Woodburn, Oregon
Encyclopedia
Woodburn is a city in Marion County
, Oregon
, United States
. Incorporated in 1889, the community had been platted in 1871 after the arrival of the railroad. The city is located in the northern end of the Willamette Valley
along Interstate 5
between Portland
and Salem
. Oregon routes 211, 214, 219, and 99E also serve the city, as does a freight rail line from Union Pacific.
Woodburn is part of the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area
, and with a population of 24,080 at the 2010 census, it is the third most populous in that metropolitan area after Salem and Keizer
. Those who identify as Hispanic or Latino make up a majority of the population in the city. The Woodburn area also has a significant population of Russian Orthodox Old Believers
.
Originally, the area around Woodburn was inhabited by Native Americans of the Kalapuya tribes. After the Provisional Government of Oregon
set-up land claims in the Oregon Country
, the United States annexed much of the Pacific Northwest and established the Oregon Territory
in 1848. Congress then passed the Donation Land Claim Act
in 1850, and many earlier land claims became donation land claims.
Eli Cooley, Bradford S. Bonney, George Leisure, and Jean B. Ducharme all established donation land claims on the eastern part of the French Prairie
where Woodburn would later be founded. Cooley immigrated to Oregon in 1845, and Bonney established his land claim in 1849. Ducharme's land was sold off in 1862 in a foreclosure sale, with Mt. Angel farmer George Settlemier purchase the 214 acres (86.6 ha) on the cheap.
Settlemier had traveled west over the Oregon Trail
in 1849 and first settled in California
before moving north to Oregon in 1850. He settled in the Mt. Angel area where he was a successful nurseryman. Settlemier then moved to his new property in 1863 and established the Woodburn Nursery Company. Despite improvements to the land, including construction of his home, title in the land remained in doubt due to the purchase via a foreclosure sale.
During the litigation over title in the land, Settlemier borrowed money from capitalist William Reed
with the land as collateral. When Reed began to build a railroad through the area, he decided to run the line through what became Woodburn in anticipation of acquiring the land himself as he expected Settlemier to default on the mortgage. However, Settlemier did not default and eventually his case made it to the United States Supreme Court in Settlemier v. Sullivan, 97 U.S. 444 (1878), and he retained the land. Meanwhile, transportation baron Ben Holladay
also ran his Oregon and California Railroad
through what became Woodburn in 1871, at which time Settlemier platted the first four blocks of the town.
Originally, the town and station were called Halsey, but the name was changed to Woodburn due to the existence of Halsey, Oregon
, further down the valley. The name Woodburn came about after a slash burn that got out of control and burned down a nearby woodlot in the 1880s, after the railroad line had been laid through the area. A railroad official witnessed the fire and re-named the community. The city was incorporated by the Oregon Legislative Assembly
on February 20, 1889.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 5.4 square miles (14 km²), all of it land.
of 2010, there were 24,080 people and 8,283 housing units, of which 91.1% were occupied. The population density
was 4,485 people per square mile (1,721.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 63.7% White, 1% African American, 3.9% Native American, 1.5% Asian, 0.4% Pacific Islander, and 33.7% from other races
. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 58.9% of the population.
As of 2000, there were 6,274 households out of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.1% were married couples
living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.4% were non-families. 23.9% 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 3.11 and the average family size was 3.63.
In the city the population was spread out with 30.9% under the age of 18, and, as of 2000, 11.8% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 14.6% from 45 to 64, and 18.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 107.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.7 males.
As of 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $33,722, and the median income for a family was $36,730. Males had a median income of $21,702 versus $22,606 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $12,954. About 11.5% of families and 17.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.6% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.
. This Christian reformed church had escaped persecution from the official Russian Orthodox Church
and moved to the United States from Turkey
in the 1950s. Presence of this community is seen on the streets of Woodburn by women wearing long skirts and scarfs, and men with beards.
Also present in the city are communities of Russian Molokan
s, Doukhobor
s and recent refugees from the former USSR: Ukrainian and Russian Pentecostals and Baptists.
opened in Woodburn. This is an outlet mall with many name-brand clothing companies represented, including Adidas
, Nike
, Gap, and Banana Republic.
is on Oregon Route 99E on the outskirts of Woodburn, in which young delinquent and criminal males are incarcerated. Kip Kinkel
(who murdered his parents, and was an active shooter
in Thurston High School
in Springfield, OR) was incarcerated at MacLaren until June 11, 2007 when he was transferred to the Oregon State Correctional Institute.
