Salem is the capital of Oregon and the seat of Marion County, with the neighborhood of West Salem extending into Polk County. The city is situated in the lush Willamette Valley, about halfway between Portland and Eugene. To the east stand the majestic Cascade Mountains and to the west, just an hour away, lie the rugged cliffs, evergreen forests, and sandy beaches of the Oregon coastline.

In 1840, Jason Lee established a Methodist Mission at the fork of Mill Creek and the Willamette River. He and the other missionaries had hoped to educate and convert the natives living in the area, but they eventually grew discouraged and turned their efforts to establishing an institution of higher learning. To finance their Oregon Institute (the forerunner of Willamette University), they laid out the town site and sold lots. The town was dubbed Chemeketa, a Kalapuya native word meaning "resting place."