Oregon City

Oregon City is the county seat of Clackamas County, Oregon, United States, located on the Willamette River near the southern limits of the Portland metropolitan area. Established in 1829 by the Hudson’s Bay Company, in 1844 it became the first U.S. city west of the Rocky Mountains to be incorporated. Oregon City has over 22 city parks. One of the city’s larger parks is Clackamette Park, at the confluence of the Clackamas and Willamette Rivers. The park’s features include RV camping, a boat launch and dock, a skateboard park, and other recreational facilities. Several community festivals are held there throughout the year. Other major parks include Chapin, Hillendale, Rivercrest, and the new Wesley Lynn.

Museums include the Museum of the Oregon Territory and the End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center, with costumed “living history” guides. The Clackamas County Historical Society archives, housed in the Museum of the Oregon Territory, also include the incorporation plat for the city of San Francisco. Clackamas Heritage Partners owns and operates these museums, along with the Stevens Crawford Museum. In 2009, Clackamas Heritage Partners announced that it could no longer afford to keep the museums open. The End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center was closed to the public indefinitely in September 2009, while the Stevens Crawford Museum and Museum of the Oregon Territory, which are staffed largely by volunteers, will operate on a limited schedule. The End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center reopened, however, during the summer of 2013 thanks to grants and donations from numerous sources. The Stevens Crawford Museum is an 1908 structure with 15 furnished rooms, many with their original fittings, as the house was used as a home continuously until 1968. Other historical buildings in Oregon City include the McLoughlin House, the Ermatinger House (oldest in Clackamas County), the Ainsworth House, the Harvey Cross House, and the First Congregational Church. The 1922-built Oregon City Bridge, over the Willamette River, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as is the Oregon City Municipal Elevator.

Content courtesy of Wikipedia.org