Salem (IPA: [ˈseɪ ləm̩]) is the capital of the U.S. state
of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. The district of West Salem lies
in Polk County. It is located in the mid-Willamette Valley, between Portland and Eugene. As of July 1 2006 it had a
population of 149,305,[1] with a metro area
population of nearly 400,000, making it the second largest city, and second largest metropolitan area in Oregon (after
Portland).
"Salem" is derived from the Hebrew word "Shalom", and the Arabic word "Salam" both meaning "peace". Historically, Salem has been nicknamed the "Cherry City",
because of the importance of the local cherry growing industry.[2]
History
The Native American name for the area was Chemeketa, which
means "meeting or resting place" in the Kalapuya language. The word "Chemeketa" is preserved in
the name of the local community college and other local buildings. The
original Kalapuya pronunciation of the word is Chim-i-ki-ti.[citation needed]
The first European settlement in the area was the Jason Lee mission in 1840.
In 1842, the missionaries established the Oregon Institute (the forerunner of
Willamette University) in the area that was to become the first townsite of Salem.
In 1844, the mission was dissolved and the townsite established. According to Oregon
Geographic Names, it is uncertain who chose the name for the town, but it is believed to be one of two people: Trustee
David Leslie from Salem,
Massachusetts, or William H. Willson who in 1850-1851 filed the plats for the
main part of the city.
In 1851, Salem became the territorial capital after it was moved from Oregon
City. The capital was moved briefly to Corvallis in 1855, but was moved back to
Salem permanently that same year. A two-story state house, which had been occupied for only two months, burned to the ground in
December of 1855. Salem was incorporated as a city in 1857 and became Oregon's state capital with statehood two years later.
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 is plated
with gold-leaf and officially named the Oregon Pioneer.
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.[3]
Geography and climate
Salem is located at 44°55′51″N, 123°1′44″W (44.931109,
-123.029159).1
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 120.1 km² (46.4 mi²). 118.4 km² (45.7 mi²) of
it is land and 1.6 km² (0.6 mi²) 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.
| 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:[4] |
Neighborhoods
Salem has 19 established neighborhoods:[5]
- Central Area
- Croisan-Illahe
- East Lancaster
- Faye Wright
- Grant
- Highland
- Lansing
|
|
|
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2006, there were 150,254 people, 50,676 households, and 32,331 families
residing in the city. The population density was 1,156.1/km² (2,994.0/mi²). There
were 53,817 housing units at an average density of 454.4/km² (1,176.8/mi²). 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.[6] 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.[7] In June 2006, SUMCO announced that its last facility in the city, a technology center, would close by
the end of the year.[8]
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. and Roth's Family Markets. The largest public
employer in Salem is the Department of Human Services, which employs
over 4,000 people.[citation needed]
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.
Arts and culture
Annual cultural events
Skater in Marion Square Park, Salem, Oregon.
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 is 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 Rose Festival in Portland.
The Salem Art Association sponsors the annual Salem Art
Fair & Festival, 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. Mountain West Group Chef's Nite Out is an upscale wine and food
benefit held for the Marion-Polk Food Share.
The largest event in Salem is the Oregon State Fair in late summer. Located in the
Oregon State Fairgrounds in North Salem, the fair offers the usual exhibits, competitions and carnival atmosphere of a
traditional state fair in addition to big-ticket concerts, wine tasting, and rock climning.
Other events such as concerts, horse shows and rodeos take place at the Oregon State Fair and Expo Center throughout the
year.
The Salem Repertory Theatre presents shows at the
Reed Opera House. The rustic Pentacle Theatre, which features plays and musicals,
is located in West Salem. The historic Elsinore Theatre is also a landmark featuring recitals, concerts, films, and plays.
