More about Beaverton Oregon

According to Oregon Geographic Names, Beaverton got its name because of the settlement's proximity to a large body of water resulting from beaver dams .

The area of Tualatin Valley which became Beaverton was originally the home of a Native American tribe known as the Atfalati or the Tualatin. They were hunter-gatherers whose land including a village that was called Chakeipi, meaning Place of the Beaver. The Atfalati population dwindled in the latter part of the 18th century, and the prosperous tribe was no longer dominant in the area by the 19th century when westerners first visited.

[ edit ] 19th century

Early settlers referred to the place as "Beaverdam". Early settlers include the Hall Family from Kentucky , the Denneys who lived on their claim near present-day Scholls Ferry Road and Hall Blvd, and Orrin S. Allens who resided at SW Allen and Hall Blvd.

• 1847 : Lawrence Hall (for whom Hall Boulevard is named) purchased 640 acres (2.6 km²) in Beaverdam and built a grist mill with his brother near present-day Walker Road.
• 1849 : Thomas Denney came to the area and built its first sawmill ; Denny Road is named after him.
• 1860 : A plank road from Portland to Beaverton was completed over a trail called Canyon Road.
• 1868 : Joshua Welch, George Betts, Charles Angel, W.P. Watson, John Henry and other settlers of the area laid out what is now known as Beaverton hoping they could bring a railroad to an area once described as "mostly swamps & marshes connected by beaver dams to create what looked like a huge lake."
• 1872 : Beaverton's first post office opened under George Betts, the first postmaster, in his general store. Betts Street, where the current post office now stands, is named in honor of him.
• 1893 : The city of Beaverton, with a population of 400, was officially incorporated. Alonzo Cady, a local businessman, served as the first mayor.

[ edit ] 20th century

Beaverton was an early home to automobile dealerships. A Ford Motor Company dealership was established there in 1915 ; it was purchased by Guy Carr in 1923 and over the years Carr expanded it into several locations throughout Beaverton.

In the early 1920s , Beaverton was home to Premium Picture Productions , a movie studio which produced about fifteen films.

The town's first library opened in 1925 . Originally on the second floor of the Cady building, it has moved repeatedly; in 2000 it was moved to its current location on Hall Boulevard and 5th.

In the 1980s a light rail system was proposed to connect Beaverton to downtown Portland, as part of Metro's plans for the region's transportation. In 1992, voters approved funding for Westside MAX ; the project began construction in 1994 and was completed in 1998, with stations located at Millikan Way MAX station Merlo Road and Southwest 158th Avenue , Beaverton Creek , Beaverton Central , and the Beaverton Transit Center .

[ edit ] 21st century

In December 2004, the city and Washington County announced an "interim plan" which will lead to Beaverton becoming the second-largest city in Oregon, second only to Portland. The "interim" plan actually covers a period of more than ten years; from the county's perspective, the plan supports its strategy of having cities and special districts provide urban services. From the city's perspective, it supports its strategy of continued annexation , beginning with areas already surrounded by the city, which Oregon state law allows to be annexed without landowner approval. Nike led a legal and lobby effort to resist the annexation. The lobbying effort succeeded quickly, with the Oregon Legislative Assembly enacting Senate Bill 887which prohibit Beaverton from annexing Nike without Nike's consent. Nike continued its legal efforts, which as of July 2006 has cost Beaverton taxpayers over $360,000.

The city and county also agreed to work on ending the "double taxation" of Beaverton property owners who subsidize urban services provided to residents of unincorporated area.

Several nearby unincorporated neighborhoods , even some considered Portland neighborhoods , are affected during the plan's first decade, including Cedar Hills , West Slope , Raleigh Hills and Garden Home . Property owned by Providence St. Vincent Medical Center, and Tektronix would also be affected.

Neighborhoods affected after the plan's first ten years include Bethany, Cedar Mill , and Aloha . If all areas covered by the plan were to be immediately incorporated into Beaverton, the city's present-day population would be 280,000.

Many of these neighborhoods actively oppose annexation because of Beaverton's higher taxation and controversial policing methods (including undercover seatbelt enforcement and photo radar ). Court and electoral fights could delay Beaverton's annexation plans.

In 2006 , the Murrayhill Little League baseball team qualified for the 2006 Little League World Series , the first Oregon team in 48 years to go that far. Murrayhill advanced to the semifinals before losing; the third-place game was rained out and not rescheduled. In addition, a Junior Softball team from Beaverton went to 2006 World Series in Kirkland, Washington , ending in sixth place.

Demographics