Monmouth () is a city of Polk County in the U.S. state of Oregon. It was named after Monmouth, Illinois, the origin of its earliest settlers. The population is 11,110 as of the 2020 Census; and Monmouth is part of the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is home to Western Oregon University. The city’s first public library, Monmouth Public Library, opened in 1934.

History

Monmouth was settled in 1853 by a group of pioneers who allocated to build both a city and a "college under the auspices of the Christian Church", and proceeds from the sale of these lands were used to found Monmouth University, currently known as Western Oregon University.

For decades, Monmouth was a dry town that banned the sale of alcoholic beverages in supermarkets, restaurants and bars. Monmouth's status as the last dry town in Oregon was ended by a popular vote in the November 2002 election.

Prohibition

Monmouth was settled by Elijah Davidson and his family. Originally an elder of the Christian Church of Cameron (Monmouth, Illinois), Davidson was a devout advocate of prohibition. In 1850, sixty-seven-year-old Elijah Davidson and his family set out for Oregon Territory. By 1854, more than a dozen additional church of Christ families from Monmouth, many of them related to each other or to Davidson, had joined him. In February 1859, Davidson and other trustees efforts to prohibit the importation, exportation, sale, and consumption of alcohol in Monmouth became a reality. One of the main arguments Davidson and his fellow religious supporters used to push prohibition legislation was, "to enable them to suppress and prevent nuisances, to render the possession of life and property more secure, [and] to enable them to improve and embellish the streets of the town." It lies in the Ash Creek watershed, slightly west of the Willamette River.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.

Demographics

thumb|left|Post office in Monmouth

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Monmouth had a population of 11,110 and a median age of 26.2 years. 20.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 12.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 87.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 83.1 males age 18 and over.

98.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 1.3% lived in rural areas.

There were 3,645 households in Monmouth, of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 43.2% were married-couple households, 17.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 29.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Number !! Percent

|-

| White || 8,330 || 75.0%

|-

| Black or African American || 129 || 1.2%

|-

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 144 || 1.3%

|-

| Asian || 293 || 2.6%

|-

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 95 || 0.9%

|-

| Some other race || 829 || 7.5%

|-

| Two or more races || 1,290 || 11.6%

|-

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 2,080 || 18.7%

|}

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 9,534 people, 3,247 households, and 1,769 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 3,450 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 82.8% White, 1.1% African American, 1.5% Native American, 3.3% Asian, 0.6% Pacific Islander, 6.6% from other races, and 4.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13.4% of the population.

There were 3,247 households, of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.8% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 45.5% were non-families. 23.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.07.

See also

  • Bethel, Polk County, Oregon

References

Further reading

  • Scott McArthur, Monmouth, Oregon: the Saga of a Small American Town. Rickreall, Oregon: Polk County History Museum, 2004.
  • Edna Mingus, Monmouth, 'The Growth of an Idea,' 1856-1956. Salem, OR: Johnson & Siewert, n.d. [1956].
  • https://sos.oregon.gov/blue-book/Pages/local/cities/l-r/monmouth.aspx Entry for Monmouth] in the Oregon Blue Book
  • Historic photos of Monmouth from Salem Public Library
  • Religious history of Monmouth from Northwest College of the Bible