Albany, Oregon

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Albany, Oregon
Location in Oregon
Location in Oregon
Coordinates: 44°37′49″N 123°5′46″W / 44.63028°N 123.09611°W / 44.63028; -123.09611
Country United States
State Oregon
Counties Linn, Benton
Incorporated 1864
Government
 - Mayor Sharon Konopa
Area
 - Total 16.1 sq mi (41.6 km2)
 - Land 15.9 sq mi (41.1 km2)
 - Water 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km2)
Elevation 210 ft (64.1 m)
Population (2000)
 - Total 42,280
 - Density 2,571.8/sq mi (993.3/km2)
Time zone Pacific (UTC-8)
 - Summer (DST) Pacific (UTC-7)
ZIP codes 97321-97322
Area code(s) 541
FIPS code 41-01000[1]
GNIS feature ID 1116796[2]
Website www.cityofalbany.net

Albany is a city in Benton and Linn Counties in the western part of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located in the Willamette Valley and is the county seat of Linn County.[3] As of the 2000 census, the city population was 42,280 making it the 12th largest city in Oregon; the unofficial estimated population was 48,770 in 2008.[4]

Contents

[edit] History

The city is located at the confluence of the Calapooia River and the Willamette River. Up until the 19th century, the area was inhabited by Kalapuya, a Penutian-speaking Native American people who lived in the middle Willamette Valley.[citation needed]

The Kalapuya called the area Takenah, from a word describing the "deep pool where the Calapooia River meets the Willamette River" (and could humorously be translated to "hole in the ground").[5] The name may have referred to a location near the confluence of the Calapooia where the current had cut a hole near the bank.[6] A variation of the place name can also be written as Tekenah.

The first European settler inside the current city limits of Albany arrived in 1846.[6] Albany was founded by the brothers Walter and Thomas Monteith, a family of early prominence in the area, in 1848, when they bought the claim to the townsite from squatter Hiram Smeed for $400 and a horse.[6] They named the city "Albany", after their hometown in New York.[7]

The Monteiths built the first frame house in Albany in 1849.[6] The Monteith House was considered the finest house in Oregon at the time.[6] They opened a general store in their parlor the same year.[6][7] The first school was built in 1851, and in 1852, the first steamboat arrived and the first flour mill was built.[6]

In 1849, the town of Takenah was established near Albany, and in 1854, the Oregon Legislative Assembly gave the name Takenah to both towns.[6] The name Albany was restored by the legislature in 1855.[6]

Albany post office was established on January 8, 1850 and renamed to "New Albany" on November 4, 1850.[6] The name was changed back to Albany in 1853.[6]

Although Albany replaced the community of Calapooia near Sweet Home as the county seat in 1853,[8] it was not until 1864 that Albany was incorporated as a city.

Albany was the headquarters for the Mountain States Power Company from its establishment in 1918 until its merger into Pacific Power & Light (now PacifiCorp) in 1954.

In the 1970s Albany attempted to extend its city limits to cover the land to include a zirconium processing plant of Wah Chang Corporation. Wah Chang responded in 1974 by sponsoring a vote to incorporate the desired properties as Millersburg.

[edit] Geography and climate

Albany lies in the central part of Oregon's most populated region, the Willamette Valley. Though most of Albany falls within Linn County a portion of it rests on the west side of the Willamette River in Benton County.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 16.1 square miles (42 km2). 15.9 sq mi (41 km2) of it is land and 0.2 sq mi (0.52 km2) of it (1.18%) is water. Albany has 21.7 square miles (56 km2) within the Urban Growth Boundary.[9]

The climate in Albany ranges from 30/45°F (average daily low/high) in January to 52/84°F in August.[citation needed]

[edit] Demographics

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 42,280 people, 16,108 households, and 10,808 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,571.8/sq mi. There were 17,374 housing units at an average density of 1,093.8/sq mi. The racial makeup of the city was 91.68% White, 0.53% African American, 1.22% Native American, 1.14% Asian, 0.21% Pacific Islander, 2.65% from other races, and 2.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.09% of the population.

There were 16,108 households out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.1% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.9% were non-families. 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the city the population was spread out with 26.4% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 94.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $39,409, and the median income for a family was $46,094. Males had a median income of $36,457 versus $24,480 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,570. About 9.3% of families and 11.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.1% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Economy

Albany is known as the "rare metals capital of the world", producing zirconium, hafnium and titanium.[10]

Albany is also known as the "grass seed capital of the world".[11] Other crops produced include corn, beans, mint, strawberries, and hazelnuts.