Willamette Ballet Academy
was founded in 1982.
Scenes from 2007 Hallmark Hall of Fame
production "The Valley of Light", starring Chris Klein
, were filmed in Woodburn.
, the Jesse H. Settlemier House
is a museum located on Settlemier Avenue.
The World's Berry Center Museum was founded in the early 1980s. The World's Berry Center Museum occasionally produces plays by Miracle Theater
.
La Fiesta Mexicana is the most important Hispanic event in the area. Each fiesta should include a queen; Francisca Gonzalez was the first selected to received this honor in the first fiesta in 1964. It was a one-day event that was held in downtown Woodburn. Forty-five years later, the event grew more popular and now it currently lasts close to a week. One of the main reasons this event happened was that the ranchers and merchants recognized the importance of the new bicultural relationship with the increased Hispanic population in the area.
is a 1/4-mile National Hot Rod Association
(NHRA) dragstrip that annually hosts an event on the NHRA Lucas Oil Series. It is located about 2 miles (3 km) west of Woodburn on Oregon Highway 219.
The Oregon Golf Association (OGA) Golf Course
in Woodburn is a public course, rated by Golf Digest
in 1996 as one of the top 10 affordable courses in the United States. It routinely hosts many large amateur and high school events in the state.
includes the following small schools
: the Wellness, Business and Sports School, the Woodburn Academy of Art, Science and Technology, the Academy of International Studies at Woodburn, and the Woodburn Arts and Communications Academy. Woodburn Success High School is the district's alternative high school, serving grades 7–12.
Chemeketa Community College
has a satellite campus
in Woodburn.
is a weekly community newspaper serving the immediate area. The region is also served by the larger Statesman Journal
daily newspaper based in Salem and the state's largest newspaper The Oregonian
based in Portland.
Woodburn is home to two radio stations. KWBY
broadcasts a regional Mexican format and is owned by 94 Country, Inc. It transmits as "La Pantera" 940 AM. KPCN-LP
is a low power community radio
station owned and operated by Oregon's largest farmworker union, los Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN
). The station was built by volunteers from Woodburn and around the country in August 2006 at the tenth Prometheus Radio Project
barnraising. KPCN broadcasts music, news, and public affairs to listeners in Spanish and several indigenous Latin American languages. It transmits as "Radio Movimiento" 95.9 FM with the slogan "La Voz del Pueblo."
vans for reserve by the elderly and disabled during weekdays within the local area and, for medical appointments, anywhere between Portland and Salem.
Other public bus systems making stops in Woodburn are CARTS (Chemeketa Area Regional Transportation System), administered by Oregon Housing and Associated Services, Inc. (OHAS) in Salem, and CAT (Canby Area Transit
), run by the city of Canby. Both also only operate during non-holiday weekdays.
Greyhound
buses also stop in the city. No commuter trains serve Woodburn, although they run through the city.
(born 1958), a 1975 graduate of Woodburn High School
and a 1984 Oregon State University
alum, was the first American woman to summit Mount Everest
during her second attempt on September 29, 1988. That same year, when Woodburn Mayor Nancy Kirksey declared November 17 "Stacy Allison Day," she visited and spoke at several Woodburn venues and attended ceremonies when a street in the city, Stacy Allison Way, was dedicated to her.
Kat Bjelland
of the punk band Babes in Toyland
, grew up in Woodburn. Her first performance was at the now-closed tavern Flight 99.
Marion County, Oregon
Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It was originally named the Champooick District, after Champoeg, a meeting place on the Willamette River. On September 3, 1849, the territorial legislature renamed it in honor of Francis Marion, a Continental Army general of the...
, 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...
. Incorporated in 1889, the community had been platted in 1871 after the arrival of the railroad. The city is located in the northern end of the Willamette Valley
Willamette Valley
The Willamette Valley is the most populated region in the state of Oregon of the United States. Located in the state's northwest, the region is surrounded by tall mountain ranges to the east, west and south and the valley's floor is broad, flat and fertile because of Ice Age conditions...
along Interstate 5
Interstate 5 in Oregon
In the U.S. state of Oregon, Interstate 5 traverses the state from north to south, passing through the major cities of Portland, Salem, Eugene, and Medford.-Route description:...
between 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...
and Salem
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
. Oregon routes 211, 214, 219, and 99E also serve the city, as does a freight rail line from Union Pacific.
Woodburn 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...
