Sweet Home, Oregon
Encyclopedia
Sweet Home is a city in Linn County
, Oregon
, United States
. The population was 8,016 at the 2000 census. Sweet Home is sometimes referred to as the "Gateway to the Santiam Playground", due to its proximity to nearby lakes, rivers and the Cascade Mountains
.
of the South Santiam River
was first settled in 1851. By 1865 a freight wagon and livestock toll road extended from the Sweet Home Valley across Santiam Pass
in the Cascades to Camp Polk
in Central Oregon
. The Santiam Wagon Road
was a vital means of supplying livestock and goods from the Willamette Valley
to Central Oregon and transporting wool from east of the Cascades back to Western Oregon
woolen mills. The wagon road collected tolls until around 1921. Competition with railroads that extended south from the Columbia River
into Central Oregon, and the newly opened McKenzie Pass
highway in the 1930s made the wagon road obsolete by around 1939. Later, U.S. Route 20 was constructed across much the same route as the Santiam Wagon Road. In the 1990s, efforts began to restore abandoned sections of the Santiam Wagon Road to hiking and other recreational activities.
The first community in the Sweet Home Valley was named Buckhead after the name of the Buckland saloon on nearby Ames Creek. Another community a short distance from Buckhead was called Mossville. By the 1880s, the two communities had expanded towards each other and the combined village was named Sweet Home. The City of Sweet Home was incorporated in 1893. By the 1980s, Sweet Home had expanded to include the community of Foster
.
, the city has a total area of 5.8 square miles (15 km²), of which, 5.3 square miles (13.7 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1 km²) of it (7.64%) is water.
Sweet home is located near the junction of Oregon Route 228 and U.S. Route 20.
The Sweet Home region is rich in arsenic
, posing a problem for the residents who obtain drinking water from the groundwater.
Several investigations have attempted to identify the source of the arsenic, or find a way to remove it. It appears to be abundant in the area's bedrock
.
of 2000, there were 8,016 people, 3,063 households, and 2,131 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,504.4 people per square mile (580.7/km²). There were 3,347 housing units at an average density of 628.2 per square mile (242.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.64% White, 0.25% Black or African American
, 1.66% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 1.00% from other races
, and 2.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.09% of the population.
There were 3,063 households out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.2% were married couples
living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.9% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,030, and the median income for a family was $35,833. Males had a median income of $32,866 versus $20,833 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $13,548. About 14.0% of families and 17.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.1% of those under age 18 and 11.1% of those age 65 or over.
also serves the city.
Linn County, Oregon
Linn County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is named in honor of Lewis F. Linn, a U.S. Senator from Missouri who advocated the American occupation of the Oregon Country. By the 2010 US census the population of Linn county was 116,672 showing a 13.2% growth since the 2000 census...
, 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...
. The population was 8,016 at the 2000 census. Sweet Home is sometimes referred to as the "Gateway to the Santiam Playground", due to its proximity to nearby lakes, rivers and the Cascade Mountains
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...
.
History
The Sweet Home ValleySweet Home Valley
The Sweet Home Valley of the South Santiam River runs from an area known as The Narrows near the western edge of the city of Sweet Home, Oregon to the confluence of the South Santiam and Middle Santiam rivers at Foster Reservoir on the east...
of the South Santiam River
South Santiam River
The South Santiam River is a tributary of the Santiam River, about long, in western Oregon in the United States. It drains an area of the Cascade Range into the Willamette Valley east of Corvallis....
was first settled in 1851. By 1865 a freight wagon and livestock toll road extended from the Sweet Home Valley across Santiam Pass
Santiam Pass
Santiam Pass is a mountain pass in the Cascade Range in central Oregon in the United States. It is located on the border between Linn and Jefferson counties, about northwest of Sisters, between the prominent volcanic horns of Three Fingered Jack to the north and Mount Washington to the south...
in the Cascades to Camp Polk
Camp Polk (Oregon)
Camp Polk was a former army camp in the U.S. state of Oregon that was established in Deschutes County in 1865. It was a post of the District of Oregon. One of nine camps created during a time of conflict between settlers and Native Americans, it was located three miles northeast of the present-day...
in Central Oregon
Central Oregon
Central Oregon is a geographic region in the U.S. state of Oregon and is traditionally considered to be made up of Deschutes, Jefferson, and Crook counties. Other definitions include larger areas, often encompassing areas to the north towards the Columbia River, eastward towards Burns, or south...
