Editing Nehalem, Oregon (section)

==History==
Nehalem was named for the [[Tillamook (tribe)|Nehalem]] tribe of [[Native American Indians]], also known as the Tillamook People, who traditionally inhabited the area. In the native [[Salishan languages|Salishan]] languages, Nehalem means "place where people live"<ref>{{cite book |last1=Loy |first1=William G. |title=Atlas of Oregon |last2=Allan |first2=Stuart |last3=Buckley |first3=Aileen R. |last4=Meacham |first4=James E. |publisher=[[University of Oregon Press]] |year=2001 |isbn=0-87114-101-9 |edition=2nd, Revised |location=Eugene, Oregon |pages=24}}</ref> Early variations of the name include "Naalem" and "Ne-ay-lem."<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=9zkLAAAAIAAJ&dq=nehalem&pg=PA422]</ref>

The city of Nehalem was established by European Americans in the latter portion of the nineteenth century, rapidly thriving with logging, fishing, and shipping. In June 1913, Joseph C. Smith became the town's first mayor. Prior to 1913, the town was governed by elected trustees.<ref>[https://www.forgottenbooks.com/en/download/StoriesofNehalem_10282604.pdf]</ref>

As the Northwestern [[logging]] industry slowed during the twentieth century, the city's economy also cooled. The city used to stretch over the river on log planks, where a lumber mill cut logs that came down a railroad track on the [[Nehalem River]]. Wood pilings that held up this track can be found in the [[North Fork Nehalem River]]. On the front of Nehalem Elementary School is a facade which proclaims "Union High School" from when the area was less populated and could support its own Elementary and high schools. Currently there is an elementary school and a community pool/rec. center run by the North County Recreation District which hosts a number of classes including those for [[Tillamook Bay Community College]].

According to the October 1977 of La Posta Postal History Journal, Nehalem's post office was established in August 1870. It was originally located in the home of Samuel Corwin. In February 1884, the name of the Nehalem Post Office was changed to "Onion Peak" when John Alley became the postmaster and moved the post office to his home, which was standard practice for the time. Because Alley's home was considerably north of the original Nehalem town site, Alley requested a name change to "Onion Peak," a nearby mountain and prominent geographic feature of the area. In May 1884, Nehalem residents petitioned for a new post office closer to town. The request was granted with Henry Ober serving as postmaster. The Onion Peak Post Office closed in 1893.<ref>[http://www.lapostapub.com/Backissues/LP08-4.pdf]</ref>

For many decades the State highway officials in Oregon had seen the route that [[U.S. Route 101 in Oregon|Highway 101]] took through [[Wheeler, Tillamook County, Oregon|Wheeler]] and Nehalem as temporary for the highway. During that time, the long-term plan for the highway was to move it along the Nehalem Spit, offering a longer view of [[Nehalem Bay]] and the [[Pacific Ocean]]. When the plans for this change began to take shape in the late 1960s the community backlash from the two towns was so intense that officials decided to leave the highway in its existing layout.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://neahkahnievisions.smugmug.com/Topics/Highway-101/i-SP7NgzL/A|title=Highway 101 - NeahkahnieVisions|access-date=February 19, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ci.nehalem.or.us/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7B568AD4FE-F310-4F6C-B853-3D6DA1A3F0EF%7D|title=About Nehalem - City of Nehalem, Oregon|website=www.ci.nehalem.or.us|access-date=February 19, 2018}}</ref>

Nehalem has an elevation of 11 feet.<ref name="tillamookor.gov">[https://tillamookor.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/910517_05_08_R0_DRAFT_RA_MS_RED.pdf]</ref> Lying so close to sea level, the area suffers intermittent floods. A 1996 storm caused particular damage,<ref>[https://www.opb.org/news/article/coastal-town-nehalem-floods-suffers-no-damage/ Oregon Public Broadcasting 1996: Nehalem Coastal Floods]</ref> to local dairy farms.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.co.tillamook.or.us/gov/pw/StormFeb1996.htm|title=February 1996 Storm|website=www.co.tillamook.or.us|access-date=February 19, 2018}}</ref> In November 2006, heavy rains caused flooding in Nehalem, resulting in $1 million in damage.<ref name="tillamookor.gov"/>

Nehalem has been noted multiple times in pop culture. The [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]]-based band [[Everclear (band)|Everclear]] has a song, "Nehalem", about life in the town, on its ''[[Sparkle and Fade]]'' album. In 1995, [[Nike, Inc.|Nike]] issued its Nike Air Nehalem Water Sandal and Portland-based [[Columbia Sportswear]] named one of its sandal styles after Nehalem. And in 2008, [[Intel]] named its 45&nbsp;nm microarchitecture "[[Nehalem (microarchitecture)|Nehalem]]." Portland-based [[Leatherman]] Tool Group named one of its stainless steel knives the "Nehalem."

Nehalem was the location for the 2000 [[HGTV Dream Home]] Contest, which awarded a furnished home and an automobile.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.hgtv.com/design/hgtv-dream-home/2008-1997/articles/hgtv-dream-home-2000-rugged-northwestern-style|title=HGTV Dream Home 2000: Nehalem, OR|work=HGTV|access-date=February 19, 2018}}</ref>

The Nehalem Bay Dune Site, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, is a prehistoric site in the Nehalem vicinity dating to 1310 A.D. The exact location is restricted to protect the site.