Mt. Angel or Mount Angel

Geography

Mt. Angel is in northwestern Marion County along Oregon Route 214, which leads south to Silverton and northwest to Woodburn. Salem, the state capital, is to the southwest via State Routes 214 and 213.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city of Mt. Angel has a total area of , all land. Activity along the fault caused the 1993 Scotts Mills earthquake, which significantly damaged various structures in the town, in particular the parish church.

Climate

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

Demographics

thumb|left|Mt. Angel railway depot

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 3,748 people, 1,505 households, and 724 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,282 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 82.6% White, 0.5% African American, 1.0% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 12.1% from other races, and 3.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 26.1% of the population.

There were 1,505 households, of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.4% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.3% were non-families. 37.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 27.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.44. Mt. Angel Towers, Highland Laboratories, and the Mt. Angel School District.<!--site seems to be down, this is the cached version Katr67 March 16, 2009-->

Arts and culture

thumb|Dancing children fountain in central crossroad of Mt. Angel. Former [[Wilco (farm supply cooperative)|Wilco grain elevator in the background.]]

Annual cultural events

Mt. Angel is known for its annual Oktoberfest. The Mt. Angel Oktoberfest is the largest of its kind in the Pacific Northwest. and the 1912 Saint Mary Catholic Church, both of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Windischar's General Blacksmith Shop is another NRHP-listed structure in the city.

In March 2006, the city announced plans to build a glockenspiel. Completed in time for Oktoberfest 2006, the glockenspiel is the largest in the United States. Located on the corner of Charles and Garfield streets, the four-story-tall glockenspiel is part of the Edelweiss Village Building.

Education

thumb|right|Road sign to Colegio Cesar Chavez

Mt. Angel is served by the three-school Mt. Angel School District, which includes John F. Kennedy High School.

Colegio César Chávez was a college-without-walls program that existed in Mt. Angel from 1973 until 1983. At the time, the Colegio was the only four-year Latino college in the country. The college was supported by Chicano activist Cesar Chavez, who himself visited the college on two occasions. In 1978, the college graduated more Mexican American students than Oregon State University and University of Oregon combined. Cipriano Ferrel, who would later found the Oregon farmworker's union Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste, graduated from Colegio Cesar Chavez. In the mid-1980s, the former Colegio grounds and building were purchased by a private buyer and donated to the Benedictine sisters. The Benedictine sisters now operate St. Joseph Shelter in the former Colegio building and dorms.

Media

Mt. Angel is served by the weekly Silverton Appeal Tribune newspaper, which is published on Wednesdays by the Statesman Journal, the monthly publications Our Town and Our Town Life, and by the weekly Woodburn Independent.

Infrastructure

thumb|Mt. Angel City Hall

Transportation

Highway

Mt. Angel is on Oregon Route 214. The closest major highway, Interstate 5, is to the west.

Rail

The Willamette Valley Railway serves Mt. Angel.

Air

The closest airport is Aurora State Airport in Aurora.

Utilities

Water and wastewater treatment are provided by the City of Mt. Angel.

  • In S.M. Stirling's Emberverse series, Mt. Angel and its Benedictine monastic orders are the nucleus of a post-apocalyptic community that survives "The Change," which pushes technology back to a medieval level.

References

  • Listing for Mount Angel in the Oregon Blue Book
  • Mt. Angel Chamber of Commerce