Orenco, Oregon
Encyclopedia
Orenco is a former company town
in Washington County
, Oregon
, United States
, located between Hillsboro
and Aloha
. The former community of Orenco now forms the Orenco neighborhood in Hillsboro, which is the site of the Orenco Station housing development.
The community was established in 1905 as a company town by the Oregon Nursery Company
, within a 1200 acre (4.9 km2) area owned by the company. The name Orenco is a composite of the company's initials. The Oregon Electric Railway
established Orenco Station in 1908, and Orenco post office operated from 1909 to 1963. Of the original town, the church, a gas station, general store, and many original dwellings are still standing today. The Oregon Nursery Company shut down during the depression. Orenco later became part of Hillsboro. The company was responsible for introducing the Orenco Apple, a dessert apple, in the early 20th Century.
, with Rock Creek and other smaller streams running through the area. Major roads in the area include U.S. Route 26, Cornelius Pass Road, Cornell Road, NW 231st Avenue, and Baseline Road.
Orenco's approximate location is northeast Hillsboro, north of Baseline Road, south of Cornell Road, west of Cornelius Pass Road
, and east of Shute Road.
pioneers first arrived in the Orenco area in the mid-1850s, after the Donation Land Claim Act
of 1850 encouraged settler
s to travel to Oregon. The Orenco area was cleared by Chinese laborers employed by a number of local farmers.
At the turn of the century Archibald McGill and Malcolm McDonald formed the Oregon Nursery Company
. In May 1906, the Oregon Nursery Company purchased 170 acre (0.6879662 km²) in Washington County, Oregon
where they would begin building a large nursery operation. In 1908, the town of Orenco was founded with the suggestion of the name coming from Anna Lisky McNew. The townsite was largely on the Donation Land Claim of William H. Bennett. Also in 1908, the Oregon Electric Railway
began service on its line between Forest Grove
and Portland
. The Orenco school district was formed on December 21, split from the Shute school district. Many of the first families in the town were Hungarians the company recruited and relocated from the Eastern European country. In 1909, the Orenco Presbyterian Church was founded in June. By 1910 the town had grown to over 500 residents and on December 6 the community organized a volunteer fire department.
H. V. Meade began printing the town’s paper, the Orenco Herald in 1914. The next year Orenco built its city hall
that contained both the fire department and a jail. Enrollment at the school district reached 169 students by 1913. On January 6, 1913, the residents voted to incorporate the community. At this time the city consisted of a dry goods store, a hotel, two grocery stores, a blacksmith shop, a hardware store, a lumber yard, ice cream parlor, and a printing shop. Services in the town were water, sewer, telephones, electricity, street lighting, and a third-class post office
.
In 1924, the city was the setting for a movie about the North-West Mounted Police by a Beaverton film studio
. The Oregon Electric Railway closed its train depot in the town in August 1928. Then in 1929, the Great Depression
helped lead to the dissolution of the Oregon Nursery Company. With this many other businesses shut down and many residents moved away and in 1938, residents voted to dissolve the municipal corporation
.
Oregon Nursery Company founder Malcolm McDonald's home is still located on the north end of the property that was formerly The Orenco Woods Golf Course. The golf course, which opened in 1953 and was owned and operated by the Hillsboro Elks
Lodge, until it was sold to developers and closed in 2006.
45.5287°N 122.911°W
Company town
A company town is a town or city in which much or all real estate, buildings , utilities, hospitals, small businesses such as grocery stores and gas stations, and other necessities or luxuries of life within its borders are owned by a single company...
in Washington County
Washington County, Oregon
- Major highways :* Interstate 5* Interstate 205* U.S. Route 26* Oregon Route 6* Oregon Route 8* Oregon Route 10* Oregon Route 47* Oregon Route 99W* Oregon Route 210* Oregon Route 217* Oregon Route 219-Demographics:...
, 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...
, located between Hillsboro
Hillsboro, Oregon
Hillsboro is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and is the county seat of Washington County. Lying in the Tualatin Valley on the west side of the Portland metropolitan area, the city is home to many high-technology companies, such as Intel, that compose what has become known as the...
and Aloha
Aloha, Oregon
Aloha is a census-designated place and an unincorporated community in Washington County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 49,425.-History:...