, and with a population of 24,080 at the 2010 census, it is the third most populous in that metropolitan area after Salem and Keizer
Keizer, Oregon
Keizer is a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States, along the 45th parallel. It was named for Thomas Dove and John Brooks Keizer, two pioneers who arrived in the Wagon Train of 1843, and later filed donation land claims. The population was 36,278 at the 2010 census...
. Those who identify as Hispanic or Latino make up a majority of the population in the city. The Woodburn area also has a significant population of Russian Orthodox Old Believers
Old Believers
In the context of Russian Orthodox church history, the Old Believers separated after 1666 from the official Russian Orthodox Church as a protest against church reforms introduced by Patriarch Nikon between 1652–66...
.
History
Provisional Government of Oregon
The Provisional Government of Oregon was a popularly elected government created in the Oregon Country, in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. It existed from May 2, 1843 until March 3, 1849. Created at a time when no country had sovereignty over the region, this independent government...
set-up land claims in the Oregon Country
Oregon Country
The Oregon Country was a predominantly American term referring to a disputed ownership region of the Pacific Northwest of North America. The region was occupied by British and French Canadian fur traders from before 1810, and American settlers from the mid-1830s, with its coastal areas north from...
, the United States annexed much of the Pacific Northwest and established the Oregon Territory
Oregon Territory
The Territory of Oregon was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 14, 1848, until February 14, 1859, when the southwestern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Oregon. Originally claimed by several countries , the region was...
in 1848. Congress then passed 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...
in 1850, and many earlier land claims became donation land claims.
Eli Cooley, Bradford S. Bonney, George Leisure, and Jean B. Ducharme all established donation land claims on the eastern part of the French Prairie
French Prairie
French Prairie is a prairie located in Marion County, Oregon, United States, in the Willamette Valley between the Willamette River and the Pudding River, north of Salem...
where Woodburn would later be founded. Cooley immigrated to Oregon in 1845, and Bonney established his land claim in 1849. Ducharme's land was sold off in 1862 in a foreclosure sale, with Mt. Angel farmer George Settlemier purchase the 214 acres (86.6 ha) on the cheap.
Settlemier had traveled west over the Oregon Trail
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail is a historic east-west wagon route that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon and locations in between.After 1840 steam-powered riverboats and steamboats traversing up and down the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers sped settlement and development in the flat...
in 1849 and first settled in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
before moving north to Oregon in 1850. He settled in the Mt. Angel area where he was a successful nurseryman. Settlemier then moved to his new property in 1863 and established the Woodburn Nursery Company. Despite improvements to the land, including construction of his home, title in the land remained in doubt due to the purchase via a foreclosure sale.
During the litigation over title in the land, Settlemier borrowed money from capitalist William Reed
William Reed
William Reed was a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts.Born in Marblehead, Massachusetts, Reed received a limited education. He engaged in mercantile pursuits....
with the land as collateral. When Reed began to build a railroad through the area, he decided to run the line through what became Woodburn in anticipation of acquiring the land himself as he expected Settlemier to default on the mortgage. However, Settlemier did not default and eventually his case made it to the United States Supreme Court in Settlemier v. Sullivan, 97 U.S. 444 (1878), and he retained the land. Meanwhile, transportation baron Ben Holladay
Ben Holladay
Benjamin "Ben" Holladay was an American transportation businessman known as the "Stagecoach King" until his routes were taken over by Wells Fargo in 1866...
also ran his Oregon and California Railroad
Oregon and California Railroad
The Oregon and California Railroad was formed from the Oregon Central Railroad when it was the first to operate a stretch south of Portland in 1869. This qualified the Railroad for land grants in California, whereupon the name of the railroad soon changed to Oregon & California Rail Road Company...
through what became Woodburn in 1871, at which time Settlemier platted the first four blocks of the town.
Originally, the town and station were called Halsey, but the name was changed to Woodburn due to the existence of Halsey, Oregon
Halsey, Oregon
Halsey is a city in Linn County, Oregon, United States. The population was 724 at the 2000 census.-History:The city was founded in 1872, and legally incorporated by the Oregon Legislative Assembly on October 20, 1876. The city takes its name from William L...
, further down the valley. The name Woodburn came about after a slash burn that got out of control and burned down a nearby woodlot in the 1880s, after the railroad line had been laid through the area. A railroad official witnessed the fire and re-named the community. The city was incorporated by the Oregon Legislative Assembly
Oregon Legislative Assembly
The Oregon Legislative Assembly is the state legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. The Legislative Assembly is bicameral, consisting of an upper and lower house: the Senate, whose 30 members are elected to serve four-year terms; and the House of Representatives, with 60 members elected to...
on February 20, 1889.
