Gervais, Oregon

Gervais, Oregon
—  City  —
The Gervais Market
Nickname(s): G-town
Location in Oregon
Coordinates: 45°6′30″N 122°53′51″W
Country	United States
State	Oregon
County	Marion
Incorporated	1874
Government
• Mayor	Shanti Platt
Area
• Total	0.4 sq mi (1.0 km2)
• Land	0.4 sq mi (1.0 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation	184 ft (56.1 m)
Population (2007)
• Total	2,250
• Density	5,133.7/sq mi (1,988.9/km2)
Time zone	Pacific (UTC-8)
• Summer (DST)	Pacific (UTC-7)
ZIP code	97026
Area code(s)	503
FIPS code	41-28650
GNIS feature ID	1121112
Website	www.gervaisoregn.org

Gervais ( /dʒərˈveɪs/) is a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States. The population was 2,009 at the 2000 census. The 2007 estimate is 2,250 residents. It is part of the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Interior of Old Believer church near Gervais

The city is named for pioneer Joseph Gervais who was one of the first settlers on French Prairie.

On October 6, 1902, the business district of the city burned and losses were estimated at $100,000. The local fire department's power was insufficient to handle the fire so Portland and Salem were called upon to help. Unfortunately they were unable to respond in time to help. In little over an hour all but two of the businesses in the town had burned to the ground.

In the late 1960s, Russian Old Believers established a small colony between Gervais and Mt. Angel. As of 2002, Oregon had the highest population of Old Believers in the United States.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²), all land.

Demographics

Gervais welcome sign

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,009 people, 452 households, and 391 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,133.7 people per square mile (1,988.9/km²). There were 477 housing units at an average density of 1,218.9 per square mile (472.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 40.32% White, 0.35% African American, 1.54% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 52.91% from other races, and 4.53% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 65.21% of the population.

There were 452 households out of which 59.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.8% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 13.3% were non-families. 9.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.39 and the average family size was 4.45.

In the city the population was spread out with 37.7% under the age of 18, 12.9% from 18 to 24, 34.0% from 25 to 44, 10.6% from 45 to 64, and 4.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females there were 120.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 132.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $43,882, and the median income for a family was $44,118. Males had a median income of $21,490 versus $21,167 for females. The per capita income for the city was $10,862. About 13.3% of families and 17.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.9% of those under age 18 and 11.0% of those age 65 or over. The people in G-Town are quite honest and welcoming. Be prepared though most of the schools girls at the high school are very much drama queens. It is suggested that if you are going to move here that you should be prepared for a different kind of community. It is smaller and so rumors get around quite fast. The high school is a smaller and bit behind in styles but the have a very fine english program. We also have a state of the art shop and there is currently a green house being built. Pleas come check us out.

External links

• Oregon Blue Book listing for Gervais