The decline of the timber industry and the outsourcing of manufacturing jobs has left Linn County with a relatively high unemployment rate. The Oregon Employment Department does not maintain unemployment statistics for cities.[citation needed]

[edit] Arts and culture

 This article is in a list format that may be better presented using prose. You can help by converting this section to prose, if appropriate. Editing help is available. (October 2008)

[edit] Annual cultural events

[edit] Museums and other points of interest

  • The Albany Regional Museum features exhibits about Albany history housed in a historic building originally built by S.E. Young in 1887.[12]
  • Historic Downtown Albany includes antique stores, restaurants, Albany Civic Theater, and one of the oldest Carnegie libraries still being used as a library. As of December 2006, a carousel was under construction.[13] It is due to be finished by 2012. Downtown Albany is a National Historic District.
  • Albany Civic Theater, one of the oldest civic theaters in Oregon, has operated continuously since the opening of its first production on March 2, 1951.[14]

[edit] Parks and recreation

Further information: Albany Parks & Recreation

[edit] Education

Albany is the home of Linn-Benton Community College, and is served by the Greater Albany Public School District, including West Albany High School, and South Albany High School.

The Albany Collegiate Institute was founded in 1867 and served as Albany's higher education institute for 70 years before it was moved to Portland, Oregon and renamed Lewis & Clark College.

[edit] Media

[edit] Newspaper

The primary media outlet is the daily newspaper Albany Democrat-Herald.

[edit] Radio

  • KRKT-FM (99.9FM) is a country radio station.
  • HOPE (107.9FM) is a Christian contemporary music radio station.
  • KGAL (1580 AM) is a news/talk radio station.
  • KSHO (920 AM) is an oldies radio station.
  • KWIL (AM 790) is a Christian station.

[edit] Infrastructure

Amtrak Station

[edit] Transportation

Albany is adjacent to Interstate 5, while Oregon Route 99E runs through it in a north and south direction and U.S. Route 20 runs through it in an east and west direction.

Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Albany from its station at 10th Avenue SW on two routes. Long-haul train route the Coast Starlight (with service from Los Angeles to Seattle) stops in Albany daily in both directions. Amtrak Cascades commuter trains operate between Vancouver, British Columbia and Eugene, Oregon, and serve Albany several times daily in both directions.

Public transportation within Albany is provided by Albany Transit System (ATS). Connections to Corvallis, Oregon are provided by bus service via the Linn-Benton Loop and the Valley Retriever Thruway inter-county bus systems. ATS, the Linn-Benton Loop, and the Valley Retriever all provide bus service to and from the Amtrak station.

[edit] Notable residents

[edit] Sister cities

Albany has two sister cities:[15]

[edit] References

 This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references (ideally, using inline citations). Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2007)
  1. ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved on 2008-01-31. 
  2. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved on 2008-01-31. 
  3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Template.cfm?Section=Find_a_County&Template=/cffiles/counties/usamap.cfm. Retrieved on 2008-01-31. 
  4. ^ PSU:Population Research Center
  5. ^ "Albany Firsts". City of Albany, Oregon. http://www.ci.albany.or.us/about/history-firsts.php. Retrieved on 2007-04-18. 
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k McArthur, Lewis A.; Lewis L. McArthur (2003) [1928]. Oregon Geographic Names (Seventh Edition ed.). Portland, Oregon: Oregon Historical Society Press. pp. 12. ISBN 0-87595-277-1. 
  7. ^ a b "illustrating Four Treatments in Oregon". National Park Service. http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/workingonthepast/case_studies/monteith1.htm. Retrieved on 2007-02-06. 
  8. ^ Corning, Howard M. Dictionary of Oregon History. Binfords & Mort Publishing, 1956.
  9. ^ http://www.cityofalbany.net/about/statistics.php
  10. ^ NETL: Careers and Fellowships - NETL Community
  11. ^ Lee Enterprises Inc.: publishing, newspapers, online, shoppers, classified, specialty publications
  12. ^ "Albany Regional Museum". http://www.armuseum.com. 
  13. ^ "Albany Brass Ring". http://www.albanybrassring.com. 
  14. ^ Albany Civic Theater
  15. ^ "Oregon Sister Relationships". Oregon Economic and Community Development Department. http://www.econ.state.or.us/oregontrade/sistercities.htm. Retrieved on 2007-03-03. 

[edit] External links

Sister project Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Albany, Oregon

Coordinates: 44°37′49″N 123°05′46″W / 44.630188°N 123.095992°W / 44.630188; -123.095992

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Municipalities and communities of
Benton County, Oregon
County seat: Corvallis
Cities
Benton County map
Unincorporated
communities
Footnotes

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
v • d • e
Municipalities and communities of
Linn County, Oregon
County seat: Albany
Cities
Linn County map
CDP
Unincorporated
communities
Footnotes

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
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