Everything about Salem Oregon totally explained
Salem is the
capital of the
U.S. state of
Oregon, and the
county seat of
Marion County. It is located in the center of the
Willamette Valley alongside the
Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and
Polk County, the city neighborhood of
West Salem is in Polk County.
As of
July 1 2007 it had a population of 152,290, making it the third largest city in the state after
Portland and
Eugene. The population of the
Salem Metropolitan (MSA) area is approximately 385,000 making it the second largest urban area in the state.
History
Origin of name
The
Native Americans who originally inhabited Salem, the
Kalapuyans called the area Chemeketa, which means "meeting or resting place" in the
Central Kalapuya language (Santiam). The original Kalapuya pronunciation of the word is Chim-i-ki-ti. When the
Methodist Mission moved to the Chemeketa plain, the new establishment was called Chemeketa, but was more widely known as the Mill because of its situation on
Mill Creek. When the
Oregon Institute was established, the community was known as the Institute.
The name Salem is derived from the
semitic words (
Arabic salam and
Hebrew shalom) for
peace. The Vern Miller Civic Center which houses the city offices and library has a public space dedicated as the
Peace Plaza in recognition of the names the city has been known by.
Europeans
The first people of
European descent arrived in the area as early as 1812; they were
trappers and food gatherers for the fur trading companies in
Astoria, Oregon.
The first permanent American settlement in the area was the
Jason Lee Methodist mission (1840) located in the area north of Salem known as
Wheatland. In 1842, the missionaries established the
Oregon Institute (the forerunner of
Willamette University) in the area that was to become the site of Salem. In 1844, the mission was dissolved and the town site established.
In 1851, Salem became the territorial capital after it was moved from
Oregon City. The capital was moved briefly to Marysville (now
Corvallis) in 1855, but was moved back to Salem permanently that same year. Salem incorporated as a city in 1857 and with the coming of statehood in 1859 became the state capital.
Capitol buildings
Oregon has had three capitol buildings in Salem. A two-story state house, which had been occupied for only two months, burned to the ground in December 1855. Oregon's second capitol building was completed in 1876 on the site of the original. The
Greek revival-style building was based in part on the
U.S. Capitol building. The building received its distinctive copper dome in 1893. Tragically, fire claimed the second Oregon capitol building on
April 25,
1935. The third and current
Oregon State Capitol was completed on the same site in 1938. It is recognizable by its distinctive
pioneer statue atop the capitol dome that's plated with
gold-leaf and officially named the
Oregon Pioneer.
State fair and Cherry festival
Agriculture has always been important to Salem and the city has historically recognized and celebrated that in a number of ways. Salem is nicknamed the "Cherry City", because of the past importance of the local
cherry growing industry. In 1861, Salem became the permanent site of the
Oregon State Fair when the
Oregon State Agricultural Association chose the Marion County Fair grounds. The first cherry festival in Salem was held in 1903. In the following decades, the event briefly became an annual event, with parades and the election of a cherry queen, but was disbanded after
World War I. It was revived briefly as the Salem Cherryland Festival for several years in the late 1940s.
Geography and climate
Salem is located in the north-central
Willamette Valley at (44.931109, -123.029159).
The
45th Parallel (halfway between the North Pole and the Equator) passes through Salem's city limits.
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 46.4 square miles (120.1 km²), of which, 45.7 square miles (118.4 km²) of it's land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²) of it (1.35%) is water.
Although the
Willamette River flows through Salem, the
North Santiam River watershed is Salem's primary drinking water source. Other important streams that pass through Salem are
Mill Creek, the Mill Race, Pringle Creek, and Shelton Ditch. Smaller streams in eastern part of the city include Clark Creek, Jory Creek, Battle Creek, Croisan Creek, and Claggett Creek, while Glen Creek and Brush Creek flow through
West Salem. its annual rainfall is 40
in (1010
mm). Despite that Salem is about 40
miles (64
km)
south of
Portland, Salem is actually
cooler on average than Portland (56.5 °F or 13.6 °C) due to Salem's lower low temperatures.
| Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures |
| Month |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
| Record High °C (°F) | 18.3 (65) |
22.2 (72) |
26.7 (80) |
31.1 (88) |
37.8 (100) |
40.6 (105) |
42.2 (108) |
42.2 (108) |
40.0 (104) |
33.9 (93) |
22.2 (72) |
20.0 (68)
|
| Normal High °C (°F) | 8.3 (47.0) |
10.7 (51.2) |
13.5 (56.3) |
16.2 (61.1) |
19.7 (67.5) |
23.3 (74.0) |
27.5 (81.5) |
27.7 (81.9) |
24.8 (76.6) |
18.1 (64.5) |
11.3 (52.4) |
8.0 (46.4)
|
| Normal Low °C (°F) | 0.8 (33.5) |
1.5 (34.7) |
2.6 (36.6) |
3.8 (38.8) |
6.4 (43.6) |
9.1 (48.4) |
11.1 (52.0) |
11.2 (52.1) |
8.7 (47.7) |
5.2 (41.3) |
3.3 (37.9) |
1.1 (33.9)
|
| Record Low °C (°F) | -23.3 (-10) |
-20.0 (-4) |
-11.1 (12) |
-5.0 (23) |
-3.9 (25) |
0.0 (32) |
2.8 (37) |
2.2 (36) |
-3.3 (26) |
-6.7 (20) |
-12.8 (9) |
-24.4 (-12)
|
Normal Precipitation
mm (inches) | 148.3
(5.84) |
129.3
(5.09) |
105.9
(4.17) |
70.1
(2.76) |
54.1
(2.13) |
36.8
(1.45) |
14.5
(0.57) |
17.3
(0.68) |
36.3
(1.43) |
77.0
(3.03) |
162.3
(6.39) |
164.1
(6.46)
|
| Normal Snowfall mm (inches) | 73.7
(2.9) |
33.0
(1.3) |
12.7
(0.5) |
0.0
(0.0) |
T
(T) |
0.0
(0.0) |
0.0
(0.0) |
0.0
(0.0) |
T
(T) |
T
(T) |
7.6
(0.3) |
40.6
(1.6)
|
| Source: |
Demographics
As of the
census of 2006, there were 150,254 people, 50,676 households, and 32,331 families residing in the city. The
population density was 2,994.0 people per square mile (1,156.1/km²). There were 53,817 housing units at an average density of 1,176.8/sq mi (454.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 83.07%
White, 1.28%
African American, 1.51%
Native American, 2.41%
Asian, 0.47%
Pacific Islander, 7.90% from
other races, and 3.36% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 14.59% of the population.
There were 50,676 households out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.7% were
married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.2% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the city, the population was spread out with 25.4% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $38,881, and the median income for a family was $46,409. Males had a median income of $34,746 versus $26,789 for females. The
per capita income for the city was $19,141. About 10.5% of families and 15.0% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 20.2% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
State government is Salem's largest employer, but the city also serves as a hub for the area farming communities and is a major agricultural food processing center. It lies along the
I-5 corridor and is within an hour's drive of Oregon's largest city,
Portland.
In a bid to diversify its economic base, Salem attracted a number of computer-related manufacturing plants in the 1990s. In November 2003, the Sumitomo Mitsubishi Silicon Group (SUMCO), one of these arrivals, announced it would be closing its two
silicon wafer plants at the end of 2004, eliminating 620 jobs, and moving production to other plants. In June 2006, SUMCO announced that its last facility in the city, a technology center, would close by the end of the year.
The top private employer in Salem is the
Salem Hospital with over 2,700 employees. Others include the
Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde's
Spirit Mountain Casino west of Salem, the
T-Mobile Calling Center, GE Security (Formerly Supra Products Inc.),
Wachovia Securities,
Norpac Foods Inc.,
Roth's Family Markets, and
Willamette University.
Salem is the headquarters of the
Oregon Department of Corrections and home to four state correctional facilities, including the
Oregon State Penitentiary, Oregon's only maximum security prison.
Numerous projects are underway to increase the supply of
housing in the
downtown core. These projects will provide upscale, low and high rise
condominium and
office space.
People and culture
Neighborhood associations
Salem has 19 recognized neighborhood associations, they're independent groups but do receive administrative support from the city.
Cultural events and series
From May through October the Salem Saturday Market, located north of the Capitol, exhibits an emphasis on local products including crafts, baked goods, produce, meat, and other items. In addition to the Saturday Market, there's a Wednesday Farmers' Market hosted downtown in Courthouse Square during the summer, as well a Holiday Gift Market in December. The 60+ year old, indoor Saturday Public Market is open all year round.
The annual World Beat Festival, held in June, is sponsored by the nonprofit Salem Multicultural Institute. The event lasts for two days and is held at the Riverfront Park. It features international crafts, music, dance, food, and folklore from every continent, and in recent years has held a
Dragon Boat race similar to the ones held during the nearby
Rose Festival in
Portland.
