Dallas is a city and 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 ...

of Polk County,

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 ...

, United States. The population was 16,854 at the 2020 census. Dallas is along Rickreall Creek, about west of Salem, at an elevation of above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardis ...

. It is part of the

Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area The Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is a Metropolitan Statistical Area consisting of two counties in western Oregon, Marion and Polk. The principal city is Salem, the state capital, which ...

History

Pioneers in the 1840s started the settlement that became known as Dallas on the north side of Rickreall Creek. It was originally named "Cynthian" or "Cynthiana". A 1947 ''

Itemizer-Observer The ''Polk County Itemizer-Observer'' is a weekly newspaper published in Dallas, Oregon, United States, and covering Dallas, Monmouth, Independence, Falls City and the surrounding area. It was established in 1875 and is owned by SJ Olson Publish ...

'' article states: " e town was called Cynthiana after Cynthiana, Ky., so named by Mrs. Thos. Lovelady." According to the county historical society in 1987, Mrs. Thomas J. Lovelady named the new settlement after her home town of

Cynthiana, Kentucky Cynthiana is a home rule-class city in Harrison County, Kentucky, in the United States. The population was 6,402 at the 2010 census. It is the seat of its county. History The settlement developed on both sides of the South Fork of the Lick ...

. Another source claims that Cynthia Ann, wife of early pioneer

Jesse Applegate Jesse Applegate (July 5, 1811 – April 22, 1888) was an American pioneer who led a large group of settlers along the Oregon Trail to the Oregon Country. He was an influential member of the early government of Oregon, and helped establish the ...

, named the settlement. But they lived in the Salt Creek area of northern Polk County and, according to the 1850 Federal Census, she was not living in Polk County then. Dallas post office was established in 1852. In 1856, the town was moved more than a mile south because of an inadequate supply of water. Cynthiana competed with

Independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the stat ...

to be selected as the county seat. Its residents raised $17,000 in order to have a branch of the

narrow gauge railroad A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge narrower than standard . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curves, smaller structur ...

constructed to their town, which secured them the honor and related economic stimulus. The line was built from 1878–80. Town leaders believed a more sturdy sounding name was needed for a county seat. Since

George Mifflin Dallas George Mifflin Dallas (July 10, 1792 – December 31, 1864) was an American politician and diplomat who served as mayor of Philadelphia from 1828 to 1829, the 11th vice president of the United States from 1845 to 1849, and U.S. Minister to the ...

was vice-president under James K. Polk, for whom the county was named, they named it "Dallas". Dallas was incorporated as a town in 1874 and as a city in 1901.

Gerlinger family

After Louis Gerlinger, Sr. incorporated the Salem, Falls City and Western Railway Company late in October 1901, he announced plans to build a railroad from the

Willamette River The Willamette River ( ) is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States. Flowing northward b ...

at Salem to the mouth of the Siletz River on the

Oregon Coast The Oregon Coast is a coastal region of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to its west and the Oregon Coast Range to the east, and stretches approximately from the California state border in the south to the Colum ...

, a distance of .Catherine A. Baldwin (1982). ''Making the Most of the Best: Willamette Industries' Seventy-Five Years.'' (Portland, OR: Willamette Industries, 172 p.). In 1902, Louis's son George T. Gerlinger organized a group of investors to build related railroad lines in the area. On May 29, 1903, the first train ran from Dallas to Falls City. At the end of June, passenger trains began regularly scheduled, daily trips to and from Dallas and Falls City; the , 40-minute, one-way trip cost 35 cents.

Willamette Industries Willamette Industries, Inc. was a Fortune 500 forest products company based in Portland, Oregon, United States.Louis Gerlinger, Sr. was president of the new company and H. L. Pittock, vice president. George T. Gerlinger served as secretary and manager, and F. W. Leadbetter was treasurer. George Cone served as director and mill superintendent. In 1967, Willamette Valley Lumber and several others merged to become Willamette Industries. In the early 21st century, this and other local businesses were taken over by others from outside, which eventually affected the local economy. In March 2002, Willamette Industries was officially acquired by Weyerhaeuser Company in a hostile takeover. In early 2009, Weyerhaeuser's Mill formally closed the Dallas operation. Similarly, Gerlinger Carrier Company in Dallas was taken over by Towmotor.

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 , all of it land.

