McMinnville, Oregon
—  City  —
Hotel Oregon in the Downtown Historic District
Nickname(s): Mac
Location in Oregon
Coordinates: 45°12′42″N 123°11′50″W / 45.21167°N 123.19722°W / 45.21167; -123.19722Coordinates: 45°12′42″N 123°11′50″W / 45.21167°N 123.19722°W / 45.21167; -123.19722
Country	United States
State	Oregon
County	Yamhill
Incorporated	1876
Government
• Mayor	Rick Olson
Area[1]
• Total	10.58 sq mi (27.40 km2)
• Land	10.58 sq mi (27.40 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation	157 ft (47.9 m)
Population (2010)[2]
• Total	32,187
• Estimate (2011[3])	32,451
• Density	3,042.2/sq mi (1,174.6/km2)
Time zone	Pacific (UTC-8)
• Summer (DST)	Pacific (UTC-7)
ZIP code	97128
Area code(s)	503, 971
FIPS code	41-45000[4]
GNIS feature ID	1163136[5]
Website	www.ci.mcminnville.or.us

McMinnville is the county seat and largest city of Yamhill County, Oregon, United States. According to Oregon Geographic Names, it was named by its founder, William T. Newby (1820–1884), an early immigrant on the Oregon Trail, for his hometown of McMinnville, Tennessee. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 32,187.

McMinnville is located at the confluence of the North and South Forks of the Yamhill River in the Willamette Valley. Part of the Portland metropolitan area, it lies 35 miles (56 km) southwest of Portland. The city is home to Linfield College and the Evergreen Aviation Museum.

History [edit]

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Town founder William Newby

Town founder William T. Newby named the town after his home town of McMinnville, Tennessee. McMinnville was incorporated as a town in 1876 and became a city in 1882. County residents voted to move the county seat of Yamhill County from Lafayette to McMinnville in 1886.

McMinnville UFO photographs [edit]

McMinnville is known among UFO researchers for now-famous photographs published on the front page of the June 9, 1950 edition of the city's newspaper, the News-Register (then known as the Telephone-Register), reportedly of an unidentified flying object seen almost a month earlier, May 11. The Oregonian published the photographs the next day, and within a month they were published in LIFE magazine.^[6] The photographs were taken on a farm near McMinnville by a farming couple, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Trent. Mrs. Trent was the first to see the object—it resembled a classic "flying saucer"—and she pointed it out to her husband, who obtained a camera from their farmhouse and took two photos before the "saucer" flew away. A debate has raged for decades between UFO researchers, who claim that the photos are genuine and are among the best ever taken of a UFO, and UFO skeptics/debunkers, who claim that the photos are a hoax. Both sides in the debate have hired photographic experts numerous times to do a professional analysis of the photos, but so far neither side has offered convincing evidence to prove their case. The Trents' background was also thoroughly checked, and to date no evidence has surfaced implicating them in a hoax. The whole sequence of events has led to a "UFO Festival" being held in McMinnville each year, which is the biggest such gathering in the Pacific Northwest, and second in the country only to Roswell, New Mexico's.

Geography [edit]

McMinnville is located 50 miles (80 km) from the Pacific Ocean, 35 miles (56 km) from Portland, and 26 miles (42 km) from Salem, the state capital.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.58 square miles (27.40 km²), all of it land.^[1]

Demographics [edit]

2010 census [edit]

As of the census^[2] of 2010, there were 32,187 people, 11,674 households, and 7,779 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,042.2 inhabitants per square mile (1,174.6 /km²). There were 12,389 housing units at an average density of 1,171.0 per square mile (452.1 /km²). The racial makeup of the city was 82.2% White, 0.7% African American, 1.2% Native American, 1.5% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 10.7% from other races, and 3.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 20.6% of the population.

There were 11,674 households out of which 35.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.2% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.4% were non-families. 26.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.14.

The median age in the city was 34 years. 25.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 12.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.7% were from 25 to 44; 22.2% were from 45 to 64; and 14.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.2% male and 51.8% female.

2000 census [edit]

As of the census^[4] of 2000, there were 26,499 people residing in the city, among 9,367 households and 6,463 families. The population density is 2,675.8 people per square mile (1,033.5/km²). There are 9,834 housing units at an average density of 993.0 per square mile (383.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city is 86.39% White, 1.39% Native American, 1.25% Asian, 0.68% Black or African American, and 0.18% Pacific Islander. 14.64% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. 7.26% identify themselves as from other races, and 2.86% from two or more races.

