Editing Corvallis, Oregon (section)

==History==
[[Image:Corvallis Main Street 1920.jpg|thumb|Downtown {{circa|1920}}]]

===Establishment===
In October 1845, Pennsylvanian [[Joseph C. Avery]] arrived in Oregon.<ref name=Fagan422>David D. Fagan, [https://archive.org/details/HistoryOfBentonCountyOregon ''History of Benton County, Oregon: Including... a Full Political History, ...Incidents of Pioneer Life, and Biographical Sketches of Early and Prominent Citizens...''] Portland, OR: A.G. Walling, Printer, 1885; p. 422. Note that a clear typographical error in the original source has Avery's date of arrival as "October 1846", but the beginning of his residence in "June 1846."</ref> Avery took out a land claim at the mouth of [[Marys River (Oregon)|Marys River]], where it flows into the [[Willamette River]], and in June 1846 took up residence there in a log cabin hastily constructed to hold what seemed a potentially lucrative claim.<ref name=Fagan422 /> Avery's primitive 1846 dwelling was the first home within the boundaries of today's city limits and his land claim included the southern section of the contemporary city.<ref name=Fagan423>Fagan, ''History of Benton County, Oregon,'' p. 423.</ref>

Avery was quickly joined by other settlers along the banks of the Willamette River, including a {{convert|640|acre|adj=on}} claim directly to his north taken in September 1846 by William F. Dixon.<ref name=Fagan423 /> The discovery of gold in California in 1848 temporarily stalled the township development. Like many of his neighbors, Avery left his Oregon home to try his hand at gold mining in the fall of that year.<ref name=Fagan423 /> His stay proved to be brief yet profitable. In January 1849, Avery returned to Oregon with a small stock of provisions with plans to open a store on his land.<ref name=Fagan423 /> 

During 1849, Avery opened his store at the site, [[platted]] the land, and surveyed a town site on his own claim, naming the community '''Marysville'''.<ref name=Oregon>Howard M. Corning, ''Dictionary of Oregon History.'' Portland: Binfords & Mort Publishing, 1956.</ref> The early town quickly became a profitable re-supply center/mercantile as one of the leading stop-overs for miners traveling the [[Willamette River]] to the [[California Gold Rush]] mines. The city was thought to have been originally named after early settler Mary Lloyd, but now the name is credited to early French fur trappers who camped near [[Marys Peak]]. The reference to "Mary" is, instead, believed to be named after the [[Mary (mother of Jesus)|Virgin Mary]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gazettetimes.com/news/local/peak-namesake-mystery-solved/article_39d8f5bf-a07a-5b72-8fff-899165a74d91.html|title=Peak namesake mystery solved|website=Corvallis Gazette Times|date=February 17, 2007|access-date=July 21, 2022|archive-date=October 16, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231016213407/https://gazettetimes.com/news/local/peak-namesake-mystery-solved/article_39d8f5bf-a07a-5b72-8fff-899165a74d91.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In the summer of 1851, Joseph Avery and William Dixon each granted back-to-back {{convert|40|acre|adj=on}} land parcels from their land holdings for the establishment of a county seat.<ref name=Fagan424>Fagan, ''History of Benton County, Oregon,'' p. 424.</ref> Avery's holding lay to the south and Dixon's to the north, with the [[Benton County Courthouse (Oregon)|Benton County Courthouse]] marking the approximate line of demarcation between these two land parcels.<ref name=Fagan424 />

===Name change===
In December 1853 the 5th [[Oregon Territorial Legislature]] met in [[Salem, Oregon|Salem]], where a petition was presented seeking to change the name of that city to either "Thurston" or "Valena".<ref name=Carey662>Charles H. Carey, ''A General History of Oregon Prior to 1861: In Two Volumes: Volume II: To the Civil War.'' Portland, OR: Metropolitan Press, 1936; p. 662.</ref> At the same time, another petition was presented seeking to change the name of Salem to "Corvallis", from the [[Latin]] meaning "heart of the valley", while a third resolution was presented to the upper house seeking to change the name of Marysville to Corvallis.<ref name=Carey662 />

A heated debate followed, with the name ultimately awarded to Corvallis in an act passed on December 20 of that same year.<ref name=Carey662 /> By way of rationale, the name "Marysville" was successfully argued to duplicate the moniker of [[Marysville, California|a town in California]], located on the same stagecoach route and that a name change was thus necessary to avoid confusion.<ref>Fagan, ''History of Benton County, Oregon,'' p. 425.</ref>

===Territorial Capitol===

A faction within the deeply divided legislature elected to make Corvallis the capital of the [[Oregon Territory]] in December 1855. After the 6th Territorial Legislature convened there, the capital was returned to Salem, which would eventually be selected as the permanent seat of state government.<ref name=Oregon/>

Corvallis was incorporated as a city on January 29, 1857.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.corvallis150.org/birthdayguide.pdf|title=corvallis150.org<!-- Bot generated title -->|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071127194318/http://www.corvallis150.org/birthdayguide.pdf|archive-date=2007-11-27}}</ref>

===19th-century growth===

Corvallis had a three-year boom beginning in 1889, which began with the establishment of a privately owned electrical plant by L.L. Hurd.<ref name=Martin>Bruce Martin, "Bushrod Washington Wilson," ''Oregon Historical Quarterly,'' vol. 39, no. 3 (Sept. 1938), pp. 283-284.</ref> A flurry of publicity and public and private investment followed, including construction of a grand county courthouse, planning and first construction of a new street railway, construction of a new flour mill along the river between Monroe and Jackson Avenues, and construction of the [[Julian Hotel|Hotel Corvallis]], today known as the Julian Hotel.<ref name=Martin />

In addition, a carriage factory was launched in the city and the town's streets were improved, while the size of the city was twice enlarged through annexation.<ref name=Martin /> Bonds were issued for a city-owned water works, a sewer system, and for public ownership of the electric plant.<ref name=Martin /> A publicity campaign was launched to attempt to expand the tax base through new construction for new arrivals.<ref name=Martin /> This effort proved mostly unsuccessful, however, and in 1892, normality returned, with the city saddled with about $150,000 in bonded debt.<ref name=Martin />