Stafford is an
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...
, classified as a
hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
, 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 state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...
, United States. It is a
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the count ...
(CDP), with a population of 1,577 as of the
2010 census.
The community covers approximately located in a rough triangle south of
Lake Oswego
Lake Oswego () is a city in the U.S. state of Oregon, primarily in Clackamas County, with small portions extending into neighboring Multnomah and Washington counties. Located about south of Portland and surrounding the Oswego Lake, the town w ...
, east of
Tualatin, and west of
West Linn. Students in the area attend the schools of the
West Linn-Wilsonville School District.
Demographics
History
![Wankers Country Store](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/Wankers_Country_Store.JPG)
Stafford was named by
George A. Steel, a prominent
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 ...
pioneer, after his hometown of
Stafford, Ohio
Stafford is a village in Monroe County, Ohio, United States. The population was 71 at the 2020 census.
History
Originally named Bethel, the town was laid out by John Jones in 1838. William Steel, a Scottish-born abolitionist, is credited with ch ...
, in the 1860s.
The Stafford School opened in the community in 1892, and the following year the Eastside Electric Railway owned by Steel reached the area. In 1895, the Wanker family moved to the area and bought land where they built a store and tavern, an area later to become Wankers Corner at the intersection of Stafford Road and Borland Road. It has frequently been noted on lists of
unusual place names. The two buildings currently located at Wanker's Corner are the Wanker's Country Store and the Wanker's Corner Saloon and Cafe. It is not a recognized community; it has never had a post office, nor does it consistently appear on maps of Oregon (although the
AAA
AAA, Triple A, or Triple-A is a three-letter initialism or abbreviation which may refer to:
Airports
* Anaa Airport in French Polynesia (IATA airport code AAA)
* Logan County Airport (Illinois) (FAA airport code AAA)
Arts, entertainment, and me ...
map of Oregon shows it in an inset). The
United States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...
classifies Wankers Corner as a "locale": "a place at which there is or was human activity".
Status
Parts of the Stafford area were proposed to be added to the Portland area's urban growth boundary in 1995. Eventually were added, but later removed after a court fight that ended in 2001 at the
Oregon Court of Appeals
The Oregon Court of Appeals is the state intermediate Court of Appeals, appellate court in the US state of Oregon. Part of the Oregon Judicial Department, it has thirteen judges and is located in Salem, Oregon, Salem. Except for death penalty cas ...
. In November 2006, the residents of Stafford voted 344–30 to form a
hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
, the second Oregon community to do so (after
Beavercreek).
References
*
External links
*
Staffordofficial page at Clackamas County website
Stafford community website
{{authority control
Hamlets in Oregon
Portland metropolitan area
Unincorporated communities in Clackamas County, Oregon
Census-designated places in Oregon
1860s establishments in Oregon
Unincorporated communities in Oregon