Independence, Oregon
Encyclopedia
44.853101°N 123.191388°W
Independence is a city in Polk County
, Oregon
, United States
, on the west bank of the Willamette River
along Oregon Route 51, and east of nearby Monmouth
. It is part of the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area
. Thirty square blocks of the oldest part of Independence form the National Register of Historic Places
-listed Independence Historic District
.
The population was 9,510 at the 2010 census.
. Elvin A. Thorp arrived in the Independence area in 1845 and staked a claim north of Ash Creek in June of that year. He platted a small townsite that later became known as "Thorp's Town of Independence" or the "Original Town of Independence", now known as "Old Town". It was named by Mrs. Thomas Burbank, wife of one of the earliest pioneers, who settled 2 miles (3.2 km) south of the city.
In 1847, Henry Hill came across the plains
looking for a level piece of ground on which to raise stock. On November 14, 1847, he found his location on the west bank of the Willamette River
(south of Ash Street) and marked off his donation land claim
, which was 1 miles (1.6 km) square. In 1867, after returning from the California gold mines
, Hill platted 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) for a townsite, thereafter to be referred to as Henry Hill's Town of Independence. The city charter bill of February 26, 1885, incorporated E.A. Thorp's Independence and Henry Hill's Independence. Henry Hill Elementary School was named in honor of the latter.
Independence thrived as a shipping point, by both rail and boat
, for agricultural products and lumber until the 1950s. The city was known for its hops
production from the 1890s through the 1940s, hosting a festival called the "Hops Fiesta" from the early 1930s to the mid-1950s. When hop production began to decline in the early 1950s, the city's fortunes began to decline.
Downtown Independence was bypassed by major freeways in the 1960s, though the period saw an alternative form of transportation enabled by the construction of the Independence State Airport
, which was dedicated on August 14, 1964.
, the city has a total area of 2.4 square miles (6.2 km²), of which, 2.3 square miles (6 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (3.72%) is water.
of 2000, there were 6,035 people, 1,994 households, and 1,425 families residing in the city. The population density
was 2,585.8 people per square mile (1,000.1/km²). There were 2,131 housing units at an average density of 913.1 per square mile (353.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 73.69% White, 1.49% Native American, 0.58% Asian, 0.41% African American, 0.36% Pacific Islander, 19.64% from other races
, and 3.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 30.12% of the population.
There were 1,994 households out of which 38.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.0% were married couples
living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.5% were non-families. 18.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.98 and the average family size was 3.41.
In the city the population was spread out with 30.5% under the age of 18, 14.1% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 9.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 96.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,790, and the median income for a family was $40,466. Males had a median income of $30,253 versus $22,527 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $13,933
. About 14.6% of families and 16.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.5% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.
Independence is a city in Polk County
Polk County, Oregon
Polk County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county is named for James Knox Polk, the 11th president of the United States. In 2010, its population was 75,403. The seat of the county is Dallas....
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, on the west bank of the Willamette River
Willamette River
The Willamette River is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States...
along Oregon Route 51, and east of nearby Monmouth
Monmouth, Oregon
- History :Monmouth was settled in 1853 by a group of pioneers who made a point of allocating to build both a city and a "college under the auspices of the Christian Church" and proceeds from the sale of these lands were used to found Monmouth University. By the early 1880s the college fell on...
. It is part of the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area
Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area
The Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area , as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of two counties in western Oregon, Marion and Polk. The principal city is Salem, the state capital, which has a population of 154,637. As of the 2010 census, there were 390,738 people...
. Thirty square blocks of the oldest part of Independence form the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
-listed Independence Historic District
Independence Historic District (Independence, Oregon)
Independence Historic District in Independence, Oregon, United States is a historic district that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989...
.
The population was 9,510 at the 2010 census.
History
Independence was founded by pioneers who migrated from Independence, MissouriIndependence, Missouri
Independence is the fourth largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri, and is contained within the counties of Jackson and Clay. It is part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area...
. Elvin A. Thorp arrived in the Independence area in 1845 and staked a claim north of Ash Creek in June of that year. He platted a small townsite that later became known as "Thorp's Town of Independence" or the "Original Town of Independence", now known as "Old Town". It was named by Mrs. Thomas Burbank, wife of one of the earliest pioneers, who settled 2 miles (3.2 km) south of the city.
In 1847, Henry Hill came across the plains
Great Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
looking for a level piece of ground on which to raise stock. On November 14, 1847, he found his location on the west bank of the Willamette River
Willamette River
The Willamette River is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States...
(south of Ash Street) and marked off his donation land claim
Donation Land Claim Act
The Donation Land Claim Act of 1850 was a statute enacted by the United States Congress intended to promote homestead settlement in the Oregon Territory in the Pacific Northwest...
, which was 1 miles (1.6 km) square. In 1867, after returning from the California gold mines
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
, Hill platted 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) for a townsite, thereafter to be referred to as Henry Hill's Town of Independence. The city charter bill of February 26, 1885, incorporated E.A. Thorp's Independence and Henry Hill's Independence. Henry Hill Elementary School was named in honor of the latter.
Independence thrived as a shipping point, by both rail and boat
Steamboats of the Willamette River
The Willamette River flows northwards down the Willamette Valley until it meets the Columbia River at a point 101 miles from the Pacific Ocean, in the U.S. state of Oregon.-Route and early operations:...
, for agricultural products and lumber until the 1950s. The city was known for its hops
Hops
Hops are the female flower clusters , of a hop species, Humulus lupulus. They are used primarily as a flavoring and stability agent in beer, to which they impart a bitter, tangy flavor, though hops are also used for various purposes in other beverages and herbal medicine...
production from the 1890s through the 1940s, hosting a festival called the "Hops Fiesta" from the early 1930s to the mid-1950s. When hop production began to decline in the early 1950s, the city's fortunes began to decline.
Downtown Independence was bypassed by major freeways in the 1960s, though the period saw an alternative form of transportation enabled by the construction of the Independence State Airport
Independence State Airport
Independence State Airport is a public-use airport located one mile northwest of the central business district of Independence, a city in Polk County, Oregon, United States. It is owned by the Oregon Department of Aviation....
, which was dedicated on August 14, 1964.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 2.4 square miles (6.2 km²), of which, 2.3 square miles (6 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (3.72%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 6,035 people, 1,994 households, and 1,425 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,585.8 people per square mile (1,000.1/km²). There were 2,131 housing units at an average density of 913.1 per square mile (353.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 73.69% White, 1.49% Native American, 0.58% Asian, 0.41% African American, 0.36% Pacific Islander, 19.64% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 3.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 30.12% of the population.
There were 1,994 households out of which 38.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.0% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.5% were non-families. 18.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.98 and the average family size was 3.41.
In the city the population was spread out with 30.5% under the age of 18, 14.1% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 9.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 96.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,790, and the median income for a family was $40,466. Males had a median income of $30,253 versus $22,527 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $13,933
Oregon locations by per capita income
The following is a list of Oregon counties and places in order of per capita income.Oregon has the twenty-third highest per capita income in the United States of America, at $20,940 . Its personal per capita income is $29,340 ....
. About 14.6% of families and 16.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.5% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.
External links
- Entry for Independence in the Oregon Blue BookOregon Blue BookThe Oregon Blue Book is the official directory and fact book for the U.S. state of Oregon copyrighted by the Oregon Secretary of State and published by the Office of the Secretary's Archives Division. As Governor Ted Kulongoski notes in his introduction for the 2005–2006 edition, it "provides...