Willamette Falls, the second-largest waterfall by volume in North America, has been a gathering place for Native Americans from time immemorial through today. In the 1800s, it was the birthplace of the Oregon Territory and a center of industrial activity. The falls drew Native American tribes and early settlers like John McLoughlin, powered industrial activity, and made the first long distance electricity transmission possible. Oregon City was the end of the Oregon Trail and became the first incorporated city west of the Rocky Mountains. This stretch of the Willamette River provides habitat for migrating salmon, lamprey, and bird species, and in the past unique plants thrived in the mist created by the falls. The site was home to woolen, flour, and paper mills that supported jobs for over a century, but 175 jobs were lost when Blue Heron Paper Mill closed in 2011. After that closure, community leaders and Oregonians came together to shape the future of the privately owned 22-acre site, with agreements with the property owner and PGE allowing public access to be designed and built for close-up views of the river and falls in historic Oregon City, while protecting habitat and returning part of the site to private development for employment, shopping, business, and tourism.

Photo: Ian Lefkowitz

Photo: Ian Lefkowitz

Photo: Ian Lefkowitz

Photo: Ian Lefkowitz

Oregon City, Oregon · USA