The Salem Art Association sponsors the annual Salem Art Fair and Fesitval, which takes place at
Bush's Pasture Park during the summer. Its displays, interactive exhibits, food, and performances attract thousands of visitors each year, making it the largest juried art festival of its kind in the state.
The Bite of Salem, held in July at the Riverfront Park, is an event similar to others such as the Bite of Oregon in Portland. The event consists of a weekend of local restaurants in Salem offering samples of their menus to patrons in a festival atmosphere, with live entertainment and benefiting local charities. In the summer,
Chef's Nite Out is a wine and food benefit held for Marion-Polk Food Share. Oregon Wine & Food Festival takes place at that state's fairgrounds in January.
The largest event in Salem is the Oregon State Fair at the end of August through
Labor Day. Located in the Oregon State Fairgrounds in North Salem, the fair offers exhibits, competitions and carnival rides. Other events such as concerts, horse shows and rodeos take place at the Oregon State Fair and Expo Center throughout the year.
The Mid-Valley Video Festival offers local, national and international independent films in theaters throughout the city. The Salem Film Festival has included feature films that were Oregon premieres.
The Salem Repertory Theatre presents shows at the
Reed Opera House. Pentacle Theatre, which features plays and musicals, is located in West Salem. The
Elsinore Theatre is a historic landmark featuring recitals, concerts, films, and plays.
Grand Theater is undergoing renovation and has hosted the Salem Progressive Film Series and other shows.
Museums and other points of interest
In addition to the
Oregon State Capitol and adjacent Willson Park, Salem's downtown contains the
Mission Mill Museum,
Hallie Ford Museum of Art, the
Elsinore Theatre,
Riverfront Park
, the
Willamette River, some of the oldest buildings in Oregon, as well as shopping and restaurants. The
A.C. Gilbert's Discovery Village interactive children's museum is also located in Salem.
The two leading candidates for the tallest building in Salem are
Salem First United Methodist Church and the Capitol Center. A private survey commissioned by a local publication holds that the church is the tallest. The tall white spire of the 1878 church rises at the intersection of Church and State Streets across from the Capitol grounds. The Capitol Center (originally the First National Bank Building, then the Livesley Building) was built in 1927 by former Salem mayor
Thomas A. Livesley, a prominent Salem-area businessman and civic leader. At that time of its completion, it was the tallest commercial building in the state. Salem was the first city in Oregon to receive the award. In keeping with the city's "Cherry City" theme, flowering cherry trees have been planted along many Salem streets as well as on the Capitol Mall across from the Capitol.
The Salem Public Library's main branch is located just south of downtown. A branch library is located in West Salem (Polk County). The Library participates in the Chemeketa Cooperative Regional Library Service, so Salem Public Library cards are also valid in of the member libraries in
Yamhill,
Polk,
Marion, and parts of
Linn County.
The film
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest was filmed at the
Oregon State Hospital.
Salem and its environs have a multitude of
wineries and vineyards that are open to the public, including Oregon's oldest winery,
Honeywood Winery.
Media
Salem currently has one daily newspaper, the
Statesman Journal, a monthly alternative newspaper
Salem Monthly and an online newspaper, the Salem-News. The
Capital Press a weekly
agricultural newspaper is published in the city and is distributed throughout the
west coast. Salem has two
UHF television stations;
KWVT (Channel 17), and
CW affiliate
KRCW (Channel 32), which has its
city of license as Salem and their analog transmitter about northeast of the city, near
Molalla. The station is known as
Portland's CW however, as the station targets the entire Willamette Valley area, operates from
Beaverton and has its digital transmitter based in Portland.
Sports
The
Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, a
minor league baseball team, play their home games in the city of
Keizer, which adjoins Salem on the north. The
Salem Stampede of the
International Basketball League play their home games at the Salem Armory. Also playing in Salem is the
Cascade Surge, a minor league soccer team associated with the
United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League (PDL). The Surge play home games at
McCulloch Stadium on the campus of
Willamette University.
Parks and recreation
City parks
Salem's Department of Community Services Parks Operations Division is responsible for a park system encompassing 1,874
acres (758
ha) with 29.53 miles (47.52 km) of trails, 46 parks, and another 55 open and undeveloped areas.
Minto-Brown Island Park is the largest at 898.9 acres (364 ha).
Bush's Pasture Park, a 90.5 acre (36.6 ha) urban park a few blocks south of downtown Salem, features natural groves of native
Oregon White Oak trees, the historic Bush House, a rose garden, and adjacent Deepwood Estates.
