PENDLETON, OREGON

'Pendleton' (IPA: ) is a city in Umatilla County, Oregon, United States. Pendleton was named in 1868 by the county commissioners for George H. Pendleton, Democratic candidate for Vice-President in the 1864 presidential campaign. The population was 16,354 at the 2000 census. The 2006 estimate is 17,310 residents.^[1] It is the county seat of Umatilla County.

Contents

History

Geography and climate

Demographics

Sister Cities

Notable natives

References

External links

History

A commercial center in the locality of Pendleton began as early as 1851 when Dr. William C. McKay established a trading post at the mouth of McKay Creek. A Post Office with the name of Marshall (named for the owner of another local store, and sometime gambler) was established April 21, 1865, and later renamed Pendleton. The city was incorporated in 1880.
By 1900, Pendleton had a population of 4,406 and was the fourth-largest city in Oregon. Like many cities in eastern Oregon, it had a flourishing Chinatown from the 1880s into the 1920s.
Pendleton Woolen Mills, founded in 1893, is known world-wide as a maker of fine Indian trading blankets and men's plaid shirts.
In addition to the woolen mills, Pendleton is also famous for its annual rodeo, the Pendleton Round-Up. First held in 1910, it is part of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) sanctioned rodeo circuit. In 1999, the Pendleton Round-Up Association added a two night Professional Bull Riders Classic to the Annual events.
Pendleton also had a strong Ku Klux Klan (KKK) presence in the city. Catholics commonly faced necktie hangings.^[2] Jewish and African American residents were few, however the few that were there they were quickly driven out of town. The KKK also rode in the Pendleton Round-Up parade for many years in the full white robes.^[3] Catholics were also discriminated against, and often not allowed to hold teaching positions in public schools.^[2]
In addition Pendleton had a noted red light district, which as late as 1947 counted 20 brothels in the heart of the city. While the threat of a Presbyterian minister in 1953 to read in church a list of names of patrons of the city's brothels closed the district, one survivor, Stella Darby continued to operate her establishment until she retired in 1965. The four blocks that this red-light district once covered is now the "old town" of Pendleton, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Pendleton has been a center of Culture and Art in the region for many years. Boasting institutions like the Pendleton Center for the Arts (in the town's old Carnegie Library building) and Crow's Shadow Institute of the Arts on the nearby Umatilla Indian Reservation.

Geography and climate

Pendleton is located at (45.670308, -118.798118). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 26.0 km² (10.1 mi²), all land.
I-84 passes through Pendleton, between Portland to the west and Boise, Idaho to the east. The Umatilla River flows through Pendleton.

Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Rec High °F	70	75	80	91	100	108	110	113	102	92	80	67
Norm High °F	40.1	46.5	54.8	62.2	70.2	78.7	87.7	86.6	77.1	63.8	48.5	40
Norm Low °F	27.4	30.9	35.4	39.7	45.9	52	57.5	57.3	49.7	40.7	33.8	27.7
Rec Low °F	-22	-18	1	18	25	35	42	40	30	11	-12	-19
Precip (in)	1.45	1.22	1.26	1.13	1.22	0.78	0.41	0.56	0.63	0.99	1.63	1.48
''Source: USTravelWeather.com [1]''

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 16,354 people, 5,964 households, and 3,727 families residing in the city. The population density was 628.3/km² (1,627.2/mi²). There were 6,352 housing units at an average density of 244.0/km² (632.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.15% White, 1.53% African American, 2.52% Native American, 0.94% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 3.68% from other races, and 2.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.00% of the population.
There were 5,964 households out of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.5% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 114.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 116.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,800, and the median income for a family was $47,410. Males had a median income of $31,763 versus $23,858 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,551. About 8.7% of families and 13.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.4% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.

Sister Cities

Pendleton has two sister cities:^[5]

★ Haramachi, Japan

★ Växjö, Sweden

Notable natives

★ Tracy Baker - Deceased Boston Red Sox first baseman.

★ John Bunnell - Hosted World's Wildest Police Videos.

★ Dave Cockrum - Comic book artist born here, but raised in many cities due to his father being in the United States Air Force.

★ Dave Kingman - Major League Baseball slugger born here.

★ Michael J. Kopetski - Former representative for Oregon's 5th congressional district.

★ Frances Moore Lappé - Author.

★ Elaine Miles - Actress who played Marilyn Whirlwind on Northern Exposure.

★ Roy Schuening - Three-year starting offensive guard for the Oregon State Beavers, named to the 2007 ESPN All-bowl team. [2]

★ Kenneth Snelson - Sculptor and photographer.

★ Gordon Smith - Senator born here, but the family moved to Bethesda, Maryland when he was a child.

★ Milan Smith - Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and brother to Gordon.

References

1. PSU:Population Research Center
2. http://libraries.cua.edu/achrcua/osc/osc_docs.html
3. http://www.tamastslikt.com/press.asp?id=96
4. http://libraries.cua.edu/achrcua/osc/osc_docs.html
5. Oregon Sister Relationships

External links

★ City of Pendleton

★ Oregon Blue Book listing for Pendleton

★ Pendleton Chamber of Commerce