Albany Turns One-Hundred and Fifty

Albany, Oregon, is having a birthday, and it is a big one. Coming in October, the quiet, little steel town, will celebrate its 150th birthday. To commemorate this century and a half, this photogallery is accompanied by a little of Albany's factual history. Enjoy.

(Click any photo to view in gallery mode.)

Re-used metals, showcased and sold by the LBCC Welding Club. The school began in Albany in 1966.

                 Aaron Meyer takes a break from classes at Linn-Benton Community College in Albany.



Education in Albany, began in 1851, at Albany's first school, which was ran by the town doctor, R.C. Hill. Albany Union High School, which would become West Albany High, was founded in 1953. South Albany High was added in 1970.

                                   South Albany High School Junior Varsity Football, 2014-2015



Albany is home to many parks, and all show a diversity and focus that caters to the community. From walking trails that have exercise stations along them, to parks for kids athletics, Albany is alive with healthy park options for everybody. Albany's thirty parks include rentable, shelter-parks, riverfront and neighborhood parks, and community parks such as Monteith Park, which hosts Albany's two summer concert series.

                 Nature abounds at Albany parks, including Grand Prairie and Talking Water Gardens.

                                                          Monteith Park summer concert.

             Albany's car clubs and antique shops come together in late summer for Antiques In The Street.


Albany was founded in 1847 by brothers Walter and Thomas Monteith, after Abner Hackleman had settled the area land. Flour mills and steamboats would show by the early 1850s, and in 1855, the first school was built. As more home were built, so was a courthouse, post office, and general store. Around the same time, Albany became the county seat, and the town of 50,000 is still the Linn County seat.

Albany sits at the confluence of two gorgeous rivers, the Willamette and the Calapooia. Albany is rather hill-less, and although the city sits at river level, flooding is rare. Average snowfall is less than a few inches, rain is typical western Oregon, and summertime is mind-blowingly nice, and is perfect for fresh fruits and vegetables. Albany is mostly farmers and laborers. Steel mills, log mills, and farms decorate the landscape. Fresh produce is commonplace.

Albany Tidbits:

• Albany gets its water supply from the South Santiam River, via a diversion ditch, first built in 1872 by the Santiam Ditch and Canal Company. Wastewater leaves Albany by way of Talking Water Gardens, a park designed to cool the water before it reaches the Willamette River.
• In 2001, The World Championship Timber Carnival ceased to be. A sixty-one year run of logging events, arts and crafts, carnival rides, and shows, came to an end. Today, the Northwest Art and Air Festival, rivals the carnival past, with three days of music, balloons, and art galleries.
• Longtime, local metals company, Wah-Chang, split with Albany in 1974, to form Millersburg.
• Albany's population is roughly 52,000. In 1870, the population of Albany was 1300.
• Albany's most distributed newspaper, the Democrat-Herald, is not the only newspaper that is printed today. Linn-Benton Community College publishes The Commuter, and The Albany Tribune has been in circulation for a couple of years.
• Radio in Albany is widespread and variety based. Over a dozen local stations exist.
• Concert performers at Albany's "River Rhythms" have included Robert Earl Keen, Night Ranger, The Dixie Chicks, and Joan Jett, as well as The Oregon Symphony.

The Albany Visitor's Association lists eight local museums, with three in Albany. The Albany Regional Museum at Lyons Street and 2nd Avenue, is open weekday afternoons. The Historic Carousel Museum is at 1st and Washington, is open daily, and is always looking for volunteers. The Monteith House Museum is also open daily, and is the most authentic house in the county:

Albany Facts:

• Population 52, 000
• Incorporated 1864
• At one point, the town was named Takenah
• The Bureau of Mines sits on the former Albany College site.
• Albany spreads out over 18 square miles.

                                                     Albany City Council meeting, circa 2014.


Albany has one main hospital, on 7th Avenue, just west of the Monteith District. Built in 1924, Albany General is supplemented by two Urgent Care units, one in north Albany, and one in south Albany at Queen Avenue and Geary Street.

The only dog park in Albany, is at Timber-Linn Memorial Park. After local petitions gathered enough votes in 2013, the park was built for citizens and dogs to enjoy.

The Albany Boys & Girls Club, located on Hill Street, has coordinated operations with local youth and schools, and has added-on to the site significantly. It serves the entire city and school district.

Albany's Parks Department, includes hiking trails and exercise forums, all within city limits. The Dave Clark Bikepath, the Simpson Trail, and the Takena Landing Trail, all have walking and bicycling opportunities.

The Albany Veteran's Day Parade, the biggest west of the Mississippi, focuses on thank-yous and personal interaction. The over two-hour parade, takes place rain or shine, and always draws a large crowd.

Albany is a preserved, historic town. From building structures to residential homes, Albany is plentiful in regard to historic architecture. The Montieth District, and the Hackleman District, in addition to downtown, provides plenty to enjoy. Tours and lectures are available.

                                      LBCC Baseball 2013-14, the final year of the program.

                                                         West Albany High School Baseball

                                                     July 4, 2013 - Fireworks At Monteith Park

Albany Points Of Interest:

• Whitespires Church at 5th and Washington. Built in 1891, the church features a Kimball Organ.
• Waverly Lake, in east Albany, was once the construction pond for Interstate 5 & Oregon 99.
• Talking Water Gardens, a wildlife filled cooling pond for the wastewater treatment plant.
• The Ellsworth Street Bridge, built in 1926, offers awesome sunset views.
• Historical Homes Tour
• The Monteith House, a realistic pioneer home.
• The Albany Municipal Airport
• The Albany Clock Tower, built in 2007, rises 60 feet. The clock features a four-foot diameter face.
• The Dave Clark Riverfront Path
• River Rhythms
• The Northwest Art & Air Festival
• Christmas Storybook Land, a free family event, during the holidays.

The American Kennel Club at the Linn County Fairgrounds in Albany:

                                                                 Whitespires Church

                                      Paddleboat rentals and Fall colors highlight Waverly Lake.

                                              Little League Fall Ball at Albany's Kinder Park.

                                                 Chad Patrick skates the Albany Skatepark.

                                                       Turtles at Talking Water Gardens.

                       Construction in Albany, although slow during the recession, is starting to recover.

                                                    Guitar man and fan in downtown Albany.

                                                          West Albany High's home field.

                                   Central School, built in 1915, still operates as a public school.

                                           High-school wrestling at West Albany High School.

Eve Hackett, longtime band teacher at Memorial Jr. High, Memorial Middle School, and West Albany High.

            The Pix Theater in downtown Albany, shows first-run movies in a building built in the 1890s.

                                        Record snow in February of 2014, measured 15 inches.

All photos COPYRIGHT Ronald Borst.



Sources Used:

Albany Visitors Association website at http://albanyvisitors.com/
General information from Albany's Wikipedia website
City of Albany website at cityofalbany.net
Albany Democrat Herald
Personal knowledge