Other city parks include 101 acre (41 ha)
Cascade Gateway Park, twenty-three acre (9.3 ha) Riverfront Park, adjacent to downtown and the Willamette River. It is the home of the Salem
Carousel.
Across the Willamette River in West Salem is the 114 acre (46 ha) Wallace Marine Park, which includes a boat ramp and floating boat dock allowing easy access to the for water sports.
Salem is also home to one of the smallest city parks in the world,
Waldo Park, which consists of a single
Sequoia tree.
Mill Ends Park park in Portland is the smallest in the state.
The
capitol grounds maintained by the state of Oregon cover three city blocks and include Willson and Capitol parks.
Recreation
Other large parks located in the Salem area include 1680 acre (680 ha) Willamette Mission State Park north of the city, and Silver Falls State Park east of Salem. Both of these parks have extensive hiking, biking, and horse trails.
Salem's central location provides access to a wide variety of recreational activities in a variety of climates and geographies year round. The
Coast Range and the
Pacific Ocean is to the west. The Santiam Canyon area, the
Western Cascades and the
High Cascades are to the east.
Portland, OR and its environs are to the north, while
Eugene, OR and its environs are to the south.
Education
Elementary and secondary
Salem's public elementary and secondary schools are part of the
Salem-Keizer School District which has approximately 39,000 students and is the second largest public school district in the state. The city also has many private elementary and secondary schools such as
Blanchet Catholic School. One school, Willamette Academy is part of an outreach program run by Willamette University that's designed to expose under represented students to the rewards of an academic life at an early age (7th–12th grade) .
Salem is also home to several public
boarding schools, the
Chemawa Indian School a
Native American high school, the
Oregon School for the Blind and the
Oregon School for the Deaf.
Colleges and universities
Post secondary schools include
Chemeketa Community College,
Corban College,
Tokyo International University of America and
Willamette University, the oldest university in the American west.
Portland State University and
Eastern Oregon University provide classes and a handful of undergraduate degrees at Chemeketa Community College.
Infrastructure
Transportation
Salem-Keizer Transit ("Cherriots"), an independent government agency, provides fixed-route bus service, rideshare matching, and paratransit/lift services for the disabled, within the
urban growth boundary. There is a fare-free zone located in downtown Salem.
Greyhound Lines provides north–south service and connecting carrier service to
Bend, Oregon from its station downtown.
Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, leases the
Salem Depot from the
Oregon Department of Transportation. The
Coast Starlight provides daily north–south service to cities between
Los Angeles, California and
Seattle, Washington.
Amtrak Cascades trains, operating as far north as
Vancouver, British Columbia and as far south as
Eugene, Oregon, serve Salem several times daily in both directions.
Salem-Keizer Transit in cooperation with
Wilsonville's SMART provide routes between downtown Salem and major employers in Wilsonville. From Wilsonville, passengers can be transported to downtown Portland via
TriMet.
HUT Airport Shuttle provides transportation to
Portland International Airport. HUT also serves
Corvallis with a second stop at
Oregon State University,
Albany, and
Woodburn.
Mountain Express provides transportation between Salem and
Bend.
McNary Field (Salem Municipal Airport) is owned and operated by the City of Salem. It serves primarily private aviation and the
Oregon National Guard – Army Aviation Support Facility (AASF).
Delta Connection offers commercial air service with two daily flights to
Salt Lake City, Utah. The airport is planning to perform terminal improvements using a preconstructed modular building.
The city is served by the following
highways:
Interstate 5
Oregon Route 99E
Oregon Route 22
Oregon Route 221
Oregon Route 51
Oregon Route 213
Healthcare
Salem Hospital Regional Health Services is a 454 bed acute care medical facility. It is a not for profit organization.
Sister cities
Salem has two sister cities:
Kawagoe, Japan
Gimhae, South Korea
Gallery
Image:ORSalemdowntown.JPG|Capitol Tower and Pioneer Trust Bank, two historic buildings in Downtown Salem.
Image:ORSalempaddleboat.JPG|The Willamette Queen paddleboat on the Willamette River.
Image:ORSalemRiverfrontparkcarousel.JPG|The carousel in Riverfront Park.
Image:ORSalemRiverfrontpark.JPG|Riverfront Park in downtown.
Image:United Methodist Salem Oregon corner.JPG|First United Methodist Church in downtown.
Image:Marion County Courthouse.jpg|Marion County courthouse, located downtown.
Image:Ivy haning over Salem alley.jpg|Wisteria covered alley in downtown Salem.
Image:South Salem neighborhood covered in snow.JPG|A neighborhood in South Salem covered in snow.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Salem Oregon'.
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