Roseburg is a city in the U.S. state of

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 ...

. It is in the Umpqua River Valley in southern Oregon and is the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

and most populous city of Douglas County. Founded in 1851, the population was 23,683 at the 2020 census, making it the principal city of the Roseburg, Oregon Micropolitan Statistical Area. The community developed along both sides of the

South Umpqua River The South Umpqua River is a tributary of the Umpqua River, approximately long, in southwestern Oregon in the United States. It drains part of the Cascade Range east of Roseburg. The river passes through a remote canyon in its upper reaches then ...

and is traversed by Interstate 5. Traditionally a

lumber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, w ...

industry town, Roseburg was the original home of

Roseburg Forest Products Roseburg Forest Products, based in Springfield, Oregon, US is a privately owned wood–products company. Founded in 1936, the company had approximately 3,000 employees and revenues of nearly US$1 billion in 2012. Roseburg Forest Products operates ...

, which is now based in nearby Springfield.

Natural resources

Waterfalls near Roseburg include Susan Creek Falls and

Fall Creek Falls Fall Creek Falls is a tall sheer-drop waterfall located in Fall Creek Falls State Park near Spencer, Tennessee. It is the tallest waterfall of such kind east of the Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and ...

. Roseburg's primary industries include timber and tourism, and the region is home to many vineyards and more than 30 wineries. The Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife lists more than 50 areas for fishing for salmon, steelhead, bass, bluegill and trout in the Roseburg area.

History

Modern-day Roseburg is located on the lands of numerous Indian tribes, including the Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Tribe, whose Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation is located in Roseburg. Roseburg was the site of the 1855

Battle of Hungry Hill The Battle of Hungry Hill, also known as the Battle of Grave Creek Hills or Battle of Bloody Springs,{{cite book, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ObHpCAAAQBAJ&dq=%22Bloody+springs%22+oregon&pg=PT326, title=The WPA Guide to Oregon: The Beave ...

, part of the

Rogue River Wars The Rogue River Wars were an armed conflict in 1855–1856 between the U.S. Army, local militias and volunteers, and the Native American tribes commonly grouped under the designation of Rogue River Indians, in the Rogue River Valley area ...

of 1855–56, fought between several southern Oregon Indian groups and the US Army. The city was named for settler

Aaron Rose Aaron Rose is an American film director, artist, exhibition curator and writer. Rose is known as the co-director of ''Beautiful Losers'', a film that focuses on an art movement which includes artists such as Barry McGee, Margaret Kilgallen, S ...

, who established a homestead within the current city limits on September 23, 1851. Rose was born in 1813 in

Ulster County, New York Ulster County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. It is situated along the Hudson River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 181,851. The county seat is Kingston. The county is named after the Irish province of Ulster. History ...

. In 1851, he came to Oregon from

Coldwater, Michigan Coldwater is a city in Branch County, Michigan, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,945. It is the county seat of Branch County, located in the center of the southern border of Michigan. The city is surrounded by Co ...

, where he had lived since 1837. Roseburg, Oregon from Atlantis Arisen

Rose constructed the first building in what would become Roseburg, a rough structure made of poles and clapboards with a front room about 16 or 18 feet square; it was used as a grocery store, backed by a dining room and kitchen. Originally, guests could use the floor of the front room to spread their beds or were able to sleep out of doors under nearby oak trees. His first structure served as a roadside inn and tavern for many years. Rose built a proper hotel in 1853. He died in 1899. Roseburg, Oregon - Hebe Fountain 03

Roseburg was first known as Deer Creek because it was at the confluence of Deer Creek and the

. In 1854, voters chose Roseburg as the

over rival town Winchester. Rose donated of land and $1,000 for the building of the county courthouse, and the important buildings of Winchester were moved to Roseburg before 1860. Deer Creek post office was established in 1852, and the name changed to "Roseburgh" in 1857. The spelling was changed to "Roseburg" in 1894. Roseburg was incorporated by the

Oregon Legislative Assembly The Oregon Legislative Assembly is the state legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. The Legislative Assembly is bicameral, consisting of an upper and lower house: the Senate, whose 30 members are elected to serve four-year terms; and the ...

on October 3, 1872.

