About Salem/Keizer
Salem is the capital city of Oregon and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley, one of the most fertile and agriculturally productive regions of the United States. TheWillamette River, runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk County, the city neighborhood of West Salem is in Polk County. Salem is 47 miles from Portland. It is an hour from the Cascade Mountains to the east and an hour from the ocean beaches to the west.
Presently, at a population of 35,435, Keizer is the 14th largest City in Oregon. In 1960 there were just 5,000 people. Located just north of Salem, Keizer is one of the fastest growing cities in Oregon. The community took the name of Thomas Dove Keizur, patriarch of the family which came to Oregon with the Applegate wagon train in the fall of 1843.
Origins
Salem is one of Oregon's oldest communities. The Indian name for the locality was Chemeketa, said to mean "meeting or resting place." It may also have been the name of one of the bands of Calapooya Indians. In 1840-41, the Jason Lee Mission was moved from the Willamette River upstream (south) to a site on Mill Creek.
Development
In 1842, the missionaries established the Oregon Institute. When the mission was dissolved in 1844, it was decided to lay out a townsite on the Institute lands. Either David Leslie, one of the trustees who came to Oregon from Salem, Mass., or W. H. Willson, who filed plats in 1850-51 for what is now the main part of the city, selected the name "Salem." Salem is the anglicized form of the Hebrew word Shalom, meaning peace.
As of July 1, 2007 Salem had a population of 152,290, making it the third largest city in the state after Portland and Eugene. The population of the Salem/Keizer Metropolitan (MSA) area is approximately 385,000 making it the second largest urban area in the state. Salem has a sustainable growth rate of approximately 1.5 percent per year.
Employment
State government is this city's largest employer, with approximately 13,000 full-time employees, 38 of the largest state agencies and more than 20 smaller ones located in the immediate area. But the city also serves as a hub for the area farming communities and is a major agricultural food processing center. It lies along the I-5 corridor and is within an hour's drive of Oregon's largest city, Portland.
The top private employer in Salem is the Salem Hospital with over 2,700 employees. Others include the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde's Spirit Mountain Casino west of Salem, the T-Mobile Calling Center, GE Security (Formerly Supra Products Inc.), Wachovia Securities, Norpac Foods Inc., Roth's Family Markets, and Willamette University.
Education
Over 13 public or private universities and colleges are located within a 70-mile radius of Salem. Salem’s educational institutions provide undergraduate and graduate programs and workforce training, as well as contributing a rich tapestry of cultural events and art that enrich the community. Post secondary schools in Salem include Chemeketa Community College, Corban College, Tokyo International University of America and Willamette University, the oldest university in the American west. Portland State University and Eastern Oregon University provide classes and a handful of undergraduate degrees at Chemeketa Community College.
Attractions
Salem offers a wide array of restaurants, hotels and tourist attractions, ranging from historic sites and museums to events that appeal to a wide variety of interests - from sports tournaments to Arts Fairs, theater and music. From our vibrant downtown, several parks and our historic district are within walking distance. 1,869 acres of park land invite residents and visitors alike to enjoy the outdoors.
The Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, a minor league baseball team, play their home games in of Keizer. The Salem Stampede of the International Basketball League play their home games at the Salem Armory. Also playing in Salem is the Cascade Surge, a minor league soccer team associated with the United Soccer LeaguesPremier Development League (PDL). The Surge play home games at McCulloch Stadium on the campus of Willamette University.
Communications
Salem-Keizer Transit ("Cherriots"), an independent government agency, provides fixed-route bus service, rideshare matching, and paratransit/lift services for the disabled, within the urban growth boundary. There is a fare-free zone located in downtown Salem. Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, leases the Salem Depot from the Oregon Department of Transportation. The Coast Starlight provides daily north–south service to cities between Los Angeles, California and Seattle, Washington. Amtrak Cascades trains, operating as far north as Vancouver, British Columbia and as far south as Eugene, Oregon, serve Salem several times daily in both directions. McNary Field (Salem Municipal Airport) is owned and operated by the City of Salem. It serves primarily private aviation and the Oregon National Guard – Army Aviation Support Facility (AASF). Delta Connection offers commercial air service with two daily flights to Salt Lake City, Utah.
Nature
Surrounded by green pastures, fields of flowers, gardens, vegetables, orchards and vineyards, Salem’s farmer’s markets overflow with locally raised produce and hand-crafted products. In addition, Salem is a great base for a tour of Oregon’s wine country.
This information was gathered from a variety of websites, including the sites listed below. More detailed information about Salem/Keizer is available on the following websites.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salem,_Oregon