Molalla, Oregon

Molalla is a city in Clackamas County, Oregon. The population was 10,228 at the time of the 2020 census.

History

Molalla was named after the Molalla River, which in turn was named for the Molala, a Native American tribe that inhabited the area. William H. Vaughan took up a donation land claim in the area in 1844. Molalla post office was established in 1850, near the site of Liberal, and was discontinued in 1851. The post office was reestablished in 1868 and it ran until 1874, then was reestablished in 1876, which is when it was probably placed at the present location of Molalla.

Since the late 1990s, the city experienced a surge in growth and expansion in the residential sector. In 2000, a number of franchised business have located in Molalla. In 2002, Molalla installed its first stoplight at the intersection of Oregon Route 211 and Oregon Route 213 because of the traffic brought by the increased business activity.

Geography

Molalla is located in the foothills of the Cascade Range, near the Mount Hood National Forest, south of Oregon City and from Interstate 5. Molalla is surrounded by farms and rural residential development. There are many rock quarries, and thousands of acres of private timberlands, that feed natural resource materials into the economy. Several of the tree farms are managed for totally maintained and sustained forest.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Climate

This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above . According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Molalla has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated Csb on climate maps.

Molalla receives precipitation ranging from an average of in July to an average of in December.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Molalla had a population of 10,228 and a population density of 4,235.2 people per square mile. The median age was 33.5 years; 27.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 11.9% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.3 males age 18 and over.

According to the 2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics, 99.7% of residents lived in urban areas while 0.3% lived in rural areas.

There were 3,578 households in Molalla, of which 40.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 49.7% were married-couple households, 16.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 22.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Number !! Percent

| White || 8,158 || 79.8%

| Black or African American || 50 || 0.5%

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 93 || 0.9%

| Asian || 99 || 1.0%

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 29 || 0.3%

| Some other race || 818 || 8.0%

| Two or more races || 981 || 9.6%

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 1,620 || 15.8%

The ancestry of Molalla was 20.5% German, 12.9% Irish, 12.7% English, 7.1% Scottish, 5.1% Norwegian, 2.7% Italian, 1.8% French, and 0.1% Polish.

There were 2,857 households, of which 44.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.9% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 27.7% were non-families. 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.30.

Major employers in Molalla include the Molalla River School District and RSG Forest Products.

Natural resource recovery still stands out in Molalla. Many logging, road construction, quarrying and trucking companies provide services to the timber land managers in the timber rich area. Rapid growth species of trees have been planted and cultivated for timber and fiber. Aggregate, mined in the foothills, provides gravel for roads, asphalt highways and roads throughout the region.

An expanding agritourism industry is currently taking root in the more pastoral parts of the small lumber town, with the most promising examples being Posse Acres Elk Farm and Petting Zoo, The Abbey Farm Creamery and Out In The Garden Nursery, and the American Wildlife Foundation.

Arts and culture

Annual cultural events

Molalla is the home of the Molalla Buckeroo rodeo (it began in 1913, the same time as the city was founded) and the Apple Festival. The Pacific Coast Freestyle Championships, a model airplane aerobatic tournament, has been held there for 14 years in late July. Several Latino rodeos are held at the rodeo facility by "LaFortuna" in spring, mid-summer, late summer and fall, bringing tens of thousands of Latino families to celebrate in the community. The Fourth of July Parade, sponsored by the Molalla Area Chamber of Commerce, often sports 50,000 spectators. Many other minor festivals—Halloween on Main Street, Christmas in the City, Spring Fling, Easter Egg Hunt in the Park, Fishing Derbies, Trail Rides, The Brew Fest, The North Valley High School Rodeo—all add to the quality of life in Molalla.

Since 2001, Molalla High School has put on an event called Share The Love. The event was founded by teacher Joe Zenisek, known as Dr. Z, in order to raise money for medical supplies in the Philippines. The required $400 took around 6 months to raise. The month of February was set aside for its focus on love, while the Share The Love moniker was derived from a student. The event consists of student-run and business-run events throughout the community. In 2023, Share The Love raised $131,000 for 3 families.

Museums and other points of interest

There is a miniature steam train, the Shady Dell Pacific Railroad, in Molalla Train Park three miles east of Molalla.

An interesting and free exhibit of Rodeo History Honors the "Heroes" of Rodeo memorialized in large brass plaques placed in the sidewalks of Molalla's city core.

The Horace L. Dibble House and the Fred Vonder Ahe House and Summer Kitchen are buildings in Molalla on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) that have been preserved by the Molalla Area Historical Society. The NRHP-listed Rock Creek Methodist Church and William Hatchette Vaughan House are also in the Molalla area.

Parks and recreation

The Molalla River corridor offers opportunities for outdoor activities, including fishing, hunting, and hiking. Along the corridor to the east, Table Rock is a favorite local rocky promontory that provides visitors with a view of Molalla and the surrounding countryside for miles in every direction. Neighborhood and community parks include Fox, Clark, Long, and Ivor Davies Parks. Clark Park has a large open space, oak tree grove and playground. Long Park has a playground, a pavilion, and a beautiful bear carving. Fox Park hosts summer concerts and has a playground, pavilion, and splash pad for children. A long pedestrian and bicycle-friendly path extends through Ivor Davies Park over several small bridges and around a fish pond.

Education

thumb|right|Molalla High School

Molalla is served by the Molalla River School District. There are two public high schools within the Molalla River School District, Molalla High School

, and seven primary and middle schools. Molalla is also home of the private Country Christian School which serves students from preschool to twelfth grade (PK–12) and has 288 students. Both schools compete in the Oregon School Activities Association. There is a middle school, an elementary school, and two public Charter Schools: Molalla River Academy, and Renaissance Public Academy

The city operates a public library that is part of the Library Information Network of Clackamas County.

Media

The Herald-Pioneer is a weekly newspaper covering Molalla and nearby Canby. It was formed by a 2020 merger of the Molalla Pioneer, which had covered the city since 1913, with the Canby Herald. It is published by Carpenter Media Group. Molalla is also served by radio and TV broadcasting stations from Portland, and residents have access to cable and satellite systems.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Road

Molalla's principal road links are Oregon routes 211 and 213. Route 213, heading north, links Molalla to Oregon City and Portland. Heading south, Route 213 connects Molalla to Silverton and Salem. Route 211, which intersects Route 213, connects the city to Canby and Woodburn to the west, and Colton, Estacada, and Sandy to the east.

;Transit

The South Clackamas Transportation District (formerly known as Molalla Transportation District) provides a route around town as well as service to Canby and Clackamas Community College in Oregon City

Air

Molalla is served by a number of small regional airports:

Skydive Oregon (Inside the city limits)
Portland-Mulino Airport, about north
Lenhardt Airpark, about west
Aurora State Airport, about northwest

Rail

Molalla does not have a rail link within city limits anymore, although it was formerly served by the Oregon Pacific Railroad. The Oregon Pacific tracks now end at Liberal, to the north. The closest Amtrak station is in Oregon City.

Utilities

thumb|right|Molalla post office

Water and wastewater treatment are provided by the City of Molalla. Natural gas is provided by NW Natural and electricity is provided by Portland General Electric.

Notable people

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Roger Beyer, Oregon state senator
Kevin Freeman, Olympic equestrian
Ralph M. Holman, Oregon Supreme Court judge
Rufus C. Holman, United States senator
Lisa Jackson, author
Macy Morse, peace activist

References

External links

City of Molalla (official website)
Listing for Molalla in the Oregon Blue Book
Historic images of Molalla from Salem Public Library