Sweet Home

Sweet Home is a city in Linn County, Oregon, United States, with population 8,925 at the 2010 census. Built near the site of a prehistoric petrified forest, Sweet Home experienced substantial growth during the construction of the Green Peter and Foster dams in the 1940s. The town's main attraction nowadays is the Cascade mountains through Santiam pass. The city has a total area of 5.75 square miles (14.89 km²), of which 5.30 sq miles (13.73 km²) is land and 0.45sq miles (1.17 km²") is water. The South Santiam River flows from Foster Reservoir along the northern city limits of Sweet Home. Ames Creek and Wiley Creek flow into the South Santam River within the city limits. The area includes a variety of agate, jasper, crystals and minerals. The abundant petrified wood at Holleywood Ranch (between Sweet Home and Holley, Oregon) was the subject of an episode of the Travel Channel program Cash and Treasures. The region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 °F (22.0 °C). According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Sweet home has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps. The Oregon Jamboree country music and camping festival is held in the city every year. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the city will have a population of 9,828 in 2020.

History

Settlers first arrived in the Sweet Home Valley in the early 1850s. The Santiam Wagon Road, a toll road connecting the Willamette Valley with central Oregon, was opened in 1865. Sweet Home experienced significant growth during the 1940s due to the demand for timber from local forests. In the 1980s, the community experienced a number of sawmill and plywood mill closures due to economic cycles, increased competition, increased productivity, and logging restrictions. In response, community members sought out other economic development opportunities such as the Oregon Jamboree country music and camping festival. The city of Sweet Home was incorporated in 1893. The town is located on the banks of the South Santiam River, which flows into the Columbia River. It is located near Green Peter Dam and Foster Dam, which were built in the 1960s and '70s. It was named after a saloon that featured a set of elk antlers on the gable end of its building. In 1874, a community called Mossville developed with a store and post office. The two communities merged to become one community called Sweet Home in 1874. In 1893, the city ofSweet Home was incorporate. The community was named for a community known as Buckhead, which developed near the mouth of Ames Creek and the SouthSantiam River. The name Buckhead was derived from the name of the saloon in which the first resident was a member of the town's first community, Buckhead.

Geography

Sweet Home is built on a prehistoric petrified forest. The abundant petrified wood at Holleywood Ranch (between Sweet Home and Holley, Oregon) was the subject of an episode of the Travel Channel program Cash and Treasures. The South Santiam River flows from Foster Reservoir along the northern city limits of Sweet Home. The region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 °F (22.0 °C) According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Sweet Home has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps. The city has a total area of 5.75 square miles (14.89 km²), of which 5.30 sq miles (13.73 km²) is land and 0.45sq miles (1.17 km²") is water. The intersection Oregon Route 228 and U.S. Route 20 occurs at the Western end of the city. The area includes a variety of agate, jasper, crystals and minerals. The town has a population of 2,000 (2,000 in 2010) and is located in the eastern part of the Oregon Bootheel, an unincorporated region of the state that was once known as the "Bootheel Calfornia" The town is home to the Sweet Home Lighthouse, which was built in the early 1900s. The Lighthouse is located at the base of a mountain.

Demographics

As of the census of 2020, there were 9,828 people, 3,721 households, and 2,315 families residing in the city. The median income for a household in theCity was $43,589; 20.7% of persons were below the poverty line. There were 4,037 housing units at an average density of 710.9 per square mile (274.5/km²) The racial makeup of the city was 93.3% White, 0.3%) African American, 1.3%), 0.8% Asian,0.1% Pacific Islander, 1% from other races, and 3.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.7%. The city's population was 51.6% male and 48.4% female. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.00. The city has a population of 9,728, with a median age of 39.0 years. The population density was 1,684.0 inhabitants per squaremile (650.2/km 2) The city is located in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers's National Defense Training Area, which is part of the Army National Guard. It is located on the Army Corps' Soldier Training Area. It was the site of the World War II Battle of the Bulge, which took place in World War I and II. It's also home to the Army Air and Space Museum, which was built in the late 1800s.

