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HisToric corvallis River. These adjoining claims met in the vicinity of today’s Benton County Courthouse. In 1852, when Oregon Territory extended from Canada to California and from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean, the territorial legislature selected and established a territorial university here. The Corvallis Academy, the first community school in the area, eventually became Oregon State University (OSU). The campus plan reflects John Olmsted’s early design and remains a significant aspect of the dynamic role of the campus in the greater cultural landscape.
Photo by: Mike E. Bergen
By B. A. Beierle Corvallis’ story begins more than 10,000 years ago, when ancient ice dams collapsed near present day Missoula, Montana. These dams released cataclysmic floods that scoured across today’s eastern Pacific Northwest and brought rocks and rich soils to the Willamette River Valley. Later, Kalapuya people lived here and promoted acorns – a staple of their diet – by managing the Valley with fire. When early Euro-Americans reached this valley, they found abundantly rich soils and land successfully managed for centuries. They also found the Willamette River was navigable to Corvallis. GALLERIES Art in the Valley The Arts Center Benton County Historical Museum Fairbanks Gallery Gateway Gallery Giustina Gallery/LaSells Stewart Center Pegasus Gallery
This water transportation route would later support steamboat navigation and give rise to riverside grain warehouses and early brawny businesses that shaped much of today’s historic downtown. The Willamette Valley was the Eden at the end of the Oregon Trail for thousands of immigrants. Early settlers included J.C. Avery, who settled on what is now the south side of downtown along the Mary’s and Willamette Rivers. Avery built Corvallis’ first home and staked off twelve acres around his log cabin for the first town lots. In 1846 William Dixon filed a claim north of Avery’s along the Willamette
ADDRESS 209 SW Second St 700 SW Madison Ave 1101 Main Street 106 Fairbanks Hall 1233 Main Street 875 SW 26th St 341 SW Second St
PHONE 541-752-0811 541-754-1551 541-929-6230 541-737-5009 541-929-8448 541-737-2402 541-757-0042
When the college moved from downtown in the 1890s, North College Hill historic neighborhood developed on a gentle slope. Nearby, the inviting and walkable College Hill West Historic District includes almost 400 structures. Corvallis also showcases other historic neighborhoods: Avery Addition, Franklin Square, North & South Central Park, North Downtown, Rayburn Addition, South Town, and others. Corvallis’ collective memory lingers along its tree-lined streets, punctuated with colorful gardens and framed with residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial reminders of a shared past that influences the image of the community today. Self-guided walking tour maps and brochures are available at the Corvallis Visitor Center, 553 NW Harrison Blvd., Corvallis.
WEBSITE www.artinthevalley.net www.theartscenter.net www.bentoncountymuseum.org
CITY Corvallis Corvallis Philomath Corvallis www.gateway-gallery.com Philomath www.oregonstate.edu/lasells/gallery Corvallis www.pegasusartgallery.com Corvallis www.visitcorvallis.com