A field of
Dahlias near
Canby
The
Willamette River in the northern section of the valley
Farmscape of The Willamette Valley in northern
Polk County
The Willamette Valley (pronounced [wɪˈlæ.mɪt], with the accent on
the second syllable) is the region in northwest Oregon in the United States that surrounds the Willamette River as it proceeds
northward from its emergence from mountains near Eugene to its confluence with the
Columbia River at Portland. One of the most
productive agricultural areas of the world,[citation needed] the valley was the destination of choice for the emigrants on the
Oregon Trail in the 1840s. It has formed the cultural and
political heart of Oregon since the days of the Oregon Territory, and is home to 70% of
Oregon's population.[1]
Description
The valley may be loosely defined as the broad plain of the Willamette, bounded on the west by the Oregon Coast Range and on the east by the Cascade Range. It is
bounded on the south by the Calapooya Mountains, which separate the headwaters of
the Willamette from the Umpqua River valley about miles
( km) south of Hidden Valley. Interstate 5 runs the
length of the valley, linking its major communities.
Because of the differing cultural and political interests, the Portland
metropolitan area, as well as the Tualatin River valley, are often not included in
the local use of the term. Additionally, the east slopes of the Coast Ranges and the west slopes of the Cascade Range from
Oakridge to Detroit Lake can be considered part
of the Willamette Valley in a cultural sense, despite being mountainous areas.
Cities always considered part of the Willamette Valley are Eugene, Corvallis/Albany, and Salem. In its most expansive definition, the valley includes areas of Benton, Polk, Yamhill, Washington, Clackamas, Lane, Linn, Marion, and Multnomah counties.
The agricultural richness of the valley is in part a result of the Missoula Floods,
which inundated the valley approximately forty times between 15,000 and 13,000 years ago at the end of the last ice age. The floods were caused by the periodic rupturing of the ice dam of Glacial Lake Missoula, the waters of which swept down the Columbia River and flooded the
Willamette Valley as far south as Eugene. The floodwaters carried rich volcanic and glacial soil from Eastern Washington, which was deposited across the valley floor when the waters subsided. The soil in
the Willamette Valley is about miles ( km) deep in some areas.[2]
During the 19th century, the valley was largely inhabited by bands of the
Kalapuya tribe of Native
Americans. The Hudson's Bay Company controlled the fur trade in the valley in the 1820s and 1830s.
The Willamette Valley was connected to California's Central Valley by the
Siskiyou Trail. The first European settlements in the valley were at Oregon City and Champoeg. The first institution of higher
learning on the West Coast, today's Willamette University, was founded in the valley at Salem by Jason Lee, one of the many Oregon missionaries that
settled in the valley.
The major agricultural products of the valley include many varieties of berries and vegetables. The valley also produces
most[citation needed] of the grass seed, Christmas trees, and hazelnuts[3] sold in North America.
It is also noted for its hops, which are widely used in craft
beer and microbreweries throughout the U.S. But it is greenhouse and nursery stock that have become the biggest
agricultural commodity in the valley.
In recent decades, the valley has also become a major wine producer, with multiple
American Viticultural Areas of its own. With a cooler climate than California, the gently rolling hills
surrounding the Willamette are home to some of the best (and most-expensive) pinot noir in
the world, as well as a high-quality pinot gris. It is home to Eyrie Vineyards, winner of the pinot noir competition at the Wine
Olympics held in Paris in 1979.
The Willamette Valley is prone to periodic floods. Notable floods include events in 1899, 1964, and the Willamette Valley Flood of 1996. Part of its floodplain is a National Natural Landmark called the
Willamette Floodplain.
Popular culture
David Brin's book The Postman (which was
adapted into a film of the same name) is largely set in the Willamette Valley, aka Hidden Valley, mostly around the town of
Corvallis.
The Willamette Valley appears, quite fittingly, at the end of The Oregon
Trail computer game as the blanket destination.
S. M. Stirling’s Emberverse novel series — Dies the Fire, The Protector’s War, and A Meeting at Corvallis — takes place mainly in
the Willamette Valley when technology suddenly fails. Portland and Corvallis both figure heavily in the series.
In the movie A League of Their Own, directed by Penny Marshall, Geena
Davis's and Lori Petty's characters are discovered playing softball and living on a dairy farm in the fertile Willamette Valley.
The Davis character eventually returns to her life there.
See also
References
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 "Willamette Valley."
External links
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