Timber Capital of the Nation

The fortunes of Roseburg grew with the lumber industry. In 1937, Roseburg Lumber opened. Founded by Kenneth Ford, the company became the major employer in the community. Other major employers, including Weyerhaeuser, Champion and Sun Studs also developed and grew during this time. By the 1970s Roseburg branded itself as the Timber Capital of the Nation. Country singer

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his c ...

mythologized Roseburg loggers in the 1960 song "Lumberjack”: "Ride this train to Roseburg, Oregon. Now there's a town for you! You talk about rough... You know a lot of places in the country claim Paul Bunyon lived there. But you should have seen Roseburg when me and my daddy come there. Every one of them loggers looked like Paul Bunyon to me.”

Roseburg Blast

On August 7, 1959, at approximately 1:00 a.m., the Gerretsen Building Supply Company caught fire. Firefighters soon arrived at the building, near Oak and Pine Streets, to extinguish the fire. Earlier in the evening, a truck driver for the Pacific Powder Company, George Rutherford, had parked his explosives truck in front of the building, which was not noticed. The truck exploded at around 1:14 a.m., destroying buildings in an eight-block radius and severely damaging 30 more blocks. The truck was loaded with two tons of

dynamite Dynamite is an explosive made of nitroglycerin, sorbents (such as powdered shells or clay), and stabilizers. It was invented by the Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel in Geesthacht, Northern Germany, and patented in 1867. It rapidl ...

and four-and-a-half tons of the

blasting agent An explosive (or explosive material) is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure. An ...

nitro carbo nitrate. Rutherford had parked the truck after arranging his delivery for the following morning, despite warnings given to the Pacific Powder Company two days earlier not to leave such trucks unattended or park them in "congested areas". A police officer named Donald De Sues and the Chief of Police were on site and managed to evacuate citizens from the area of the truck before the explosion. Donald De Sues and the town Assistant Fire Chief were recognized as heroes that day and were both killed in the blast.Roseburg Newspaper and Police Department A total of fourteen people died in the blast and fire, and 125 were injured. Damage was estimated at 10 to 12 million dollars; the powder company was eventually made to pay $1.2 million in civil damages, but was acquitted of criminal wrongdoing. Roseburg's downtown was rebuilt, primarily by businesses using money collected from insurance claims. The city built a new bridge over the South Umpqua River on parcels affected by the disaster. Since the incident, it is commonly referred to as the Roseburg Blast or simply "The Blast". In 2005, SOPTV produced a documentary examining the Blast and the experiences of those who were involved or witnessed it, entitled ''The Roseburg Blast: A Catastrophe and Its Heroes''.

Mass shooting

On October 1, 2015, students at Umpqua Community College near Roseburg were attacked by a 26-year-old gunman that had recently moved to the area from Southern California, who killed nine people (eight students and an assistant professor) and injured nine others. The gunman, a student at the school, committed suicide following a gun battle with police. This was the second school shooting in the Roseburg area, the other being a 2006 shooting at Roseburg High School. On October 9, President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

privately visited families of victims of the shooting. Hundreds of local residents protested the visit due to Obama's support of gun control legislation. In 1968, Bobby Kennedy had given a speech in Roseburg advocating for gun control for the mentally ill and for those with a "long criminal record" of murder.

Geography

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 th ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Roseburg's elevation is approximately . Its highest point is Mount Nebo, a hill to the west of Interstate 5. Through the 1980s, it was known for its band of 10-20 feral

angora goat Angora may refer to: Places *Angora, the historic name of Ankara, the capital city of Turkey *Angora, Philadelphia ** Angora (SEPTA station), a commuter rail station * Angora, Minnesota * Angora Township, Minnesota * Angora, Nebraska * Angora L ...

s. Residents said they could predict the weather by watching where the goats were on the mountain; if they were high, the weather would be good. If rain was pending, the goats moved to lower levels. Because the goats wandered across the freeway for grazing, they were a risk to traffic. In the 1980s, they were rounded up and placed for adoption.

