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Junction City, Oregon

Coordinates: 44°13′14″N 123°12′15″W / 44.22056°N 123.20417°W / 44.22056; -123.20417
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Junction City, Oregon
City
A white, single-level commercial building with a blue awning and trim
Junction City, OR City Hall
Location in Oregon
Location in Oregon
Coordinates: 44°13′14″N 123°12′15″W / 44.22056°N 123.20417°W / 44.22056; -123.20417
CountryUnited States
StateOregon
CountyLane
Incorporated1872
Government
 • MayorBeverly Ficek
Area
[1]
 • Total3.30 sq mi (8.54 km2)
 • Land3.30 sq mi (8.54 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
325 ft (99.1 m)
Population
 (2020)[2]
 • Total6,787
 • Density2,058.54/sq mi (794.77/km2)
Time zoneUTC−08:00 (Pacific)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−07:00 (Pacific)
ZIP Code
97448
Area code541
FIPS code41-38000[3]
GNIS feature ID1166668[4]
Websitewww.junctioncityoregon.gov

Junction City is a city in Lane County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, it has population was 6,747.[2] The Junction City area is notable for its Scandinavian heritage. The city's annual Scandinavian Festival draws over 100,000 visitors each year.[5] Junction City was previously a center of recreational vehicle manufacture in the U.S., prior to plant closures during the Great Recession.[5]

History

Junction City hotel block in 1908
Junction City c. 1920

The city was incorporated in 1872.[6] Junction City was named by railroad magnate Ben Holladay, who decided that it would be where the rail line on the east side of the Willamette Valley would meet the rail line on the west side. The westside line, however, was not built according to plan and the rail junction never materialized.[5] Junction City later became the meeting point of the east and west branches of U.S. Route 99 (which divide in Portland).

In 1902, real estate developer A.C. Nielsen subdivided 1,600 acres of farmland near Junction City into small farms and advertised them in a Danish-language newspaper in Iowa.[5][7] Many families of Danish ancestry subsequently settled in the area. Danish was spoken regularly in the area until the 1940s, with Lutheran Church services offered in Danish until 1951.[8] In 1961, residents of Junction City founded the Scandinavian Festival, an annual event that remains popular to this day, to celebrate the legacy of these and other Scandanavian immigrants to the Junction City area.

In the early 1990s, Junction City voters considered two ballot initiatives aimed at restricting LGBT civil rights.[9][10] The initiatives sought to ban the city government from enforcing civil rights protections based on sexual orientation and prohibited public money from being spent to “promote” homosexuality.[10][11] The first ballot initiative was narrowly passed by voters on June 29, 1993 by a vote of 631 to 628 (50.12% in favor).[12] The election was subsequently invalidated due to evidence of voter fraud by supporters.[13] Litigation led by the ACLU of Oregon showed that a Junction City church had allowed several members of their congregation who did not live in Junction City to fraudulently register to vote in Junction City by claiming the church was their residential address.[13] A similar initiative was place before voters again in March 1994 and passed with a larger margin.[9] In 1995, all Anti-LBGT local ordinances in Oregon were invalidated, when the Oregon Supreme Court upheld House Bill 3500.[10]

Junction City gained media attention from major news outlets such as CNN, Fox News, and The Today Show in 2003,[14][15] when a number of local men posed in the nude for "The Men of the Long Tom Grange Calendar"[16] to raise money for the local school district. The project raised over $265,000 for local schools and brought national attention to the issue of school funding.[17]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.36 square miles (6.11 km2), all of it land.[18]

Climate

This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 °F (22 °C). According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Junction City has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.[19]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1880428—
1900506—
191075950.0%
1920687−9.5%
193092234.2%
19401,18728.7%
19501,47524.3%
19601,6149.4%
19702,37347.0%
19803,32039.9%
19903,67010.5%
20005,13239.8%
20105,3925.1%
20206,78725.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[20][2]

2020 census

As of the 2020 Census[21], there were 6,787 people in the city and the population density was 2,065 inhabitants per square mile (797.3/km2). There were 2,704 housing units at an occupancy rate of 96.2%. The racial makeup of the city was 92.2% White, 1.7% Black or African American, 5.2% Native American, 2.4% Asian, 0.5% Pacific Islander, and 7.5% from other races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.9% of the population.

2010 census

As of the census[22] of 2010, there were 5,392 people, 2,184 households, and 1,394 families living in the city. The population density was 2,284.7 inhabitants per square mile (882.1/km2). There were 2,323 housing units at an average density of 984.3 per square mile (380.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 90.4% White, 0.7% African American, 1.3% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.7% from other races, and 3.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.0% of the population.

There were 2,184 households, of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.0% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.2% were non-families. 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.93.

The median age in the city was 36 years. 25% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.4% were from 25 to 44; 24.4% were from 45 to 64; and 15.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.8% male and 52.2% female.

