Dallas, Oregon
Encyclopedia : D : DA : DAL : Dallas, Oregon
Dallas is the county seat of Polk County, Oregon. Originally named either Cynthia Ann or Cynthian (evidence supports either form), Dallas was later named after George M. Dallas, Vice President of the United States (1845 - 1849) under James Knox Polk. The population was 12,459 at the 2000 census.
Dallas is located on the Rickreall Creek, some 15 miles west of Salem, Oregon, at an altitude of 325 feet above sea level.
History
Dallas was first settled in 1845, on the north side of Rickreall Creek, but was moved just over a mile south due to an inadequate supply of water in 1856. It was incorporated as a town in 1874, and was successful in keeping nearby Independence from becoming the county seat in the 1880s and 1890s. It was ranked as a city in 1901.Dallas was also the home of the pioneering Gerlinger family. George Gerlinger was influential in the railroad and lumber products business. He organized a group of investors in 1902 to build railroad lines in the area. In 1906, they purchased a lumber mill and several stands of timber. The business's name was changed to Willamette Valley Lumber Company and, in 1967, became Willamette Industries. Willamette Industries was one of the largest lumber companies in the world before a hostile takeover by Weyerhaeuser.
Another of the Gerlingers, Carl, George's nephew, was raised in France and immigrated to the United States, arriving in Dallas in 1903. Working for the Southern Pacific Railroad (which had purchased a railroad once owned by Carl's uncle), he was quickly promoted and was the general foreman of the shops at Dallas. In 1919, Gerlinger, a gifted machinist and business leader, organized the Dallas Machine & Locomotive Works. This business led to the Gerlinger Carrier Company, a manufacturer of both straddle carriers and forklifts. The company eventually merged with Towmotor and Caterpillar Tractor in the 1950s but returned to family control in the 1970s. Today, the carriers are manufactured in nearby Salem, Oregon, by a company controlled by one of Carl's descendants.[link]
Geography
Dallas is located at (44.921144, -123.316342)[Geographic references#1GR1].According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.5 km² (4.4 mi²), all land.
Demographics
As of the census[Geographic references#2GR2] of 2000, there were 12,459 people, 4,672 households, and 3,326 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,081.0/km² (2,797.7/mi²). There were 4,912 housing units at an average density of 426.2/km² (1,103.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.27% White, 0.18% African American, 1.78% Native American, 0.55% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 1.39% from other races, and 2.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.01% of the population.There were 4,672 households out of which 35.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.0% were married couples living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.8% were non-families. 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.9% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $35,967, and the median income for a family was $45,156. Males had a median income of $34,271 versus $22,941 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,734. About 7.8% of families and 9.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.2% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.
Famous people
- Mark Hatfield - five-term United States Senator from Oregon and first two-term governor for Oregon in the 20th Century (Born in Dallas, Oregon)
- David Heil - host of PBS's children's science show [Newton's Apple] (Raised in Dallas, Oregon)
- Jeri Ellsworth, self-taught computer chip designer
External links
- [Official site of the City of Dallas, OR]
- [Dallas, OR, Chamber of Commerce]
- [Itemizer Observer] newspaper, serving Polk County
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