Climate

Roseburg has a

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 ...

( Köppen ''Csb'' borderline with ''Csa'') with cool, rainy winters and very warm, dry summers. December, with a mean temperature of , is usually the coldest month, and July, with a mean temperature of , is the warmest. In a typical year, there are 27 days where the temperature reaches or exceeds , and two days with a temperature of or above . Conversely, the temperature drops to or below 28 times per annum. The record high temperature is , set on June 27, 2021, and the record low temperature is , set on January 22, 1962. No other day has fallen to or below , and by the 1981 to 2010 average only 28 mornings fall below freezing. In the summer, the area has little or no precipitation and plentiful sunshine — on average, 73.5 percent of days in July, August and September are at least partly sunny. There is also a much higher degree of diurnal temperature variation than in the winter. On the other hand, the majority of winter days are overcast and rainy — during this period, rainfalls of per month are not uncommon, with as much as during the record wet month of December 1955. Roseburg averages of rain per year, more than half of which falls between November and January. The wettest "rain year" has been from July 1955 to June 1956 with and the driest from July 2000 to June 2001 with only . Light dustings of snow can sometimes be seen, but accumulations are rare. The most snowfall in a month is in January 1950, but no other month has had even .

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 inc ...

of 2010, there were 21,181 people, 9,081 households, and 5,177 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 RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 9,732 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 91%

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 ...

, 0.5%

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 ...

, 1.7% Native American, 1.6% Asian, 0.3%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 1.4% from other races, and 3.5% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 5.5% of the population. There were 9,081 households, of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.2% 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 ...

living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.0% were non-families. 35.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.84. The median age in the city was 41.1 years. 21.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.8% were from 25 to 44; 26.2% were from 45 to 64; and 19.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.0% male and 52.0% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 20,017 people, 8,237 households, and 5,098 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,171.1 people per square mile (838.2/km). There were 8,838 housing units at an average density of 958.6 per square mile (370.1/km). The racial makeup of the city was 93.56% White, 0.3% African American, 1.3% Native American, 0.99% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.26% from other races, and 2.48% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.73% of the population. There were 8,237 households, out of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.2% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.1% were non-families. 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.88. In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.2% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 18.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $31,250, and the median income for a family was $40,172. Males had a median income of $32,624 versus $25,707 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 $17,082. About 11.0% of families and 15.1% 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 ...

, including 18.9% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Primary and secondary public education in Roseburg are provided by the Roseburg School District. Umpqua Community College is the city's two-year college.

Economy

Mercy Medical Center in Roseburg, Oregon

The unemployment rate in Roseburg is about 6.9 percent. During the Great Recession of 2009, the unemployment rate peaked at 16.5% before falling. In 2012, the largest employer in the town was

and Mercy Medical Center was the second largest.

Media

In 2018, the City of Roseburg opened its own library. Previously, the city's library had been part of the

Douglas County Library System The Douglas County Library System (DCLS) was a public library system in Douglas County, Oregon, United States. The library system was founded in 1953 and operated eleven branches across Douglas County at the time of its closure in 2017. History ...

but was closed when county libraries lost public funding.

Newspapers

There are three newspapers serving Roseburg. ''

The News-Review ''The News-Review'' is a five-day-a-week community newspaper published in Roseburg, Oregon, United States. The circulation area covers most of Douglas County including Canyonville, Glide, Myrtle Creek, Oakland, Roseburg, Sutherlin, and ...

'' is published six days per week and is based in Roseburg. The ''Roseburg Beacon'' is published weekly and serves Roseburg. The '' Douglas County News'' is published weekly and is based in the nearby town of Sutherlin.

Radio

AM *

KGRV KGRV is a Christian radio station licensed to Winston, Oregon, broadcasting on 700 kHz AM. The station is owned by Pacific Cascade Communications Corporation. Programming KGRV's programming consists of Christian talk and teaching, as well ...