. The Santiam Wagon Road
Santiam Wagon Road
The Santiam Wagon Road was a freight route in the U.S. state of Oregon between the Willamette Valley and Central Oregon regions from 1865 to the 1930s. It is considered one of the most important historical routes in the state...
was a vital means of supplying livestock and goods from 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...
to Central Oregon and transporting wool from east of the Cascades back to Western Oregon
Western Oregon
Western Oregon is a geographical term that is generally taken to mean the part of Oregon within 120 miles of the Oregon Coast, on the west side of the crest of the Cascade Range. The term is applied somewhat loosely however, and is sometimes taken to exclude the southwestern areas of the state,...
woolen mills. The wagon road collected tolls until around 1921. Competition with railroads that extended south from the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
into Central Oregon, and the newly opened McKenzie Pass
McKenzie Pass
McKenzie Pass is a mountain pass in the Cascade Range in central Oregon, United States.It is located at the border of Linn and Deschutes counties, approximately 20 mi northwest of Bend, between the Three Sisters to the south and Mt. Washington to the north...
highway in the 1930s made the wagon road obsolete by around 1939. Later, U.S. Route 20 was constructed across much the same route as the Santiam Wagon Road. In the 1990s, efforts began to restore abandoned sections of the Santiam Wagon Road to hiking and other recreational activities.
The first community in the Sweet Home Valley was named Buckhead after the name of the Buckland saloon on nearby Ames Creek. Another community a short distance from Buckhead was called Mossville. By the 1880s, the two communities had expanded towards each other and the combined village was named Sweet Home. The City of Sweet Home was incorporated in 1893. By the 1980s, Sweet Home had expanded to include the community of Foster
Foster, Oregon
Foster is a community partly within the city of Sweet Home in Linn County, Oregon, United States. It is located on the western end of the Foster Reservoir...
.
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 5.8 square miles (15 km²), of which, 5.3 square miles (13.7 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1 km²) of it (7.64%) is water.
Sweet home is located near the junction of Oregon Route 228 and U.S. Route 20.
The Sweet Home region is rich in arsenic
Arsenic
Arsenic is a chemical element with the symbol As, atomic number 33 and relative atomic mass 74.92. Arsenic occurs in many minerals, usually in conjunction with sulfur and metals, and also as a pure elemental crystal. It was first documented by Albertus Magnus in 1250.Arsenic is a metalloid...
, posing a problem for the residents who obtain drinking water from the groundwater.
Several investigations have attempted to identify the source of the arsenic, or find a way to remove it. It appears to be abundant in the area's bedrock
Bedrock
In stratigraphy, bedrock is the native consolidated rock underlying the surface of a terrestrial planet, usually the Earth. Above the bedrock is usually an area of broken and weathered unconsolidated rock in the basal subsoil...
.
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 8,016 people, 3,063 households, and 2,131 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 1,504.4 people per square mile (580.7/km²). There were 3,347 housing units at an average density of 628.2 per square mile (242.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.64% White, 0.25% Black or African American
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...
, 1.66% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 1.00% 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 2.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.09% of the population.
There were 3,063 households out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.2% 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, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.9% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,030, and the median income for a family was $35,833. Males had a median income of $32,866 versus $20,833 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 $13,548. About 14.0% of families and 17.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.1% of those under age 18 and 11.1% of those age 65 or over.
Annual cultural events
- Oregon JamboreeOregon JamboreeThe Oregon Jamboree is a three-day country music and camping festival held in Sweet Home, Oregon, United States. The event was founded in 1992 as an economic development project for the Sweet Home community. In addition to funding economic development activities, profits from the festival help...
Media
The New Era newspaper is published weekly, and the daily Albany Democrat-HeraldAlbany Democrat-Herald
The Albany Democrat-Herald is the daily newspaper of Albany, Oregon, United States. Lee Enterprises owns both the Democrat-Herald and the Corvallis Gazette-Times. The two papers publish a joint Sunday edition, the Mid-Valley Times...
also serves the city.