Molalla is a city in
Clackamas County
Clackamas County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 421,401, making it Oregon's third-most populous county. Its county seat is Oregon City. The county was named after the Native ...
,
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
. The population was 8,108 at the time of the 2010 census.
History
Molalla was named after the
Molalla River
The Molalla River is a tributary of the Willamette River in the northwestern part of Oregon in the United States. Flowing northwest from the Cascade Range through Table Rock Wilderness, it passes the city of Molalla before entering the larger r ...
, which in turn was named for the
Molala
The Molala (also Molale, Molalla, Molele) are a people of the Plateau culture area in the Oregon Cascades and central Oregon, United States. They are one of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon, with 141 of the 882 member ...
, a
Native American tribe that inhabited the area. William H. Vaughan took up a
donation land claim
The Donation Land Claim Act of 1850, sometimes known as the Donation Land Act, was a statute enacted by the United States Congress in late 1850, intended to promote homestead settlements in the Oregon Territory. It followed the Distribution-Preem ...
in the area in 1844. Molalla post office was established in 1850, near the site of
Liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and m ...
, and was discontinued in 1851. The post office was reestablished in 1868 and it ran until 1874, then was reestablished in 1876, which is when it was probably placed at the present location of Molalla.
Since the late 1990s, the city experienced a surge in growth and expansion in the residential sector. In 2000, a number of franchised business have located in Molalla. In 2002, Molalla installed its first stoplight at the intersection of
Oregon Route 211
Oregon Route 211 is a state highway which runs through part of the northeastern portion of Oregon's Willamette Valley. Its northeastern terminus is its intersection with U.S. Route 26 in Sandy, a small town on the outskirts of the Portland me ...
and
Oregon Route 213
Oregon Route 213 (OR 213) is an Oregon state highway that serves the eastern Willamette Valley between Portland and Salem. It is a north–south route. The route (except for its southernmost segment) is known as the Cascade Highway, thou ...
because of the traffic brought by the increased business activity.
Geography
Molalla is located in the foothills of the
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range or Cascades 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, ...
, near the
Mount Hood National Forest
The Mount Hood National Forest is a U.S. National Forest in the U.S. state of Oregon, located east of the city of Portland and the northern Willamette River valley. The Forest extends south from the Columbia River Gorge across more than of fore ...
, south of
Oregon City
)
, image_skyline = McLoughlin House.jpg
, imagesize =
, image_caption = The McLoughlin House, est. 1845
, image_flag =
, image_seal = Oregon City seal.png
, image_map ...
and from
Interstate 5
Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels through the states of Califor ...
. Molalla is surrounded by farms and rural residential development. There are many rock quarries, and thousands of acres of private timberlands, that feed natural resource materials into the economy. Several of the tree farms are managed for totally maintained and sustained forest.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water.
Climate
This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above . According to the
Köppen Climate Classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
system, Molalla has a
warm-summer Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...
, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.
Molalla receives precipitation ranging from an average of in July to an average of in December.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2010, there were 8,108 people, 2,857 households, and 2,067 families residing in the city. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was . There were 3,017 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 86.9%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 0.6%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 1.0%
Native American, 0.8%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.3%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 7.5% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 2.9% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 14.5% of the population.
There were 2,857 households, of which 44.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.9% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 27.7% were non-families. 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.30.
The median age in the city was 31.4 years. 30.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 31.4% were from 25 to 44; 19.6% were from 45 to 64; and 9.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.4% male and 50.6% female.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,647 people, 1,948 households, and 1,425 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,939.4 people per square mile (1,135.6/km). There were 2,027 housing units at an average density of 1,055.1 per square mile (407.6/km). The racial makeup of the city was 88.60% White, 0.44% African American, 1.29% Native American, 0.50% Asian, 0.28% Pacific Islander, 6.69% from other races, and 2.20% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.55% of the population.
