Forest+Grove+History+Timeline

Farmer, 64 Laborer, 16 Carpenter, 6 Blacksmith, 3 Cabinetmaker, 2 Saddler, 2 Merchant, 2 Millwright, 2 Minister 2 Clerk, 1 Professor, 1 Lumberman, 1 Printer, 1 || Mayor A. Hinman is elected. || Mayor F.T Kane is elected. || Mayor Walter Hoge is elected. ||
 * || **Year** ||  || **Event** ||
 * || Pre-European Contact ||  || Native Americans of the Atfalati (Tualatin) group from the Kalapuya lived in the area prior to European immigrant arrival, missionary settlement and colonization. ||
 * || 1792 ||  || Arrival of first Europeans ||   ||
 * || 1805 ||  || Lewis and Clark visit ||
 * || 1824-1829 ||  || Smallpox epidemic, by 1829 80% of the indigenous population had died. ||
 * || 1840 ||  || A.T. and Abigail Smith and Harvey and Emeline Clark set out for Oregon Country as missionaries to local indigenous people. ||
 * || 1841 ||  || The first European settlers were the Smiths, the Clarks and the Littlejohns. They built a log cabin in September 1841. ||
 * || 1843 ||  || A provisional government was started. Joseph Gale was on Executive Committee and Alvin T. Smith was magistrate. ||
 * || 1844 ||  || Harvey Clark arrived in the area and joined with Alvin Smith to start the Congregational Church. Joseph Gale opens the first mill. There are twenty or more adults in two mile circle from center of town. ||
 * || 1845 ||  || Thomas Naylor claimed 562 acres near the present day downtown. At this time, Forest Grove numbered 15 families and was referred to as West Tualatin Plains. ||
 * || 1846 ||  || A log cabin was built to function as both meeting house and school, and the Congregational Church held their first camp meeting. ||
 * || 1848 ||  || Many of the missionaries associated with the Whitman Incident relocated to the West Tualatin Plains. An orphanage, run by Tabitha Brown, opened. ||
 * || 1849 ||  || The Oregon Territorial Legislature granted Tualatin Academy an official charter Harvey Clark and Tabitha Brown established the Tualatin Academy, a school for children of settlers and a home for orphans. Clark donated 200 acres to trustees of Tualatin Academy. The Academy became a major attraction to new settlers. The charter was amended to add Pacific University. The population grew to about 80 adults. All the land within a two mile circle was claimed by European immigrants. ||
 * || 1850 ||  || A Post Office was established, with Alvin T. Smith as postmaster. Old College Hall was built. Teachers at the Academy were often paid in land. Businesses sprung up, including one store, a grist and saw-mill, a tanner, a shoemaker and a blacksmith. Mary Richardson Walker organizes the Maternal Association. Members pledge to pray with and for their children. ||
 * || 1851 ||  || The missionaries disagreed over land issues, and a split occurred in the Congregational Church. Harvey Clark suffered a heart attack, but survived. The first surveyor general of Oregon, John G. Preston, draws the first map with Forest Grove on it. On April 19th, Afalati band ceded lands to European settlers, reserving a small portion for the decimated community along Wapato Lake. ||
 * || 1854 ||  || Alvin T. & Abigail Smith built a New England style home south of Forest Grove. ||
 * || 1856 ||  || The two Churches reconciled the land issues. In the footsteps of Harvey Clark, Thomas Condon and Sidney Marsh, Elkanah Walker became the new preacher for the Congregational Church. ||
 * || 1858 ||  || Both Harvey Clark and Tabitha Brown died in this year. ||
 * || 1859 ||  || The name “Forest Grove” was officially recognized for the area around Pacific University. This name probably referred to the grove of oak trees on and around the University. Oregon became a state, and the census changed our name from West Tualatin Plains to Forest Grove. In October, after a difficult decade, the new Congregational Church was dedicated. ||
 * || 1860 ||  || The charter for the Holbrook Lodge of the Masons was granted. Thirteen professions were listed in the census for Forest Grove:
 * Profession,** **Number of Persons**
 * || 1863 ||  || Alvin C. Brown built the Brown family home. Harvey Scott was the first student to graduate from Pacific University. ||
 * || 1865 ||  || Mrs. Sloan opened the first hotel. ||
