Salem Oregon

Salem is one of Oregon’s oldest towns. Native Americans that inhabited the valley were known as “Kalapuya” and their name for the region was Chemeketa. Trappers arrived in the early 1800′s and started to farm the valley’s furtile soil. In 1834 Jason Lee established a mission. They founded the Oregon Institute, which is now Willamette University. The mission dissolved in 1844 and the missionaries named the new town “Salem” which is an anglicized word for “shalom” meaning peace.Salem is the capital city of Oregon and its second largest city. Salem is 47 miles south of Portland in the center of the Willamette River valley. Salem is located between the Cascade mountain range to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. As of July 2005, Salem had a population of 147,215.

Salem has five colleges and an excellent school system. Undergraduate and graduate programs are available for ongoing workforce training and education. Salem has a wide variety of restaurants, wineries, and tourist attractions. It is also just a one hour drive from Portland to access Broadway shows, opera, ballet, and the Oregon Symphony. Salem offers something for everyone ranging from sports to music to art events. With 1,869 acres of parks in the city, there is plenty of space for cyclists, walkers, joggers, and dog lovers.

Surrounded by lush farmland, locally raised produce is in abundance at local stands and the downtown Farmer’s Market every Wednesday. The excellent pastures surrounding Salem provide for excellent vineyards, flower festivals, and autumn harvest festivals. Salem is a wonderful place to live and still be within driving distance of many events.