Sweet Home, Oregon
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| Sweet Home, Oregon | |
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| — City — | |
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| Nickname(s): Gateway to the Santiam Playground | |
| Motto: Sweet Home: Oregon at its Best | |
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| Coordinates: 44°24′2″N 122°42′57″W / 44.40056°N 122.71583°WCoordinates: 44°24′2″N 122°42′57″W / 44.40056°N 122.71583°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| County | Linn |
| Incorporated | 1893 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Craig Fentiman |
| Area | |
| • Total | 5.8 sq mi (14.9 km2) |
| • Land | 5.3 sq mi (13.8 km2) |
| • Water | 0.4 sq mi (1.1 km2) |
| Elevation | 537 ft (163.7 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 8,925 |
| • Density | 1,538.8/sq mi (594.1/km2) |
| Time zone | Pacific (UTC-8) |
| • Summer (DST) | Pacific (UTC-7) |
| ZIP code | 97386 |
| Area code(s) | 458 and 541 |
| FIPS code | 41-71950[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1127827[2] |
| Website | www.ci.sweet-home.or.us |
Sweet Home is a city in Linn County, Oregon, United States. The population was 8,925 at the 2010 census.[3] Sweet Home is sometimes referred to as the "Gateway to the Santiam Playground" due to its proximity to nearby lakes, rivers and the Cascade Mountains.[4]
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[edit] History
Settlers first arrived in the Sweet Home Valley in the early 1850s. A community known as Buckhead developed near the mouth of Ames Creek and the South Santiam River. Buckhead was named after a saloon that featured a set of elk antlers on the gable end of its building. East of Buckhead, a community called Mossville developed with a store and post office. In 1874, the two communities merged to become one community called Sweet Home. In 1893, the city of Sweet Home was incorporated.[5]
The Santiam Wagon Road, a toll road connecting the Willamette Valley with central Oregon, was opened in 1865. The road extended from the Sweet Home Valley across the Santiam Pass in the Cascades to Camp Polk near Sisters. The Santiam Wagon Road was a vital means of supplying livestock and goods from western Oregon to central Oregon and transporting wool from east of the Cascades back to Willamette Valley woolen mills.[6] Competition with railroads that extended south from the Columbia River into central Oregon and the newly opened McKenzie Pass Highway made the wagon road obsolete by the late 1930s. U.S. Route 20 was constructed across much of the same route as the Santiam Wagon Road.[7]
Sweet Home experienced significant growth during the 1940s due to the demand for timber from local forests. Further growth occurred when construction began on nearby Green Peter Dam in 1962 and continued as construction began on Foster Dam in 1966.[8]
During the 1980s, Sweet Home experienced a number of sawmill and plywood mill closures due to logging restrictions placed on nearby forests resulting from environmental concerns for endangered species.[9] In response, community members sought out other economic development opportunities such as the Oregon Jamboree country music and camping festival.[10]
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.8 square miles (15 km2), of which, 5.3 square miles (14 km2) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km2) of it (7.64%) is water.
Sweet home is located near the junction of Oregon Route 228 and U.S. Route 20.
The South Santiam River flows from Foster Reservoir along the northern city limits of Sweet Home. Ames Creek and Wiley Creek flow into the South Santiam River within the city limits.
Sweet Home is built on a prehistoric petrified forest. In addition to fossil wood, the area includes a variety of agate, jasper, crystals and minerals.[11]
[edit] Demographics
As of the 2010 census, there were 8,925 people residing in the city. The population density was 1,538.8 people per square mile (594.1/km²). There were 3,768 housing units at an average density of 649.7 per square mile (250.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.3% White, 0.3% Black or African American, 1.3% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.2% from other races, and 3.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.7% of the population. There were 3,540 households. The average household size was 2.41.
25.7% of the population was under the age of 18 and 16.7% were 65 years of age or older. 50.4% of the population was female.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,182. 20.0% of persons were below the poverty line.[12]
[edit] Economy
Major employers in Sweet Home include White's Electronics, a metal detector manufacturer;[13] HEVI-Shot, a manufacturer of shotshell ammunition;[14] Cascade Timber Consulting, a timber investment management organization;[15] Weyerhaeuser; the United States Forest Service and the Sweet Home School District.
[edit] Arts and culture
[edit] Annual cultural events
[edit] Museums and other points of interest
[edit] Parks and recreation
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[edit] Education
Sweet Home is served by the Sweet Home School District. The district includes a Sweet Home High School, a junior high school and four elementary schools. The district covers Sweet Home, Cascadia, Crawfordsville, Holley, Liberty, Pleasant Valley and other surrounding communities.[16]
Linn–Benton Community College operates a branch campus in Sweet Home.[17]
[edit] Media
The New Era newspaper is published weekly,[18] and the daily Albany Democrat-Herald also serves the city.
[edit] Notable people
- Matt Slauson, offensive lineman, New York Jets[19]
[edit] References
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/41/4171950.html
- ^ "History of Sweet Home". Sweet Home Chamber of Commerce. http://www.sweethomechamber.com/test/index.php?option=com_k2&view=itemlist&layout=category&task=category&id=29&Itemid=59. Retrieved June 25, 2011.
- ^ http://www.sweet-home.or.us/index.aspx?nid=95
- ^ www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_Documents/stelprdb5324557.pdf
- ^ www.oregonhistorictrailsfund.org/trails/showtrail.php?id=16
- ^ http://www.foresthistory.org/ASPNET/Publications/region/6/willamette/chap5.htm
- ^ http://articles.latimes.com/1989-07-14/news/mn-3677_1_northern-spotted-owl
- ^ http://www.oregonjamboree.com/about-us/
- ^ http://www.oregongeology.com/pubs/og/OBv30n04.pdf
- ^ http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/41/4171950.html
- ^ http://whiteselectronics.com/
- ^ http://www.hevishot.com/index.php
- ^ http://www.cascadetimber.com/
- ^ http://www.sweethome.k12.or.us/district/
- ^ http://www.linnbenton.edu/go/sweet-home-center
- ^ The New Era
- ^ http://democratherald.com/sports/community/article_f5c7889a-b9a6-11e0-9c6b-001cc4c03286.html
[edit] External links
Media related to Sweet Home, Oregon at Wikimedia Commons
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