 * || 1866 ||  || A stage coach line ran between Portland, Hillsboro, Forest Grove and Yamhill. ||
 * || 1869 ||  || Farming was the predominant occupation. A 100-ton steamship carrying both freight and passengers operated on the Tualatin River from Emerick’s Landing, just east of Forest Grove. Also, the first rail was established, which spurred industrial growth around the stop. ||
 * || 1869 ||  || The sternwheeler “Onward” traveled on the Tualatin River as far as Cornelius, with an average of 17 passengers a day. Harriet Hoover was the first woman to graduate from Pacific University. The population was between 400-500 people, and four or five stores were open on Main and Pacific. ||
 * || 1870 ||  || 396 people lived in Forest Grove and the community started to diversify with only 33% of the population employed as farmers. The rest were merchants and craftsmen or professionals working at the school. ||
 * || 1871 ||  || For the first time, Forest Grove residents had daily access to Portland. Train tracks were laid as far as Cornelius. ||
 * || 1872 ||  || The City was officially incorporated and the first newspaper, //The Independent//, was established. ||
 * || 1873 ||  || The first election was held and the first city officials were elected. Our town had ten stores, three hotels, three schools, three doctors and one drug store. A weekly newspaper was published on Saturday evenings. ||
 * || 1874 ||  || Train tracks were laid as far as Dilley and beyond. ||
 * || 1878 ||  || Vert’s Hall was built downtown and used for many civic functions. The mail arrived daily by a four-horse coach from Portland. ||
 * || 1880 ||  || Forest Grove, with a population of 547 persons, was larger than Hillsboro. There were four street lights are installed on four corners. Also, the Chemawa Indian Boarding School was established February 25th. ||
 * || 1881 ||  || Forest Grove has a visit from U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes. ||
 * || 1884 ||  || Samuel Grant Hughes began the Independent Telephone Company of Forest Grove (ten years before Bell services). The company also served Cornelius, Banks and Gales Creek. ||
 * || 1885 ||  || The American Indian boarding school in Forest Grove was moved to Salem, OR in October of this year. ||
 * || 1886 ||  || The Forest Grove News-Times newspaper was established. ||
 * || 1887 ||  || E.W. Haines built a generator on Gales Creek. ||
 * || 1889-1890 ||  || A small pox epidemic hits our town, and the Forest Grove News Times began publication. By 1890, our population was 668. ||
 * || 1891 ||  || A new city charter was established that changed the form of government from the village elder system to an elected Mayor and Council form of government. First Mayor J.G. Boos is elected. One freight and two passenger trains came out daily from Portland. ||
 * || 1892 ||  || Electric arc lights were placed on FG streets, and electric power was turned on for first time. ||
 * || 1893 ||  || A City ordinance was passed in 1893 requiring all buildings in the downtown core to be constructed of brick to reduce the risk of fire. Many of these buildings remain in active use today. Mayor Sam Hughes is elected. ||
 * || 1894 ||  || A franchise was presented to the Home Telephone Company. ||
 * || 1895 ||  || The volunteer Fire Department was established, street signs were made and posted, and the City authorized research into establishing a city waterworks and power plant. ||
 * || 1896 ||  || The Water and Light power plant began operation. ||
 * || 1897 ||  || An ordinance to prohibit the sale of intoxicating liquors was revised and renewed. FG was a “dry” town.
 * || 1898 ||  || Dr. C. L. Large was appointed the health officer for the city and was instructed, along with the Board of Health, to examine reported unsanitary conditions in the city. ||
 * || 1900 ||  || FG Population: 1096. Rail lines connected local residents to Portland and McMinnville, OR.
 * || 1902 ||  || The Pacific Coast Condensed Milk Creamery was established, and fifty-six new dwellings were built. ||
 * || 1903 ||  || An anti-cigarette league was formed among small boys in the city. ||
 * || 1904 ||  || Two new hotels were constructed and approximately seventy-five new houses began construction.
