History Minutes: Oregon City

  Oregon City and Willamette Falls // OrHi 2591

Oregon City, located on the banks of the Willamette River near Willamette Falls, was incorporated in 1844.  It was the first official city established west of the Rocky Mountains and the last stop on the Oregon Trail.

In 1846, John McLoughlin, called the "Father of Oregon" for his assistance to early American settlers, retired as the chief factor of the Hudson’s Bay Company’s Columbia Department and settled with his wife, Marguerite, and their family in Oregon City.  He built a commercial gristmill that was powered by the falls and was elected mayor of Oregon City in 1851.

American settlers and businessmen were attracted to Oregon City, which served as the capital of Oregon Territory from 1849 to 1852.  It was the territory’s largest settlement until the 1850s, when Portland assumed that status because of its advantageous site at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers.

During the earliest days of Oregon's river transportation network, steamboat companies portaged people and goods around the 40-foot-high Willamette Falls on a primitive road and wooden rail system.  A portage railroad was built in the 1860s.  After the Willamette Falls locks were completed in 1873, steamboats were able to travel past Oregon City without portaging.  They were the first locks built in

Oregon and are still operating under the direction of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

During the 20th century, much of Oregon City’s economy was powered by the forest industry, mills, and shipping.  Clackamas Community College opened in 1968, attracting students from throughout the region.  Over 25,000 people live in Oregon City today.