There were 1,948 households, out of which 43.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.7% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.8% were non-families. 21.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.29.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 31.8% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 32.4% from 25 to 44, 15.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $42,672, and the median income for a family was $46,915. Males had a median income of $37,172 versus $25,988 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the city was $16,738. About 7.3% of families and 9.7% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 10.2% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Molalla's economy was traditionally based on
logging
Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks or skeleton cars.
Logging is the beginning of a supply chain ...
and
agriculture
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...
, but with the downturn in the timber industry, the city is turning to commerce to revitalize its economy.
Major employers in Molalla include the
Molalla River School District and
RSG Forest Products.
Natural
resource recovery
Resource recovery is using wastes as an input material to create valuable products as new outputs. The aim is to reduce the amount of waste generated, thereby reducing the need for landfill space, and optimising the values created from waste. Resou ...
still stands out in Molalla. Many logging, road construction, quarrying and trucking companies provide services to the timber land managers in the timber rich area. Rapid growth species of trees have been planted and cultivated for timber and fiber. Aggregate, mined in the foothills, provides gravel for roads, asphalt highways and roads throughout the region.
An expanding agritourism industry is currently taking root in the more pastoral parts of the small lumber town, with the most promising examples being Posse Acres Elk Farm and Petting Zoo, The Abbey Farm Creamery and Out In The Garden Nursery, and the American Wildlife Foundation.
Arts and culture
Annual cultural events
Molalla is the home of the
Molalla Buckeroo
The Molalla Buckeroo Rodeo is an annual rodeo in Molalla, Oregon, United States. It is held on Independence Day, July 4.
History
The Molalla Buckeroo has been held annually since September 1913, when the railroad came to town. During the early ...
rodeo (it began in 1913, the same time as the city was founded) and the Apple Festival. The Pacific Coast Freestyle Championships, a model airplane aerobatic tournament, has been held there for 14 years in late July. Several Latino rodeos are held at the rodeo facility by "LaFortuna" in spring, mid-summer, late summer and fall, bringing tens of thousands of Latino families to celebrate in the community. The Fourth of July Parade, sponsored by the Molalla Area Chamber of Commerce, often sports 50,000 spectators. Many other minor festivals—Halloween on Main Street, Christmas in the City, Spring Fling, Easter Egg Hunt in the Park, Fishing Derbies, Trail Rides, The Brew Fest, The North Valley High School Rodeo—all add to the quality of life in Molalla.
Museums and other points of interest
There is a miniature steam train, the Shady Dell Pacific Railroad, in Molalla Train Park three miles east of Molalla.
An interesting and free exhibit of Rodeo History Honors the "Heroes" of Rodeo memorialized in large brass plaques placed in the sidewalks of Molalla's city core.
The
Horace L. Dibble House and the
Fred Vonder Ahe House and Summer Kitchen are buildings in Molalla on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
(NRHP) that have been preserved by the Molalla Area Historical Society. The NRHP-listed
Rock Creek Methodist Church and
William Hatchette Vaughan House are also in the Molalla area.
Parks and recreation
The
Molalla River
The Molalla River is a tributary of the Willamette River in the northwestern part of Oregon in the United States. Flowing northwest from the Cascade Range through Table Rock Wilderness, it passes the city of Molalla before entering the larger r ...
corridor offers opportunities for outdoor activities, including fishing, hunting, and hiking. Along the corridor to the east,
Table Rock Table Rock may refer to:
Canada
* Table Rock, Niagara Falls, a former rock formation
** Table Rock Welcome Centre, a retail center near the site of Table Rock, Niagara Falls
United States
* Table Rock (Ada County, Idaho), a hill near Boise, Idah ...
is a favorite local rocky promontory that provides visitors with a view of Molalla and the surrounding countryside for miles in every direction. Neighborhood and community parks include
Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
, Clark,
Long
Long may refer to:
Measurement
* Long, characteristic of something of great duration
* Long, characteristic of something of great length
* Longitude (abbreviation: long.), a geographic coordinate
* Longa (music), note value in early music mensur ...