. The former community of Orenco now forms the Orenco neighborhood in Hillsboro, which is the site of the Orenco Station housing development.
The community was established in 1905 as a company town by the Oregon Nursery Company
Oregon Nursery Company
The Oregon Nursery Company was a nursery company founded and originally operated in Salem, Oregon, United States. The company later expanded to a site in Washington County, Oregon west of Portland. The entire operation was eventually moved to Washington County, where the company founded the town...
, within a 1200 acre (4.9 km2) area owned by the company. The name Orenco is a composite of the company's initials. The Oregon Electric Railway
Oregon Electric Railway
The Oregon Electric Railway was an interurban railroad line in the U.S. state of Oregon that linked Portland to Eugene. Service from Portland to Salem, Oregon, began in 1907. The Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway purchased the system in 1910, and extended service to Eugene in 1912...
established Orenco Station in 1908, and Orenco post office operated from 1909 to 1963. Of the original town, the church, a gas station, general store, and many original dwellings are still standing today. The Oregon Nursery Company shut down during the depression. Orenco later became part of Hillsboro. The company was responsible for introducing the Orenco Apple, a dessert apple, in the early 20th Century.
Geography
Orenco is located in the Tualatin ValleyTualatin Valley
The Tualatin Valley is a farming and suburban region southwest of Portland, Oregon in the United States. The valley is formed by the meandering Tualatin River, a tributary of the Willamette River at the northwest corner of the Willamette Valley, east of the Northern Oregon Coast Range...
, with Rock Creek and other smaller streams running through the area. Major roads in the area include U.S. Route 26, Cornelius Pass Road, Cornell Road, NW 231st Avenue, and Baseline Road.
Orenco's approximate location is northeast Hillsboro, north of Baseline Road, south of Cornell Road, west of Cornelius Pass Road
Cornelius Pass Road
Cornelius Pass Road is an arterial road over Cornelius Pass in the Tualatin Mountains west of Portland, Oregon, USA. Running north–south, the road stretches between U.S. Route 30 on the north and Oregon Route 8 on the south...
, and east of Shute Road.
History
European AmericanEuropean American
A European American is a citizen or resident of the United States who has origins in any of the original peoples of Europe...
pioneers first arrived in the Orenco area in the mid-1850s, after the Donation Land Claim Act
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...
of 1850 encouraged settler
Settler
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. Settlers are generally people who take up residence on land and cultivate it, as opposed to nomads...
s to travel to Oregon. The Orenco area was cleared by Chinese laborers employed by a number of local farmers.
At the turn of the century Archibald McGill and Malcolm McDonald formed the Oregon Nursery Company
Oregon Nursery Company
The Oregon Nursery Company was a nursery company founded and originally operated in Salem, Oregon, United States. The company later expanded to a site in Washington County, Oregon west of Portland. The entire operation was eventually moved to Washington County, where the company founded the town...
. In May 1906, the Oregon Nursery Company purchased 170 acre (0.6879662 km²) in Washington County, Oregon
Washington County, Oregon
- Major highways :* Interstate 5* Interstate 205* U.S. Route 26* Oregon Route 6* Oregon Route 8* Oregon Route 10* Oregon Route 47* Oregon Route 99W* Oregon Route 210* Oregon Route 217* Oregon Route 219-Demographics:...
where they would begin building a large nursery operation. In 1908, the town of Orenco was founded with the suggestion of the name coming from Anna Lisky McNew. The townsite was largely on the Donation Land Claim of William H. Bennett. Also in 1908, the Oregon Electric Railway
Oregon Electric Railway
The Oregon Electric Railway was an interurban railroad line in the U.S. state of Oregon that linked Portland to Eugene. Service from Portland to Salem, Oregon, began in 1907. The Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway purchased the system in 1910, and extended service to Eugene in 1912...
began service on its line between Forest Grove
Forest Grove, Oregon
Forest Grove is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States, west of Portland. Originally a small farm town, it is now primarily a bedroom suburb of Portland. Settled in the 1840s, the town was platted in 1850 and then incorporated in 1872 and was the first city in Washington County...
and Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. The Orenco school district was formed on December 21, split from the Shute school district. Many of the first families in the town were Hungarians the company recruited and relocated from the Eastern European country. In 1909, the Orenco Presbyterian Church was founded in June. By 1910 the town had grown to over 500 residents and on December 6 the community organized a volunteer fire department.
