crawford Museum. In 2009, Clackamas Heritage Partners announced that it could no longer afford to keep the museums open. The End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center was closed to the public indefinitely in September 2009; the Stevens Crawford Museum and Museum of the Oregon Territory, staffed largely by volunteers, continued to operate on a limited schedule.The End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center eventually reopened during the summer of 2013 with the support of grants and donations from numerous sources.
The Stevens-Crawford Heritage House Museum is a 1908 structure with 11 furnished rooms; exhibiting furniture from the collection of the Clackamas County Historical Society to replicate an Edwardian era home and Progressive Era narrative. Other historical buildings in Oregon City include the McLoughlin House, the Ermatinger House, the Bank of Commerce Building, the Ainsworth House, the Harvey Cross House, the Oregon City Masonic Lodge, and the First Congregational Church.
The Oregon City Bridge over the Willamette River, built in 1922, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as is the Oregon City Municipal Elevator.