Salem History

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."

The name was eventually changed to Salem, which comes from the Hebrew word for peace and was used throughout the Bible as another name for Jerusalem. There was some controversy, as many people resented giving their community a name already in such prevalent use throughout the U.S. Opponents to the renaming suggested leaving keeping the unique name Chemeketa. Others suggested alternative names, such as Willametta, Thurston, or Algebra. The territorial legislature was actually leaning towards changing the town's name to Chemawa (a Kalapuya native word meaning "happy home"), but Reverend John Stipp presented a petition signed by citizens who didn't want the town to have a Native American name. The legislature debated the matter, but in the end, voted to retain the name of Salem.

The seat of government moved from Oregon City to Salem in 1851. However, the city of Corvallis was also vying for the honor. The capital moved there briefly in 1855 before moving back to Salem. Salem's distinctive capitol building (built on the site of the previous two, which burned down), features a gold-plated pioneer standing atop its dome. The manicured lawns of the capitol grounds are replete with flower gardens and ornate fountains, as well as a flag circle where the flags of all 50 states are flown. Other points of interest in Salem include the Mission Hill Museum and the Fairgrounds, where the Oregon State Fair is held every fall.