, and Ivor Davies Parks. Clark Park has a large open space, oak tree grove and playground. Long Park has a playground, a pavilion, and a beautiful bear carving. Fox Park hosts summer concerts and has a playground, pavilion, and splash pad for children. A long pedestrian and bicycle-friendly path extends through Ivor Davies Park over several small bridges and around a fish pond.
Education
Molalla is served by the
Molalla River School District. There are two public high schools within the Molalla River School District,
Molalla High School and Renaissance Public Academy
, and seven primary and middle schools. Molalla is also home of the private
Country Christian School
Country Christian School, known as CCS, is a private Christian school in Molalla, Oregon, United States. It has been accredited through the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools
The Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC), formerly na ...
which serves students from
preschool
A preschool, also known as nursery school, pre-primary school, or play school or creche, is an educational establishment or learning space offering early childhood education to children before they begin compulsory education at primary school ...
to
twelfth grade
Twelfth grade, 12th grade, senior year, or grade 12 is the final year of secondary school in most of North America. In other regions, it may also be referred to as class 12 or Year 13. In most countries, students are usually between the ages of 17 ...
(PK–12) and has 288 students. Both schools compete in the
Oregon School Activities Association
The Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) is a non-profit, board-governed organization that regulates high school athletics and competitive activities via athletic conferences in the U.S. state of Oregon, providing equitable competition amo ...
. There is a middle school, an elementary school, and two public Charter Schools: Molalla River Academy, and Renaissance Public Academy
.
The city operates a public library that is part of the
Library Information Network of Clackamas County
Libraries in Clackamas County (LINCC) is a consortium of the public libraries of Clackamas County, Oregon. It was established in 1977 when the first county-wide funding levy was approved by county voters. LINCC is a resource and revenue sharing ne ...
.
Media
The ''
Molalla Pioneer
The ''Molalla Pioneer'' is the local weekly newspaper in Molalla, Oregon, United States which began publishing in 1913. The ''Pioneer'' is currently a weekly newspaper published on Wednesdays.
History
In January 2013, the paper was bought by ...
'' is a weekly paper published each day by
Pamplin Media Group
The Pamplin Media Group (PMG) is a media conglomerate owned by Robert B. Pamplin, Jr. and operating primarily in the Portland metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of 2019, the company owns 25 newspapers and employs 200 people.
His ...
as a community newspaper for the ''
Portland Tribune
The ''Portland Tribune'' is a weekly newspaper published every Wednesday in Portland, Oregon, United States. It is part of the Pamplin Media Group, which publishes a number of community newspapers in the Portland metropolitan area. Launched in ...
''. Molalla is also served by radio and TV broadcasting stations from
Portland
Portland most commonly refers to:
* Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States
* Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...
, and residents have access to cable and satellite systems.
Infrastructure
Transportation
;Road
Molalla's principal road links are Oregon routes 211 and 213. Route 213, heading north, links Molalla to Oregon City and Portland. Heading south, Route 213 connects Molalla to
Silverton and
Salem. Route 211, which intersects Route 213, connects the city to
Canby Canby may refer to:
People
* Canby (surname)
Places
;In the United States
* Canby, California
* Canby, Iowa
* Canby, Minnesota
* Canby, Oregon
* Canby Creek, a stream in Minnesota
* Canby Mountains, Oregon
{{disambiguation, geo ...
and
Woodburn to the west, and
Colton,
Estacada, and
Sandy to the east.
;Transit
The
South Clackamas Transportation District
The South Clackamas Transportation District (SCTD) is a bus service that provides public transportation in Molalla, Oregon, connecting that city to Clackamas Community College (and TriMet, which formerly provided the service) in Oregon City, Orego ...
provides a route around town as well as service to Canby and
Clackamas Community College
Clackamas Community College (CCC) is a public community college in Oregon City, Oregon. Founded in 1966, it is one of the largest community colleges in the state of Oregon. Clackamas Community College offers courses at three campuses: the centr ...
in Oregon City
;Air
Molalla is served by a number of small regional airports:
* Skydive Oregon (Inside the city limits)
*
Portland-Mulino Airport
Mulino State Airport is a public airport located at Mulino, Oregon, near the city of Molalla, about 20 nautical miles (23 mi, 37 km) south of Portland with access from Interstate 205 via Oregon Route 213. Also known as Mulin ...
