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The history of West Linn is as rugged as its topography.
The area was first settled in the early 1840s when Robert Moore
purchased 1,000 acres of land from the "Wallamut" Indians.
He built his cabin high on a slope overlooking
Willamette Falls and set about building a town, calling it Robin's
Nest.
Within a few years, Moore had built
four flour and lumber mills, along with dwellings for his mill
workers. He
also operated a ferry to Oregon City.
In 1845, Moore renamed his tiny town Linn
City in honor of his friend, well-known free-state advocate
Dr.
Lewis F. Linn, U.S. senator from Missouri and sponsor of the
Donation Land Claim Bill. Moore became the first postmaster
in 1850 and purchased an Oregon City newspaper, "the
Spectator," in 1852.
By then, his Linn City enterprises
included a gristmill, sawmill, warehouse, wharves and a breakwater
to
create a basin for boats to tie up in for loading and unloading
cargo. But
when he died in 1857, Moore had not seen his dream of a completed
town
realized.
Shortly after his death, a devastating fire destroyed
the sawmill,
gristmill, wharves and even a steamer ship docked there.
Local businessmen began to rebuild, only to see their hard work
washed away in destructive floods later that year. Linn City
was teetering on the brink. But in 1868, the Willamette Transportation
Locks Co. began operating, providing passage to shipping
over Willamette Falls. The locks, which helped keep the city
alive, have remained in continuous operation to this day.
In 1913, the City of West Linn was incorporated, encompassing
four areas - West Oregon City, Bolton, Sunset and Willamette
Heights. The incorporation allowed the settlements to obtain
needed services, utilities and improvements without annexing
to Oregon City. After considerable debate on a name, the city
founders decided to honor the pioneer town that Moore had established.
The city's population has grown steadily. The 1860 census listed
225 residents. By 1920, the number had grown to 1,628. The 1960
census set the population at 2,923, and by 1970, West Linn had
grown to more than 7,000. The growth pattern continued through
the 1980s and 90s, with the population today over 24,000.
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