2000 census

As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 4,721 people, 1,823 households, and 1,170 families living in the city. The population density was 3,405.1 people per square mile (1,311.4/km2). There were 1,921 housing units at an average density of 1,385.5 per square mile (533.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 91.21% White, 0.30% African American, 1.23% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 3.66% from other races, and 2.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.28% of the population. There were 1,823 households, out of which 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.5% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.8% were non-families. 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the city, the population was 27.1% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,347, and the median income for a family was $43,875. Males had a median income of $31,044 versus $21,757 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,155. About 6.3% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.7% of those under age 18 and 14.5% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

A single-level blue building with a triangular roof and a handicapped ramp. The word "library" pained on the side vertically.
Junction City, OR Municipal Library

Junction City is home to a large and eclectic farming community, the bulk of which is made up of several large family-owned farms.[citation needed] Lochmead Farms, one of the largest privately owned dairy farms in the Pacific Northwest,[citation needed] is owned and operated by the Gibson family. Stroda Farms, a high-volume Christmas tree and general crop farm, is privately owned and operated by the Stroda family. The city was the home of Country Coach, a large luxury motorcoach manufacturer, which went bankrupt in November 2009. It was also the home of Monaco Coach Corporation prior to their move to nearby Coburg. In March 2015, the Oregon State Hospital opened a Junction City Campus with the capacity to serve 174 people with mental illness.[23]

Annual events

A car show in Junction City
  • Junction City is home to the Scandinavian Festival, an annual four-day event which pays homage to the cultures of Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Iceland; held mid-August.[24]
  • The Daffodil Drive Festival is a two-day event held each year in mid-March. It features a 6-mile (9.7 km) drive along Ferguson Road, which leads to the Long Tom Grange, where visitors can purchase daffodil bulbs and other goods.[25][26]

Education

The city is served by the Junction City School District, which includes Junction City High School.

Notable people

References

  1. ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved Oct 12, 2022.
  3. ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2021-07-09. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  4. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Archived from the original on 2012-02-12. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  5. ^ a b c d "Junction City, OR History". Archived from the original on 2022-09-28. Retrieved 2022-12-10. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 2022-12-10 suggested (help)
  6. ^ "Names of Lane County Communities Reveal Interesting Histories, Anecdotes". Eugene Register-Guard. January 4, 1942. p. 4. Archived from the original on January 2, 2022. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  7. ^ Rasmussen, Gerald; Larsen, Otto (1998). "Oregon Danish Colony: Ethnic Assimilation In Junction City, 1902-1952". The Bridge. 22 (2). Retrieved 2022-12-10.
  8. ^ "Faith Lutheran Church History". Archived from the original on 2022-12-10. Retrieved 2022-12-10. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 2022-12-11 suggested (help)
  9. ^ a b "Anti-Gay Ballot Initiatives Prior to Romer v. Evans". Archived from the original on 2022-12-10. Retrieved 2022-12-10.
  10. ^ a b c "Oregon's other gay record". Archived from the original on 2022-12-10. Retrieved 2022-12-10.
  11. ^ "Voters in Oregon Back Local Anti-Gay Rules". Retrieved 2022-12-10.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ^ "Lane County Elections Archive". Archived from the original on 2022-12-10. Retrieved 2022-12-10.
  13. ^ a b "Oral History Interview with Diane DePaolis". Archived from the original on 2022-12-10. Retrieved 2022-12-10.
  14. ^ "Men Drop Their Drawers for Local Schools". Fox News. 25 March 2015. Archived from the original on 2022-09-28. Retrieved 2016-01-15.
  15. ^ "Calendar Exposes School Financing Problems". www.educationworld.com. Archived from the original on 2015-09-30. Retrieved 2016-01-15.
  16. ^ "彩票赚钱团队--男子骂其他乘客还抢夺公交司机方向盘 被判刑3年". www.grangecalendar.com. Archived from the original on 2006-10-16. Retrieved 2006-06-14.
  17. ^ McGowan, Karen (August 4, 2006). "The naked truth: Calendar is back". Eugene Register-Guard. ProQuest 377814568.
  18. ^ "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2012-07-02. Retrieved 2012-12-21.
  19. ^ "Junction City, Oregon Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)". Weatherbase. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
  20. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Archived from the original on July 1, 2021. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  21. ^ "2020 Census Profiles Oregon Cities Alphabetically H - L" (PDF). Portland State University. Retrieved 2022-12-10.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  22. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2021-07-09. Retrieved 2012-12-21.
  23. ^ "Oregon State Hospital celebrates first anniversary of Junction City campus". Oregon Health Authority. March 15, 2016. Archived from the original on March 18, 2016. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  24. ^ "Junction City, Oregon's Scandinavian Festival Homepage". Archived from the original on 2012-03-17. Retrieved 2012-03-16.
  25. ^ "Daffodil Festival in Junction City Oregon sponsored by the Long Tom Grange". Archived from the original on 2016-06-23. Retrieved 2012-03-16.
  26. ^ Adeline Bash (March 16, 2012). "Festival blooms anew after disastrous year". Register-Guard. Retrieved 2012-03-16.
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