Monmouth, Oregon
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Monmouth is a city located in Polk County, Oregon. It was named for Monmouth, Illinois, from whence it earliest settlers came. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 7,741.
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History
Monmouth was settled in 1853 by a group of pioneers who made a point of allocating 640 acres (2.6 km²) to build both a city and a "college under the auspices of the Christian Church" according to Lewis MacArthur in his Oregon Geographic Names, and proceeds from the sale of these lands were used to found Monmouth University. Hence from the beginning of Monmouth, its college was part of the community.
However, by the early 1880s the college fell on hard times and it was offered for sale to the State of Oregon, who bought it in 1882 and renamed it Oregon State Normal School at Monmouth, now known as Western Oregon University. Beyond the university, Monmouth is a mostly agricultural town.
For decades, Monmouth had a long-running rivalry with neighboring Independence, caused in part by Monmouth's ban on the sale of alcoholic beverages in supermarkets, restaurants and bars, and Independence's willingness to remedy this deficit. Monmouth's police department for many years would assign a number of officers to monitor the east city limits about the time the bars closed in Independence.
This rivalry was exacerbated by the city's practice of dumping untreated sewage into Ash Creek, which one year flooded the neighboring city with its septic sludge.
The 144-year-old ban on the sale of alcoholic beverages came to an end January 10, 2003 after a public vote in 2002. At the time the ban was lifted, Monmouth was the last "dry" municipality in not only Oregon, but the western United States (excluding Alaska).
Geography
ORMap-doton-Monmouth.png
Location of Monmouth, Oregon
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.0 km² (1.9 mi²). 5.0 km² (1.9 mi²) of it is land and none of the area is covered with water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 7,741 people, 2,757 households, and 1,488 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,548.6/km² (4,004.3/mi²). There are 2,934 housing units at an average density of 587.0/km² (1,517.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 85.67% White, 0.92% African American, 1.05% Native American, 2.04% Asian, 0.74% Pacific Islander, 6.21% from other races, and 3.37% from two or more races. 9.73% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 2,757 households out of which 26.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.7% are married couples living together, 9.4% have a female householder with no husband present, and 46.0% are non-families. 24.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 7.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.50 and the average family size is 3.03.
In the city the population is spread out with 19.5% under the age of 18, 35.9% from 18 to 24, 21.2% from 25 to 44, 14.5% from 45 to 64, and 8.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 23 years. For every 100 females there are 86.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 81.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $32,256, and the median income for a family is $48,600. Males have a median income of $33,500 versus $25,185 for females. The per capita income for the city is $14,474. 24.6% of the population and 7.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 14.1% of those under the age of 18 and 5.6% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Colleges and universities
Bibliography
- Scott McArthur. Monmouth, Oregon: the Saga of a Small American Town. Rickreall, Oregon: Polk County History Museum, 2004.