Geography
United 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 5.4 square miles (14 km²), all of it land.
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 2010, there were 24,080 people and 8,283 housing units, of which 91.1% were occupied. 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 4,485 people per square mile (1,721.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 63.7% White, 1% African American, 3.9% Native American, 1.5% Asian, 0.4% Pacific Islander, and 33.7% 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...
. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 58.9% of the population.
As of 2000, there were 6,274 households out of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.1% 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, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.4% were non-families. 23.9% 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 3.11 and the average family size was 3.63.
In the city the population was spread out with 30.9% under the age of 18, and, as of 2000, 11.8% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 14.6% from 45 to 64, and 18.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 107.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.7 males.
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 $12,954. About 11.5% of families and 17.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.6% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.
Old Believers
Woodburn is home for a sizable community of Russian Orthodox Old BelieversOld Believers
In the context of Russian Orthodox church history, the Old Believers separated after 1666 from the official Russian Orthodox Church as a protest against church reforms introduced by Patriarch Nikon between 1652–66...
. This Christian reformed church had escaped persecution from the official Russian Orthodox Church
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
and moved to the United States from Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
in the 1950s. Presence of this community is seen on the streets of Woodburn by women wearing long skirts and scarfs, and men with beards.
Also present in the city are communities of Russian Molokan
Molokan
Molokans are sectarian Christians who evolved from "Spiritual Christian" Russian peasants that refused to obey the Russian Orthodox Church, beginning in the 17th century...
s, Doukhobor
Doukhobor
The Doukhobors or Dukhobors , earlierDukhobortsy are a group of Russian origin.The Doukhobors were one of the sects - later defined as a religious philosophy, ethnic group, social movement, or simply a "way of life" - known generically as Spiritual Christianity. The origin of the Doukhobors is...
s and recent refugees from the former USSR: Ukrainian and Russian Pentecostals and Baptists.
Woodburn Company Stores
In August 1999, Woodburn Company StoresWoodburn Company Stores
Woodburn Company Stores is an outlet mall in Woodburn, Oregon, United States. The complex, located between the cities of Portland and Salem on Interstate 5, opened in 1999. Owned and operated by Craig Realty Group, the center has over of retail space....
opened in Woodburn. This is an outlet mall with many name-brand clothing companies represented, including Adidas
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
, Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
, Gap, and Banana Republic.
MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility
MacLaren Youth Correctional FacilityMacLaren Youth Correctional Facility
MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility is a correctional facility in Woodburn, Oregon, United States. It is administered by the Oregon Youth Authority...
is on Oregon Route 99E on the outskirts of Woodburn, in which young delinquent and criminal males are incarcerated. Kip Kinkel
Kip Kinkel
Kipland Philip "Kip" Kinkel is an American spree killer. In May 1998, at the age of 15, he murdered his parents and engaged in a school shooting at Thurston High School in Springfield, Oregon that left two students dead and 22 others wounded...
(who murdered his parents, and was an active shooter
Active shooter
An active shooter is defined as "... an armed person who has used deadly physical force on other persons and continues to do so while having unrestricted access to additional victims."...
in Thurston High School
Thurston High School
Thurston High School is a public high school located in the Thurston area of Springfield, Oregon, United States.-Academics:In 2008, 80% of the school's seniors received their high school diploma...
in Springfield, OR) was incarcerated at MacLaren until June 11, 2007 when he was transferred to the Oregon State Correctional Institute.
Arts and culture
Willamette Ballet Academy
Willamette Ballet Academy is the only ballet school in the small town of Woodburn, Oregon. It was founded in 1982 by Rick and Deborah van Winkle . Classes are structured in accordance to the Vaganova and Cecchetti ballet techniques. The academy provides a serious program for pre-professionals and...
was founded in 1982.
Scenes from 2007 Hallmark Hall of Fame
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Hallmark Hall of Fame is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City based greeting card company. The second longest-running television program in the history of television, it has a historically long run, beginning in 1951 and continuing into 2011...
production "The Valley of Light", starring Chris Klein
Chris Klein (actor)
Frederick Christopher "Chris" Klein is an American movie actor. He is perhaps best known for playing Chris "Oz" Ostreicher in the 1999 film American Pie and its sequel American Pie 2.-Early life:...
, were filmed in Woodburn.