Economy

Major employers in Sweet Home include Ti Squared Technologies, a titanium foundry. White's Electronics is a metal detector manufacturer. HEVI-Shot is a manufacturer of shotshell ammunition. United States Forest Service, Radiator Supply House, Murphy Plywood, McCool Millworks and the Sweet Home School District are also major employers in the town. The town has a population of about 2,000 people. It is located in the U.S. state of West Virginia and the state's county seat is the town of Sweet Home. The city's economy is based on the timber industry, which employs about 1,200 people, according to the town's official statistics. It also has a high rate of home ownership, which is estimated to be about 80 percent of the city's population. It has a low rate of unemployment, which stands at about 5 percent. The area's unemployment rate is less than 1 percent, and the unemployment rate has been in the low to mid-teens for the past few years. It's a small town, but it has some of the nation's best schools and a good school district, which has a student population of around 1,000. The community is also home to a number of non-profit organizations, including Cascade Timber Consulting, a timber investment management organization and the United States Forestry Service. The school district has a reputation for being on the cutting edge in terms of education, with many students graduating from high school with advanced degrees and certificates.

Arts and culture

The Weddle Covered Bridge, relocated from Thomas Creek near Scio, crosses Ames Creek at Sankey Park in Sweet Home. The Crawfordsville Covered bridges spans the Calapooia River 8 miles (13 km) southwest of Sweet Home and the Short Covered bridge crosses the South Santiam River 12 miles (19 km) east of Sweet home. The 2018 Capitol Christmas Tree, which comes from a different national forest every year, was acquired by the Sweet Home Ranger District. The ranger district, part of the Willamette National Forest, was awarded the opportunity to present the tree to the American people for the 2018 Christmas season. The Oregon Jamboree is held every year in the town of Sweethome. The town is also home to the U.S. Capitol Christmas tree, which is presented by the Capitol's Ranger District for the holiday season. It is named after the town in which it is headquartered, Sweet Home, and is located on the Oregon-Washington state border. The Capitol's Christmas tree is presented to the public every year by the Senator from Oregon, who is a member of the Oregon House of Representatives and represents the state of Oregon. The tree is chosen by a vote of the members of the state legislature, who vote on the tree's fate each year. The Senate chooses a different tree each year, and this year's tree was chosen by the senator from Oregon's congressional district, who voted for the district to receive the tree.

Recreation

Sweet Home has seven city parks within city limits, but most recreational opportunities occur outside of town. The nearby wilderness supports boating, hunting, fishing, hiking, white-water sports, camping and gold panning. The nearest ski resort, Hoo Doo Ski Bowl, is 52 miles (84 km) to the east, near Santiam Pass. An 18-hole golf course, Mallard Creek Golf Club, is 11 miles (18 km) northwest of Sweet Home. The South Santiam River offers salmon and steelhead fishing while Quartzville Creek is recognized for Class 4 and Class 5 kayaking. The Menagerie Wilderness has rock faces amenable to climbing. For this reason, Sweet Home describes itself as the "Gateway to the Santiam Playground" and has a year-round marina on Foster Reservoir, which is on the South Santiam River. It also has hiking trails at Cascadia State Park and numerous trails throughout the Willamette National Forest. It has petrified wood deposits nearby that continue to draw attention. The nearest golf course is Mallard Creek Golf Club, 11 miles  northwest of Sweet Home, and the nearest ski restaurant is Hoo Doo Ski Bowl 52 miles to the east, near Santiam Pass and Horse Rock Ridge, which is on the South Santam River and offers salmon and steelhead fishing.

Transportation

Sweet Home public transportation service is provided by Linn Shuttle. The town is located on the shores of the Red River. The Red River runs through the center of the town. The city is home to a population of around 2,000 people, most of whom live in the town of Sweet Home. The community is known for its love of music and the arts. It also has a reputation for being a good town to live in, with many musicians living in the area.

Education

Sweet Home is served by the Sweet Home School District. The district covers Sweet Home, Cascadia, Crawfordsville, Holley, Liberty, Pleasant Valley and other surrounding communities. LinnBenton Community College operates a branch campus in Sweet Home. The school district includes Sweet Home High School, a junior high school and four elementary schools.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Sweet Home, Linn County, Oregon = 84. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 60. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 79. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Sweet Home = 3 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 10,960 individuals with a median age of 36.9 age the population grows by 8.52% in Sweet Home, Linn County, Oregon population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,853.64 residents per square mile of area (715.65/km²). There are average 2.57 people per household in the 3,358 households with an average household income of $37,353 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 13.60% of the available work force and has dropped -8.48% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 9.44%. The number of physicians in Sweet Home per 100,000 population = 115.3.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Sweet Home = 53.9 inches and the annual snowfall = 1.4 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 163. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 154. 80 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 33.9 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 67, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Sweet Home, Linn County, Oregon which are owned by the occupant = 58.74%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 35 years with median home cost = $106,720 and home appreciation of -12.72%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $11.11 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,129 per student. There are 18.3 students for each teacher in the school, 337 students for each Librarian and 332 students for each Counselor. 5.74% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 3.89% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 1.76% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).