Museums and other points of interest
In addition to the Oregon State Capitol building, and adjacent Willson Park, Salem's downtown contains the Mission Mill Museum, Hallie Ford Museum of Art,
and the historic Elsinore Theatre. The tallest building in Salem, and the only one
taller than the State Capitol building, is the First United Methodist Church.[1] The
current sanctuary was completed in 1878. Its tall white spire rises at the intersection of Church and State Streets across from
the Capitol grounds.
The Oregon Symphony, based in Portland,
presents approximately ten classical and pops concerts each year in Salem. The Salem Chamber Orchestra includes professional area musicians as well as students.
The Salem Armory Auditorium has hosted touring bands including Korn and Phish.
Because Salem is the state capital, it has a multitude of government agencies, departments
and boards housed in buildings with architecture designs ranging from the early 20th century to examples of state-of-the-art
civil building design.
The historic Reed Opera House in downtown Salem has a
number of local shops and dining establishments, as well as an art gallery.
Salem has been awarded "Tree City USA" status by the National Arbor Day Foundation for 30
consecutive years for its dedication to urban forestry.[9] Salem was the first city in Oregon to receive the award.[10] 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.
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.
Parks and recreation
Salem maintains 42 city parks. Minto-Brown Island Park is the largest at 898.9 acres (364 ha).[11] 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.[12] Riverfront Park, adjacent to downtown, runs along the Willamette River and is the home of the Salem Carousel. The A.C. Gilbert House, located near Riverfront Park, has a toy museum and "discovery
house" for children. Salem is also home to one of the smallest city parks in the world, Waldo
Park, which consists of a single Sequoia tree.[13] (It used to be claimed that it was the smallest, but Mill Ends Park park in Portland is smaller.) Other notable parks are Willamette Mission State Park just
north of the city, and Silver Falls State Parks just 30 minutes east near Silverton. Marion County also manages several parks
within the city limits. Salem residents can easily enjoy nearby parks in Keizer as well as in the surrounding areas of Marion and
Polk counties.
Education
Primary and secondary schools
Public
-
Alternative schools
Private
- Abiqua School - private secular - elementary and middle school * Blanchet Catholic
School - private Roman Catholic - middle and high school
- Concordia Lutheran School - private Lutheran Missouri Synod - elementary and middle school
- Cornerstone Christian School - private nondenominational - preschool and elementary
- Grace Academy - private nondenominational - elementary, middle, and high school
- The Heritage School - private secular - elementary and middle "alternative" school
- H.I.S. Academy - private nondenominational - elementary through high school
- Queen of Peace Catholic School - private Roman Catholic - elementary
- Riviera Christian School - private Baptist - preschool and elementary
- Salem Academy Christian Schools - private nondenominational - preschool to high school, multiple locations
- Sonshine School - private Baptist - preschool and elementary
- St. Joseph School - private Roman Catholic - elementary
- St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School - private Roman Catholic - preschool and elementary
- Western Mennonite School - private Mennonite - middle and high school
- Willamette Academy - private nonsectarian but historically United Methodist - high school supplementary
- Livingstone Adventist Academy - private Seventh-Day Adventist- Elementary, Middle and Highschool
Colleges and universities
Mass media
Newspaper
Television
Internet
Transportation
Bus
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.
Greyhound Lines provides north-south service and connecting carrier service to
Bend, Oregon from its station downtown.
Rail
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.
Air
HUT Airport Shuttle provides transportation to Portland International
Airport. HUT also serves Corvallis with a second stop at Oregon State University, Albany, and Woodburn.
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.[15]
Highways
The city is served by the following highways:
Gallery
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Marion County courthouse, located downtown.
|
Wisteria covered alley in downtown Salem.
|
A neighborhood in South Salem covered in snow.
|
Sister cities
Salem has two sister cities:[1]
Further reading
- MacGibbon, Elma (1904). Leaves of
knowledge. Shaw & Borden Co.
Elma MacGibbons reminiscences of her travels in the United States starting in 1898, which were mainly in Oregon and Washington.
Includes chapter "Salem, the capital of Oregon."
References
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Coordinates:
44.931109° N 123.029159°
W
|
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