There are 9,367 households out of which 35.4% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.5% are married couples living together, 10.8% have a female householder with no husband present, and 31.0% are non-families. 23.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.66 and the average family size is 3.13.

In the city, the population is spread out with 26.3% under the age of 18, 14.7% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 17.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 32 years. For every 100 females there are 93.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 90.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $38,953, and the median income for a family is $44,013. Males have a median income of $33,517 versus $24,405 for females. The per capita income for the city is $17,085. 12.9% of the population and 8.2% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 14.0% of those under the age of 18 and 7.8% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Economy [edit]

Headquarters of the Oregon Mutual Insurance Company

Since the 1990s, the majority of the vineyards of the Willamette Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA) are in the area surrounding McMinnville, thus giving this city a claim to the title of the capital of Oregon's wine industry.^{[citation needed]} In January 2005, a McMinnville AVA was established after an application from Youngberg Hill Vineyards. The AVA includes 14 wineries and 523 acres (2.12 km²) within the Willamette Valley AVA. The city is at the northeastern border of its AVA namesake.^[7]

Arts and culture [edit]

Annual cultural events [edit]

Pioneer Hall at Linfield College

Turkey Rama is a three-day festival held in downtown McMinnville celebrating the ongoing tradition of the turkey barbecue. The barbecue was started in 1938 by turkey farmers in Yamhill County, when the main source of wealth in the county was based on the booming turkey-farming industry. Now, commercial exhibitions have replaced the "turkey exhibitions", and so the turkey-judging competitions and turkey races have been eliminated in favor of more "turkey-friendly" rides, booths, and outdoor entertainment.

The Dragging the Gut Festival is a two-day event held annually in downtown McMinnville on the fourth weekend in August.^[8] The festival gives participants the chance to relive the classic 1950s car cruising on the main street that took place for decades in small towns.^[9][10]

The International Pinot Noir Celebration has been held every July since 1987 on the Linfield College campus.

Museums and other points of interest [edit]

The Evergreen Aviation Museum

The Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum is located in McMinnville and is best known as the home of the Spruce Goose, the world's largest propeller-driven airplane, built by the famed aviator Howard Hughes. It is also home to an SR-71 "Blackbird", a Titan II SLV Missile and a Grumman F6F3 "Hellcat." The museum is also home to another 80 historic aircraft and exhibits. The museum is a large symmetrical building with a glass facade, a local landmark which can be seen for miles. There is also a newly built Wings & Waves indoor waterpark, an IMAX theater and aerospace museum along with classrooms for the Engineering and Aerospace Academy of McMinnville High School.

Parks and recreation [edit]

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McMinnville Community Center is headquarters for the McMinnville Parks and Recreation Department, which administers several parks throughout the city. Among these are Joe Dancer Park, which was named after a longtime city manager. It is a 100-acre (0.40 km²) park with soccer, baseball, and softball fields, a playground, and the Drew Ottley Memorial Skate Park. City Park is within walking distance from the downtown business district. It opened 1910, when the city sold $3,000 in park bonds to finance construction of a bandstand and a small zoo featuring bears, deer and other local animals. Near the site of Lower City Park, along Cozine Creek, there used to be a large flour mill, called the Star Mill.^{[citation needed]} The mill was closed in 1921 and was damaged by a fire in 1927. The City of McMinnville sold $8,500 in bonds to finance the purchase of the property. The tract ran from Star Mill Way to Cozine Creek and West Second Street, to the Mill pond site. The pond site is now occupied by tennis courts. Wortman Park is a large forested park with a small stream running through it. A disc golf course was installed 1991 and is home to the annual Squirrel Open, an Oregon Disc Sports Association's Oregon Series tournament.

Education [edit]

McMinnville High School

McMinnville is served by the McMinnville School District. McMinnville used to have two high schools, McMinnville High School and Media Arts & Communications Academy (MACA). However, In the 2010-2011 school year, MACA's campus was closed down. McMinnville also has two colleges, Linfield College and the McMinnville campus of Chemeketa Community College, whose main campus is in Salem. Among the private schools in McMinnville are Bethel Christian School, McMinnville Christian High School^[11] and St. James Catholic Elementary School.^[12]

Media [edit]

• News Register - local paper
• The Linfield Review - Linfield College student paper
• The Bruin - McMinnville High School student paper^[13]
• McMinnville Community Media - community television^[14]
• KKJC-LP 93.5 FM - Christian talk radio operated by Calvary Chapel of McMinnville
• KLYC 1260 AM
• KSLC 90.3 FM - Linfield College student radio

Infrastructure [edit]

Transportation [edit]

McMinnville is located on Oregon Route 99W approximately 38 miles (61 km) south of downtown Portland and approximately 46 miles (74 km) north of Corvallis. Oregon Route 18 forms a bypass around the city along its southern border and connects McMinnville with the Oregon Coast just north of Lincoln City approximately 55 miles (89 km) west. Oregon Highway 18 is also known as Three Mile Lane from its McMinnville city center interchange east to the McMinnville Municipal Airport. The southern end of Oregon Route 47 is located just northeast of city limits and connects McMinnville with Washington County.