H. V. Meade began printing the town’s paper, the Orenco Herald in 1914. The next year Orenco built its city hall
City hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall or a municipal building or civic centre, is the chief administrative building of a city...
that contained both the fire department and a jail. Enrollment at the school district reached 169 students by 1913. On January 6, 1913, the residents voted to incorporate the community. At this time the city consisted of a dry goods store, a hotel, two grocery stores, a blacksmith shop, a hardware store, a lumber yard, ice cream parlor, and a printing shop. Services in the town were water, sewer, telephones, electricity, street lighting, and a third-class post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
.
In 1924, the city was the setting for a movie about the North-West Mounted Police by a Beaverton film studio
Premium Picture Productions
Premium Picture Productions is a former movie studio located in Beaverton, Oregon which was active in the early 1920s. The studio produced approximately fifteen silent films, including the following:* Crashing Courage * Flames of Passion...
. The Oregon Electric Railway closed its train depot in the town in August 1928. Then in 1929, the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
helped lead to the dissolution of the Oregon Nursery Company. With this many other businesses shut down and many residents moved away and in 1938, residents voted to dissolve the municipal corporation
Municipal corporation
A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. Municipal incorporation occurs when such municipalities become self-governing entities under the laws of the state or province in which...
.
Oregon Nursery Company founder Malcolm McDonald's home is still located on the north end of the property that was formerly The Orenco Woods Golf Course. The golf course, which opened in 1953 and was owned and operated by the Hillsboro Elks
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks is an American fraternal order and social club founded in 1868...
Lodge, until it was sold to developers and closed in 2006.
Points of interest
- Orenco StationOrenco StationOrenco Station is a neighborhood of the city of Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. The planned urban town center was designed as a pedestrian friendly, high density community built in conjunction with TriMet’s Westside light rail...
is a smart growthSmart growthSmart growth is an urban planning and transportation theory that concentrates growth in compact walkable urban centers to avoid sprawl and advocates compact, transit-oriented, walkable, bicycle-friendly land use, including neighborhood schools, complete streets, and mixed-use development with a...
community in Hillsboro that takes its name from the former community of Orenco. - The Orenco/Northwest 231st AvenueOrenco/Northwest 231st Avenue (MAX station)Orenco/Northwest 231st Avenue is a light rail station in the MAX Light Rail system in Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. The station is the 14th stop westbound on the Westside MAX and is served by the Blue Line. Near the station is the award-winning Orenco Station mixed-use development, considered a...
on the MAX Blue LineMAX Blue LineThe MAX Blue Line is a 33 mile light rail line in the MAX Light Rail system in the Portland metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Oregon. Operated by TriMet, the line runs between Hillsboro and Gresham, via downtown Portland...
is named after the community and surrounding developments. - East-west running streets in the former community are all named after trees, and are in alphabetical order starting with Alder and ending with Fir.
- Imbrie FarmImbrie FarmImbrie Farm is an Italian Villa style home in Hillsboro, Oregon. It was built by Robert Imbrie and was a working farm for over a century. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977....
from the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
is located just north of Orenco. - The neighborhood contains Orenco Elementary school, part of the Hillsboro School DistrictHillsboro School DistrictThe Hillsboro School District 1J is a unified school district located in Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. The district operates 26 elementary schools, four middle schools, and four high schools. Founded in 1851, the school district covers Hillsboro, Scholls, Reedville, North Plains, West Union,...
. - The Hillsboro Elks LodgeBenevolent and Protective Order of ElksThe Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks is an American fraternal order and social club founded in 1868...
is located in Orenco. - In the vicinity are Intel's Ronler Acres facility and Hillsboro StadiumHillsboro StadiumHillsboro Stadium in Hillsboro, Oregon, United States is a multi-sport stadium owned by the city of Hillsboro. Opened in 1999, the award winning stadium is part of the Gordon Faber Recreation Complex located in the northeast part of the city adjacent to the Sunset Highway...
.
External links
- Orenco history from Orenco Elementary School
- Orenco history from Orenco Station
- Orenco Station article from terrain.org
45.5287°N 122.911°W