Climate

Dallas 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'') with warm to very warm, dry summers with cool mornings, and cold, rainy winters. Occasionally frigid weather will reach the Willamette Valley due to very cold continental air from Canada being driven over the Cascades by a low-pressure system to the south, as occurred repeatedly in January 1950 when temperatures reached as low as on January 31, 1950, and of snow fell. However, snowfall is generally very rare, with an annual mean of and a median of zero. Rainfall is generally heavy during the winter months, averaging over from November to February, when rain falls on around seventeen days in an average month, and on all but one day in November 1983. The wettest month has however been December 1996 with and the wettest "rain year" from July 1973 to June 1974 with . As with most of Oregon, the driest "rain year" was from July 1976 to June 1977 and saw only . Spring arrives slowly with pleasant afternoon temperatures and less heavy rainfall by April, although showers are common until into June. High summer in July and August is very warm in the afternoon and generally dry, with no rain falling for 79 days, between June 23 – September 9, 1967, which saw the hottest month on record in August 1967 where the mean maximum was . Low humidity and pleasant mornings make this season comfortable, although airflows from the hot continent can bring spells of sweltering and arid weather, with reached on July 19, 1956, and on August 8, 1981. On average, eighteen afternoons will top but only two can expect to reach , while 62 mornings fall below freezing, but only two spells (in January–February 1950 and December 1972) have ever seen temperatures as low as .

Demographics

The median income in 2000 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 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 $16,734. About 7.8% of families and 9.8% 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 13.2% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.

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 14,583 people, 5,747 households, and 3,952 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 6,137 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.6%

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 ...

, 0.2%

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 ...

, 2.0% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1%

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 ...

, 1.6% from other races, and 2.7% 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 people of any race were 5.9% of the population. There were 5,747 households, of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.8% 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, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 31.2% were non-families. 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.98. The median age in the city was 39.8 years. 25% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.3% were from 25 to 44; 24.8% were from 45 to 64; and 18.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.

Media

The ''

Polk County Itemizer-Observer The ''Polk County Itemizer-Observer'' is a weekly newspaper published in Dallas, Oregon, United States, and covering Dallas, Monmouth, Independence, Falls City and the surrounding area. It was established in 1875 and is owned by SJ Olson Publishi ...

'' is a weekly newspaper published in Dallas since 1875. KWIP (880 AM) is the only radio station currently licensed to the city.

Infrastructure

Dallas' only hospital is West Valley Hospital.

Oregon Route 223 Oregon Route 223 is a state highway in the U.S. State of Oregon, which runs between the town of Wren, Oregon and the city of Dallas, Oregon. It is known as the Kings Valley Highway No. 191 (see Oregon highways and routes) and is long. It lies ...

is the only state highway that serves the city.

Notable people

Jeri Ellsworth Jeri Janet Ellsworth (born August 14, 1974) is an American entrepreneur, computer chip designer and inventor. She gained fame in 2004 for creating a complete Commodore 64 emulator system on a chip housed within a joystick, called Commodore 30- ...

, self-taught computer chip designer *

Darcy Fast Darcy Rae Fast (born March 10, 1947) is an American former professional baseball player, a left-handed pitcher in the Major Leagues in 1968 for the Chicago Cubs. Fast's only MLB decision was on July 4, 1968, pitching in relief in the second game ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...

pitcher for the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is locate ...

* Carl Gerlinger, founder of Gerlinger Carrier Company * George T. Gerlinger, founder of Willamette Industries * Irene Hazard Gerlinger, first female regent of the University of Oregon * Louis Gerlinger Sr., founder of the Salem, Falls City and Western Railway *

Mark Hatfield Mark Odom Hatfield (July 12, 1922 – August 7, 2011) was an American politician and educator from the state of Oregon. A Republican, he served for 30 years as a United States senator from Oregon, and also as chairman of the Senate Approp ...

, former Governor of Oregon; United States senator, 1967–1997 * Johnny Kitzmiller, football player and College Football Hall of Fame member * Jordan Poyer, pro football strong safety for the Buffalo Bills *

Johnnie Ray John Alvin Ray (January 10, 1927 – February 24, 1990) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Highly popular for most of the 1950s, Ray has been cited by critics as a major precursor to what became rock and roll, for his jazz and bl ...

, 1950s singer and recording artist

References

External links

City of Dallas OregonEntry for Dallas
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 ...

''
Dallas Area Chamber of Commerce
* {{authority control Cities in Oregon County seats in Oregon Cities in Polk County, Oregon Salem, Oregon metropolitan area Willamette Valley 1840s establishments in Oregon