Major thoroughfares in McMinnville are Highway 99W and Adams and Baker Streets which form a north-south couplet through the center of the town; Lafayette Avenue (which was at one time the route of U.S. Highway 99W), East Third Street (the main street through the downtown core), and West Second Street (the main street connecting downtown with the western residential areas). Baker Creek Road, Evans Street, Riverside Drive, South Davis Street, Fellows Street, Cypress Street and Booth Bend Road are also important collector streets connecting industrial or residential areas with the downtown core or the primary arterial streets.

McMinnville Municipal Airport is owned and operated by the City of McMinnville.^[15] McMinnville Airport is home to Evergreen International Aviation and a fixed base operator. While it primarily is used by private pilots and the occasional private jet, it is capable of handling larger aircraft. For example, Evergreen Airlines flew in an empty 747-100 cargo aircraft into the airport so that it could be used as part of the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum's water park feature.

The Portland & Western Railroad serves McMinnville on its Westside Branch. Major railroad shippers include Cascade Steel Rolling Mills, Land O'Lakes Purina LLC, RB Rubber Products and McMinnville Gas. P&W maintains a depot in downtown McMinnville, itself a remnant from the Red Electric interurban passenger service which served McMinnville from 1914-1929. McMinnville is used as a hub for P&W, with trains operating between McMinnville and Newberg, Willamina, Dallas and Albany.

Historically, McMinnville had a landing for riverboats traveling up the Yamhill River. The Yamhill Lock located near Lafayette, Oregon, helped facilitate river navigation up to McMinnville. However, the use of the Yamhill River for commercial purposes was short lived; the city's only recreational boat dock has been unusable for many years, river levels are unpredictable and difficult for boaters (very high water levels in the winter, very low levels in the summer sometimes allow humans to simply walk across the river).

Public Transit is provided by the Yamhill County Transit Area. Three city routes provide Monday-Friday service starting at 6:30 AM and continuing through 7:50 PM. A Saturday "Loop" runs from 10:00 AM through 6:00 PM. YCTA also provides intercity service to all communities in Yamhill County on four different routes; hourly weekday and infrequent Saturday service to Newberg and Tigard, and weekday commuter trips to Hillsboro and Salem.

Intercity bus service is also provided by Caravan Airport Transportation and Valley Retriever between Portland and Newport, each with one daily trip in each direction stopping in McMinnville. Greyhound Bus formerly served McMinnville until 2004 with a stop on its Portland-San Francisco route, ending nearly 80 years of service on the route dating back to the Southern Pacific Railroad's rail and bus passenger service.

Health care [edit]

• Willamette Valley Medical Center

Notable people [edit]

• Scott Brosius - World Series MVP Award winning baseball player
• Jim Bunn - Oregon politician
• Beverly Cleary - children's author
• Verne Duncan - Oregon and Idaho politician
• Matthew Haughey - noted blogger
• Bill Krueger - Major League Baseball, and senior baseball analyst for FSN Northwest
• Ehren McGhehey - Jackass cast member
• Joe Paterson - Major League Baseball pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks
• Ad Rutschman - College Football Hall of Fame coach^[16]
• Ross Shafer - comedian, television host, and motivational speaker
• Charlie Sitton - former professional basketball player
• Will Vinton - Oscar winning director and producer of animated films

References [edit]

External links [edit]

• Media related to McMinnville, Oregon at Wikimedia Commons
• Entry for McMinnville from the Oregon Blue Book
• Find A Grave information on William T. Newby

v t e Municipalities and communities of Yamhill County, Oregon, United States County seat: McMinnville Cities Amity Carlton Dayton Dundee Lafayette McMinnville Newberg Sheridan Willamina‡ Yamhill CDPs Fort Hill‡ Grand Ronde‡ Other unincorporated communities Bellevue Hopewell Lunnville Riverside Saint Joseph Shipley Springbrook Wheatland Whiteson Indian reservation Grand Ronde Community Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

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