Regional History

Linn and Benton counties are the heart of the southern part of Oregon’s Willamette Valley, stretching east and west from the top of the Cascades to the top of the Coast Range. It is a region with long Native American history and heritage, and the history of pioneers from the eastern United States traveling on the Oregon Trail to reach this land, rich in natural resources and opportunity. The two counties historically have been central to Oregon’s agriculture and timber economies. This has included raising and harvesting crops and timber, still a major component of the regional economy, as well as processing, packaging and shipping finished timber and agriculture products. These industries historically have been the foundation of employment, culture and society in the two counties.

The economic foundation of the region was greatly shaken with the significant reduction of timber harvesting starting in the early 1980s. This eliminated jobs in the woods, jobs in the mills and jobs in the surrounding business community. It created a stagnant and diminishing population and economic base in the cities in the region, especially the smaller cities.

Agriculture remained strong, but the nature of the agriculture industry changed with growing commoditization, technology impacts and global trade. At the same time, higher education and work-from-home opportunities have expanded dramatically. During the last decade, large, established high-tech businesses have reduced the number of on-site employees, shifting employment trends, capital investment and assessed property valuations. The bulk of the high-tech growth has been in the large cities in the region; however, more recent economic challenges and the continued expansion of Oregon State University, Linn-Benton Community College and Western University of Health Sciences in this area have diversified where businesses locate and caused business owners to rethink their systems, processes and office locations.