Gresham, Oregon | |
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City | |
Location in Multnomah County, Oregon |
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Coordinates: 45°30′13″N 122°26′22″W / 45.50361°N 122.43944°WCoordinates: 45°30′13″N 122°26′22″W / 45.50361°N 122.43944°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Oregon |
County | Multnomah |
Incorporated | 1905 |
Named for | Walter Q. Gresham |
Government | |
• Mayor | Shane Bemis (R) |
Area | |
• City | 23.43 sq mi (60.68 km2) |
• Land | 23.20 sq mi (60.09 km2) |
• Water | 0.23 sq mi (0.60 km2) |
Elevation | 325 ft (91.7 m) |
Population (2010) | |
• City | 105,594 |
• Estimate (2013) | 109,397 |
• Rank | US: 254th |
• Density | 4,551.5/sq mi (1,757.3/km2) |
• Metro | 2,314,554 |
Demonym(s) | Greshamite |
Time zone | Pacific (UTC-8) |
• Summer (DST) | Pacific (UTC-7) |
ZIP codes | 97030, 97080, 97233 |
Area code(s) | 503 and 971 |
FIPS code | 41-31250 |
GNIS feature ID | 1121424 |
Website | www.greshamoregon.gov |
MAX Blue Line in Gresham | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Gresham /ˈɡrɛʃəm/ is a city located in Multnomah County, Oregon, United States, immediately east of Portland. Though it began as a settlement in the mid-1800s, it was not officially incorporated as a city until 1905, by which it was named after the American Civil War general, and Postmaster General, Walter Quinton Gresham.
The city's early economy was sustained largely by farming, and by the mid-20th century, experienced a population boom, growing from four-thousand residents to over ten-thousand between 1960 and 1970. The population was 105,594 at the 2010 census, making Gresham the fourth largest city in Oregon.
The area now known as Gresham was first settled in 1851 by the brothers Jackson and James Powell, who claimed land under the Donation Land Claim Act of 1850. They were soon joined by other pioneer families, and the area came to be known as Powell's Valley. In 1884, a local merchant petitioned the United States Postal Service to get a post office in his store and offered to name it after the Postmaster General Walter Q. Gresham if his request was granted. At the same time, other members of the community secured a post office called "Campground," another name for the area referencing the religious camp meeting ground located there and the valley's usefulness as a stop-off for travelers on their way to Portland. Once the Postal Service realized their mistake, they revoked the Campground post office.