 * || 1905 ||  || Mayor C.N. Johnson is elected. ||
 * || 1906 ||  || Electric inter-urban trains arrived and the Forest Grove Transportation Company installed a street trolley. Forest Grove National bank was established and a telegraph office was built downtown. Over the next two years, ninth and tenth grade were added to the public school system. Mayor M. Peterson is elected. ||
 * || 1907 ||  || Pacific Avenue was paved. Mayor B. H. Laughlin is elected. ||
 * || 1908 ||  || The first FG movie theater was built. Mayor J. H. Wirtz appointed for part of 1908. ||
 * || 1909 ||  || Lincoln School opened, and five brick stores rose on Main Street. More than 150 new residences completed construction. ||
 * || 1910 ||  || Our population was 1772. Fifty new family homes were built, and FG streets were oiled in summer to keep down the dust. Mayor M. Peterson is elected again. ||
 * || 1911 ||  || The Commercial Club (an early Chamber of Commerce) met regularly at the Rogers Free Library. A group of business men purchased Macrum Mansion for use as the town hospital, and eighteen blocks of city streets were paved. ||
 * || 1913 ||  || Oregon women gained the right to vote, and more than 150 Forest Grove women voted. ||
 * || 1914-1915 ||  || Tualatin Academy ceased operations due to the steep competition with public schools, and the school officially became Pacific University. ||
 * || 1917 ||  || During World War I, two dozen local young men fought with the Army and Navy, and more than 80 women joined the National Honor Guard. ||
 * || 1919 ||  || The worst fire in the history of our town destroys a whole business block. Even the Congregational Church burned to the ground. ||
 * || 1920 ||  || Forest Grove's population was 1,915 people. A motorized fire truck was purchased by the city. The census listed the profession of "logger" for the first time, though "lumberman" had been used in 1860. ||
 * || 1921 ||  || A new hospital opened on Cedar Street. ||
 * || 1923 ||  || Cement sidewalks were laid south of Pacific Avenue. ||
 * || 1924 ||  || Work on Central School, located at 1728 Main Street, began. ||
 * || 1927 ||  || The nursery industry grew vital to the community: large shipments of daffodil bulbs and prunes were shipped east. ||
 * || 1929 ||  || The “talkies” came to the Star Theater, and a fire on the block between Main and Council Street caused $45,000 worth of damage. The stock market crashed in October, spiraling the country into the Great Depression. ||
 * || 1930 ||  || The town shows its first decline in population in 90 years (to 1,859). ||
 * || 1931 ||  || Central School was finished. ||
 * || 1932 ||  || Three out of four voters in Forest Grove voted Republican. ||
 * || 1933 - 1951 ||  || Two Forest Grove banks close permanently in 1933. Residents of our town earned income fighting fires and salvaging timber. Fires raged for 18 years in the area, which became known as the Tillamook Burn. The Great Depression and these major forest fires affecting the logging industry in the Tillamook Forest hurt the local economy and slowed growth. By 1940, Forest grove's population had only grown to 2,450 people. ||
 * || 1934 ||  || At the end of the Prohibition era, Forest Grove voted to stay dry. ||
 * || 1935 ||  || The Stimson Lumber Company opened a mill in Scoggins Valley, and used timber from the first Tillamook Burn. ||
 * || 1937 ||  || A new FG grade school built with WPA money. ||
 * || 1938 ||  || Citizens and leaders called for the reorganization of city government, which changed to the City Manager system. ||
 * || 1939 ||  || Buses replaced local train services. ||
 * || 1940 ||  || At the beginning of World War II, Company 1 of the 186th Infantry went into training at Camp Murray in Fort Lewis, Washington, and the first blackout was held in the city. Our population was 2,449 people. ||
 * || 1941 ||  || Local students were mobilized to work in strawberry and bean fields, and many residents worked in the Portland shipyards. Rationing began. Two hundred and twenty one Japanese Americans in Forest Grove were sent to internment camps, 137 were U.S. citizens. ||
 * || 1942 ||  || Public Law 45 allowed local farmers to use migrant laborers from Mexico. ||
 * || 1944 ||  || Forest Grove continued to vote Republican. ||
 * || 1945 ||  || College of Optometry opened at Pacific University. ||
 * || 1946-1949 ||  || The City installed parking meters. A five million gallon water reservoir was built, as well as a municipal swimming pool, ball park and city recreation field were completed. ||
 * || 1947 ||  || Gay ‘90s and Ballad Town Barbershop contest began, and featured the Forest Grove Gleemen (now Westside Singers). The number of building permits issued were three times the number in 1938. ||
 * || 1948 ||  || The first water filtration plant was constructed, and local voters approved a $12.3 million bond to replant the Tillamook Burn. Developed land in the area was only 406 acres. ||
 * || 1950 ||  || Our population was 4,343 people. ||
 * || 1960s- Present ||  || Led by food and beverage processing and manufacturing, the local economy includes concentrations of value-added wood products, high-tech industry, education, and health care, while the main agriculture products include nurseries, winemaking and blueberries. Housing types include apartments, homes constructed of modest frame construction built in the 1950’s to modern full-amenity executive housing. ||
 * || 1970 ||  || The City's population was 8,275. ||
 * || 1982 ||  || On July 1st, the Forest Grove National Bank changed their name to Valley National Bank of Oregon. ||
 * || 1985 ||  || Developed land reached 1,984 acres. ||
 * || 1914 ||  || The city of Gaston was incorporated. ||

Sources
 * “Build us a Beauty,” Forest Grove City Library, Director’s Collection
 * City History from website ([|forestgrove-or.gov/community/page/city-history])
 * Oregon Historical Calendar and Chronology of Events, 1542-1988 by Glenn T. Harding