700 Religious * KTBR 950 JPR News and Information * KQEN 1240 News/Talk * KSKR 1490 Sports FM * KMPQ 88.1 NPR Variety * KEAR 88.5 Family Radio – Religious *

KLOV Klov ( uk, Клов) is a historical neighbourhood in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. Nowadays Klov is located in the administrative Pecherskyi District. The Klovskiy Monastery was built in this area in the 11th century, but was destroyed in 124 ...

89.3 K-Love – Contemporary Christian * KAWZ 90.7 CSN – Religious * KSRS 91.5 JPR Classics and News * KSMF 91.9 JPR Rhythm and News * KCNA 98.3 Classic Hits *KQUA 99.7 Community Radio * KSKR-FM 101.1 i101 – Top 40 *

KZEL-FM KZEL-FM (96.1 FM) is a commercial radio station in Eugene, Oregon, in the United States. The station airs a classic rock music format. It has applied for a U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) construction permit to move to a taller tow ...

102.1 Classic Rock * KRSB-FM 103.1 Country *

KROG Krog may refer to: * Krog, a hamlet of Sečovlje, Slovenia * Krog, Murska Sobota, a village in Slovenia * Krog, Cerkno, a hamlet of Cerkljanski Vrh, Slovenia * Krog, a character from the ''Mixels ''Mixels'' is a 2014-2016 comedy animated tele ...

103.7 Modern Rock * KKMX 104.5 Sam FM – Adult Hits * KYTT 105.5 Contemporary Christian * KLLF-LP 106.7 Religious

Television

Transportation

Roads

Oregon Route 99 runs through downtown Roseburg as the main north–south arterial. Interstate 5 runs along the west side of the city, across the

from downtown. Oregon Route 138 runs northwest from Roseburg to

Elkton, Oregon Elkton is a city in Douglas County, Oregon, United States. It is located on the lower Umpqua River, at the junction of Oregon Route 38 and Oregon Route 138, about west of Interstate 5 and about west of Drain. The population was 195 at the 2010 ...

, and generally east from Roseburg to its terminus at a junction with

U.S. Route 97 U.S. Route 97 (US 97) is a major north–south route of the United States Numbered Highway System in the Pacific Northwest region. It runs for approximately through the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, primarily serving i ...

, just east of Diamond Lake and Crater Lake.

Buses

Roseburg and surrounding communities are regionally served by U-Trans (formerly Umpqua Transit), the local bus service. In 2017, these services were significantly expanded.

Greyhound Lines Greyhound Lines, Inc. (commonly known as simply Greyhound) operates the largest intercity bus service in North America, including Greyhound Mexico. It also operates charter bus services, Amtrak Thruway services, commuter bus services, and ...

provide the community of Roseburg with more distant transportation.

Airports

There are two public airports, Marion E. Carl Memorial Field at the north end of town and George Felt Airport to the west.

Notable people

* Mike Allred – comic book artist * Dave Archer – artist, resident since 1999 * H. Guy Bedwell – thoroughbred trainer in Racing Hall of Fame *

Barbara Hibbs Blake Barbara Hibbs Blake (August 6, 1937 – August 18, 2019) was an American mammalogist and college professor. Early life Barbara Jo Hibbs was born in Roseburg, Oregon, the daughter of Gordon Reid Hibbs and Marybelle Hauskins Hibbs (later Ramsby) ...

– mammalogist * Tim Blixseth – real estate developer, songwriter, fraudster *

Knute Buehler Knute Carl Buehler (born August 1, 1964) is an American physician and politician who served as the Oregon State Representative for the 54th district from 2015 until January 2019. He was the Republican nominee for Governor of Oregon in the 201 ...

- Republican candidate in the 2018 Oregon Gubernatorial race *

Jamie Burke James Eugene Burke (born September 24, 1971) is a former Major League Baseball catcher. He attended Oregon State University, where, along with baseball, he played for the school's football team as the kicker. He now resides in his hometown of Ro ...