, about north
*
Lenhardt Airpark
Lenhardt Airpark is a privately owned, public use airport located 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Hubbard in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) ...
, about west
*
Aurora State Airport
Aurora State Airport is a public airport located one mile (2 km) northwest of the central business district of Aurora, a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States. It is owned by the Oregon Department of Aviation.
Although most U.S. a ...
, about northwest
;Rail
Molalla does not have a rail link within city limits anymore, although it was formerly served by the
Oregon Pacific Railroad. The Oregon Pacific tracks now end at Liberal, to the north.
[Molalla Branch of the Oregon Pacific Railroad]
/ref> The closest Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
station is in Oregon City.
Utilities
Water and wastewater treatment are provided by the City of Molalla.[Molalla profile]
from Oregon Economic & Community Development Department Natural gas is provided by NW Natural
NW Natural, formerly Northwest Natural Gas Company, is an American publicly traded utility headquartered in Portland, Oregon, United States. Primarily a natural gas distributor, the company services residential, commercial, and industrial customers ...
and electricity is provided by Portland General Electric
Portland General Electric (PGE) is a Fortune 1000 public utility based in Portland, Oregon. It distributes electricity to customers in parts of Multnomah, Clackamas, Marion, Yamhill, Washington, and Polk counties - 44% of the inhabitants of O ...
.[
Internet and Voice service provided by local cooperativ]
Molalla Communications
Healthcare
Molalla is served by Silverton Hospital in Silverton, Meridian Park Hospital in Tualatin and Willamette Falls Hospital in Oregon City.[Silverton Hospital: Silverton Hospital Network]
/ref>
Notable people
* Roger Beyer, Oregon state senator
* Kevin Freeman, Olympic equestrian
* Ralph M. Holman, Oregon Supreme Court judge
*Rufus C. Holman
Rufus Cecil Holman (October 14, 1877November 27, 1959) was an American politician and businessman who served as a United States senator for a single term during World War II. He was an officer in the Ku Klux Klan during the 1920s, then served ...
, United States senator
* Lisa Jackson, best-selling author
*Macy Morse
Macy Morse (January 25, 1921 – July 18, 2019) was an American activist in the non-violent peace and anti-nuclear movements. She died in July 2019 at the age of 98.
History and background
Macy Elkins was born in Molalla, Oregon, a Pacific No ...
, peace activist
* Rose Marie Bentley, a Molalla, Oregon woman who unknowingly had the rare variant situs inversus with levocardia
Levocardia is where the heart is on the normal side of the body (the left), as opposed to dextrocardia, in which the heart is in the right side of the thoracic cavity. This can be associated with '' situs solitus'', where the remainder of the organ ...
, and lived to 99 years without any complications. She donated her body to Oregon Health & Science University
Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) is a
public research university focusing primarily on health sciences with a main campus, including two hospitals, in Portland, Oregon. The institution was founded in 1887 as the University of Oregon Medi ...
, where her condition was discovered during an anatomy class after students noticed the unusual arrangement of her heart's blood vessels, prompting further investigation of the cadaver.
See also
* ''''
* ''''
References
External links
City of Molalla
(official website)
Listing for Molalla
in the ''Oregon Blue Book
The ''Oregon Blue Book'' is the official directory and fact book for the U.S. state of Oregon prepared by the Oregon Secretary of State and published by the Office of the Secretary's Archives Division.
The ''Blue Book'' comes in both print and on ...
''
Historic images of Molalla
from Salem Public Library
{{Authority control
1913 establishments in Oregon
Cities in Clackamas County, Oregon
Cities in Oregon
Populated places established in 1913
Portland metropolitan area