Museums and other points of interest
Listed in 1974 on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational 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...
, the Jesse H. Settlemier House
Jesse H. Settlemier House
Jesse H. Settlemier House is a historic house in Woodburn, Oregon, United States. It was built by Jesse H. Settlemier, founder of Woodburn, in 1892. The house is no longer inhabited but is open to the public as a museum and as a location for special events such as weddings. The house is listed on...
is a museum located on Settlemier Avenue.
The World's Berry Center Museum was founded in the early 1980s. The World's Berry Center Museum occasionally produces plays by Miracle Theater
Miracle Theater
Miracle Theatre, sometimes known by the Spanish translation of its name Teatro Milagro, is the only Hispanic theater production company in the Pacific Northwest. Its home is in Portland, Oregon, United States, though it often tours regionally and nationally...
.
La Fiesta Mexicana is the most important Hispanic event in the area. Each fiesta should include a queen; Francisca Gonzalez was the first selected to received this honor in the first fiesta in 1964. It was a one-day event that was held in downtown Woodburn. Forty-five years later, the event grew more popular and now it currently lasts close to a week. One of the main reasons this event happened was that the ranchers and merchants recognized the importance of the new bicultural relationship with the increased Hispanic population in the area.
Sports
The Woodburn DragstripWoodburn Dragstrip
The Woodburn Dragstrip is a quarter-mile NHRA dragstrip located in Woodburn, Oregon.Woodburn Dragstrip opened in June of 1961 as an 1/8-mile dragstrip operated by the Multnomah Hot Rod Council and the Northwest Timing Association. In 1963, the track was lengthened to provide for 1/4-mile drag racing...
is a 1/4-mile National Hot Rod Association
National Hot Rod Association
The National Hot Rod Association is a drag racing governing body, which sets rules in drag racing and host events all over the United States and Canada...
(NHRA) dragstrip that annually hosts an event on the NHRA Lucas Oil Series. It is located about 2 miles (3 km) west of Woodburn on Oregon Highway 219.
The Oregon Golf Association (OGA) Golf Course
OGA Golf Course
The Oregon Golf Association Golf Course is a public golf course located in Woodburn, Oregon. The course was rated by Golf Digest in 1996 as a "One of the Top Ten Affordable Courses in the US." It is located at ....
in Woodburn is a public course, rated by Golf Digest
Golf Digest
Golf Digest is a monthly golf magazine published by Condé Nast Publications in the United States. It is a generalist golf publication covering recreational golf and men's and women's competitive golf. Condé Nast Publications also publishes the more specialized , and Golf World Business. The...
in 1996 as one of the top 10 affordable courses in the United States. It routinely hosts many large amateur and high school events in the state.
Education
Woodburn is served by the Woodburn School District, which includes four elementary schools and two middle schools. Woodburn High SchoolWoodburn High School
Woodburn High School is a four year public high school in Woodburn, Oregon, United States.-Academics:Via funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the WHS campus is divided into four smaller schools:*Academy of International Studies...
includes the following small schools
Small schools movement
The small schools movement, also known as the Small Schools Initiative, in the United States of America holds that many high schools are too large and should be reorganized into smaller, autonomous schools of no more than 400 students, and optimally under 200. Many private schools of under 200...
: the Wellness, Business and Sports School, the Woodburn Academy of Art, Science and Technology, the Academy of International Studies at Woodburn, and the Woodburn Arts and Communications Academy. Woodburn Success High School is the district's alternative high school, serving grades 7–12.
Chemeketa Community College
Chemeketa Community College
Chemeketa Community College is a community college located in Salem, Oregon, with smaller campuses in McMinnville, Dallas, Brooks, and Woodburn, and the Northwest Viticulture Center in Eola...
has a satellite campus
Satellite campus
A satellite campus or branch campus is a campus of a college or university that is physically detached from the main university or college area, and is often smaller than the main campus of an institution....
in Woodburn.
Media
The Woodburn IndependentWoodburn Independent
The Woodburn Independent is a bi-weekly paper published in Woodburn, Oregon, United States, and also covering the cities of Hubbard, Aurora, Donald, Gervais, St. Paul and Mt. Angel, and the surrounding area of Marion County. The Independent was founded in 1888...
is a weekly community newspaper serving the immediate area. The region is also served by the larger Statesman Journal
Statesman Journal
The Statesman Journal is the major daily newspaper published in Salem, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1851, the Oregon Statesman later merged with the Capital Journal to form the current newspaper, the second-oldest in Oregon. The Statesman Journal is distributed in Salem, Keizer, and much of...
daily newspaper based in Salem and the state's largest newspaper The Oregonian
The Oregonian
The Oregonian is the major daily newspaper in Portland, Oregon, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850...
based in Portland.