– baseball player * Troy Calhoun – head coach of the United States Air Force Academy football team * Wes DeMott – author * Marion Eugene Carl – Marine Corps general and flying ace *

Guy Cordon Guy F. Cordon (April 24, 1890June 8, 1969) was an American author, politician and lawyer from the state of Oregon. A native of Texas, he served in the Army during World War I and later was the district attorney of Douglas County in Southern O ...

– U.S. Senator, Douglas County District Attorney, lawyer * Jeremy Guthrie – professional baseball pitcher * Bobby Henderson - founder of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster * Tyler Hentschel – lead singer of

Insomniac Folklore Insomniac Folklore is an American rock band from Portland, Oregon. The group is made up of Rev Tyler Hentschel, Adrienne Michelle and Amanda Curry with other members joining them from time to time. Hentschel is the project's only consistent membe ...

David Hume Kennerly David Hume Kennerly (born March 9, 1947) is an American photographer. He won the 1972 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography for his portfolio of photographs of the Vietnam War, Cambodia, East Pakistani refugees near Calcutta, and the Ali-F ...

– presidential photographer for Gerald Ford, Pulitzer Prize winner *

John Kitzhaber John Albert Kitzhaber (born March 5, 1947) is an American former politician who served as the 35th governor of Oregon from 1995 to 2003, and as the 37th governor of Oregon from 2011 until his resignation in 2015. A member of the Democratic Party ...

– Oregon governor, 1995–2003, 2011–2015 * William W. Knight – publisher of '' The Oregon Journal'' and father of Phil Knight, the founder of Nike * Joseph Lane – general and early governor of Oregon, his home is now a museum in downtown Roseburg * Jason Latimer - magician and illusionist *

Matthew Lessner Matthew Lessner is an artist and independent filmmaker. Biography Born in Walnut Creek, California, Lessner was raised in Roseburg, Oregon, where he attended Roseburg High School. He graduated in 2005 from Chapman University, where he studi ...

– director and screenwriter * Lucy A. Rose Mallory - (1846–1920), editor; daughter of the founder of Roseburg, Aaron Rose *

Shelley Plimpton Shelley Plimpton (born February 27, 1947) is an American former actress and Broadway performer. She is perhaps best known for originating the role of Crissy in the off-Broadway production of ''Hair'', a role she resumed when the production moved ...

– former actress and mother of actress

Martha Plimpton Martha Plimpton (born November 16, 1970) is an American actress. Her feature-film debut was in ''Rollover'' (1981); she subsequently rose to prominence in the Richard Donner film '' The Goonies'' (1985). She has also appeared in '' The Mosquito ...

* Barry Serafin – television journalist * Alek Skarlatos – Oregon Army National Guardsman, recipient of the Knights of the Legion of Honour * Craig Tanner – film director, producer, editor * Chris Thompson - 2000 Olympic bronze medalist in swimming, 1,500-meter freestyle * ZZ Ward – musician, singer, songwriter

Fictional Characters

* Eliot Rosewater – philanthropist, firefighter, summer resident in 1970's

Sister cities

Roseburg has three sister cities: *

Aranda de Duero Aranda de Duero is a city and municipality, capital of the Ribera del Duero comarca, in the south of the province of Burgos, in Castile and León, Spain. It has a population of roughly 33,000 people and lies on the River Duero. The closest i ...

Castile and León Castile and León ( es, Castilla y León ; ast-leo, Castiella y Llión ; gl, Castela e León ) is an autonomous community in northwestern Spain. It was created in 1983, eight years after the end of the Francoist regime, by the merging of th ...

, Spain * Kuki (formerly Shōbu), Saitama, Japan * Kermanshah, Iran

References

External links

City of Roseburg
(official website)
Entry for Roseburg
in the '' Oregon Blue Book'' {{Authority control Cities in Oregon Cities in Douglas County, Oregon County seats in Oregon Populated places established in 1851 Micropolitan areas of Oregon 1851 establishments in Oregon Territory Ammonium nitrate disasters