Woodburn is home to two radio stations. KWBY
KWBY
KWBY is a radio station broadcasting a Regional Mexican format. Licensed to Woodburn, Oregon, USA, it serves the Portland OR area. The station is currently owned by 94 Country, Inc....
broadcasts a regional Mexican format and is owned by 94 Country, Inc. It transmits as "La Pantera" 940 AM. KPCN-LP
KPCN-LP
KPCN-LP is a low-power FM radio station licensed to serve Woodburn, Oregon, USA. The station, launched in 2006, is owned by Pineros Y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste ....
is a low power community radio
Community radio
Community radio is a type of radio service, that offers a third model of radio broadcasting beyond commercial broadcasting and public broadcasting. Community stations can serve geographic communities and communities of interest...
station owned and operated by Oregon's largest farmworker union, los Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN
PCUN
Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste , more commonly known by the acronym PCUN, is the largest Latino union in the state of Oregon. PCUN is located in Woodburn, Oregon...
). The station was built by volunteers from Woodburn and around the country in August 2006 at the tenth Prometheus Radio Project
Prometheus Radio Project
The Prometheus Radio Project is a non-profit advocacy and community organizing group committed to building an inclusive and representative media landscape in the United States and around the world. They are working to create a network of low power community radio stations...
barnraising. KPCN broadcasts music, news, and public affairs to listeners in Spanish and several indigenous Latin American languages. It transmits as "Radio Movimiento" 95.9 FM with the slogan "La Voz del Pueblo."
Transportation
The Transit Division of the Woodburn Public Works Department runs the Woodburn Transit System (WTS), which uses small buses during non-holiday weekdays within the city's limits, and the Dial-a-Ride program, which operates paratransitParatransit
Paratransit is an alternative mode of flexible passenger transportation that does not follow fixed routes or schedules. Typically mini-buses are used to provide paratransit service, but also share taxis and jitneys are important providers....
vans for reserve by the elderly and disabled during weekdays within the local area and, for medical appointments, anywhere between Portland and Salem.
Other public bus systems making stops in Woodburn are CARTS (Chemeketa Area Regional Transportation System), administered by Oregon Housing and Associated Services, Inc. (OHAS) in Salem, and CAT (Canby Area Transit
Canby Area Transit
Canby Area Transit or simply CAT is a bus service that provides public transit in the US city of Canby, Oregon, and north to Oregon City. It is operated by the City of Canby, with a hub at the downtown Canby Transit Center....
), run by the city of Canby. Both also only operate during non-holiday weekdays.
Greyhound
Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
buses also stop in the city. No commuter trains serve Woodburn, although they run through the city.
Notable people
Stacy AllisonStacy Allison
Stacy Allison is most famous for becoming the first American woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest, the world's highest mountain, in 1988. She has been involved in many climbing expeditions. She first began by climbing New Hampshire's Mount Washington. She attempted her first major climb at...
(born 1958), a 1975 graduate of Woodburn High School
Woodburn High School
Woodburn High School is a four year public high school in Woodburn, Oregon, United States.-Academics:Via funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the WHS campus is divided into four smaller schools:*Academy of International Studies...
and a 1984 Oregon State University
Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
alum, was the first American woman to summit Mount Everest
Mount Everest
Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain, with a peak at above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international boundary runs across the precise summit point...
during her second attempt on September 29, 1988. That same year, when Woodburn Mayor Nancy Kirksey declared November 17 "Stacy Allison Day," she visited and spoke at several Woodburn venues and attended ceremonies when a street in the city, Stacy Allison Way, was dedicated to her.
Kat Bjelland
Kat Bjelland
Katherine "Kat" Bjelland is an American musician who is currently the lead singer-guitarist of the band Katastrophy Wife, and is the former lead singer and guitarist of the punk rock band Babes in Toyland....
of the punk band Babes in Toyland
Babes in Toyland (band)
Babes in Toyland was an American alternative rock band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1987. The band was formed by Oregon native Kat Bjelland , with Lori Barbero and Michelle Leon , who was later replaced by Maureen Herman in 1992...
, grew up in Woodburn. Her first performance was at the now-closed tavern Flight 99.
External links
- History of Woodburn from the City of Woodburn