Dilley, Oregon
Encyclopedia
Dilley is an unincorporated
community in Washington County
, Oregon
, United States
. It is located south of Forest Grove
and north of the city of Gaston
on Oregon Route 47 in the Portland metropolitan area
. Settled in the late 1840s, the community was platted in 1874 after the arrival of the railroad. The population of the area in 2000 was approximately 2,000.
’s orphan school that later became Pacific University
. Dilley School District 10 was established in 1860, with a school built on the north end of the town that same year. A flour mill was added nearby in 1863, and Joseph Gaston’s West Side Railroad
reached the area in 1872. James C. Chamberlain, was the first postmaster of the post office established on December 31, 1873.
On March 18, 1874, Milton E. and Martha Dilley platted the area that became Dilley Station. They created the town on the Donation Land Claim of the Chatfield family. The Dilleys arrived in 1853, with Milton buying 140 acre (0.5665604 km²) in the area. The original plat had east-west running streets of A through D and north-south running streets of First through Fourth. There were 13 lots along the roads that varied from 30 feet (9.1 m) wide to 60 feet (18.3 m) wide. Other businesses in the community in the early years were a barber shop, general stores, ice warehouse, and a blacksmith among others.
In 1880, Mr. McLeod and two sons built a sawmill in the area. In 1895, 23 years after the railroad reached the area, a station was built in Dilley. The Methodist Church in town was established in 1896, and around 1953 the Bible Church of Dilley was started. Other businesses at one time included a hotel, dance hall, saloons, machine shop, and a hardware store. About 1961 the Dilley post office was closed. At one time the town had a band and baseball team. In 1967, the last store and gas station were torn down when Oregon Route 47 was re-routed. By 1976 the school was consolidated into the Forest Grove School District. In 1998, the community made national news when a convicted sex offender was scheduled to live in the community at his mother's home. Neighbors objected, and purchased the home to prevent the offender from moving to Dilley.
Dilley Elementary School, part of the Forest Grove School District
, received a rating of exceptional by the state for the first six years of the state rankings. The community has one church, Bible Church of Dilley. Dilley is not part of a fire protection district. Oregon House of Representatives
District 26 (Matt Wingard
) and Oregon Senate District 13 (Larry George
) cover the community. Dilley is within Oregon's 1st congressional district
, represented by Congressman David Wu
.
As of 2000, the estimated population of the area was as high as 2000 people, though there are no defined boundaries for the community. The community has the Forest Grove ZIP Code of 97116, and area codes 503 and 971. The main roads in the area include Oregon Route 47 (also known as Tualatin Valley Highway
) that runs north-south, along with southwest Anderson and Dilley roads. Dilley, classified as a populated place, sits at an elevation of 197 feet (60 m) above sea level. The U.S. Geologic Survey operates a water gauge on the Tualatin River
at Dilley.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
community in Washington County
Washington County, Oregon
- Major highways :* Interstate 5* Interstate 205* U.S. Route 26* Oregon Route 6* Oregon Route 8* Oregon Route 10* Oregon Route 47* Oregon Route 99W* Oregon Route 210* Oregon Route 217* Oregon Route 219-Demographics:...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is located south of Forest Grove
Forest Grove, Oregon
Forest Grove is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States, west of Portland. Originally a small farm town, it is now primarily a bedroom suburb of Portland. Settled in the 1840s, the town was platted in 1850 and then incorporated in 1872 and was the first city in Washington County...
and north of the city of Gaston
Gaston, Oregon
Gaston is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States. The population was 600 at the 2000 census. The 2006 estimate is 630 residents.-Early history:...
on Oregon Route 47 in the Portland metropolitan area
Portland metropolitan area
The Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA Metropolitan Statistical Area , also known as the Portland metropolitan area or Greater Portland, is an urban area in the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington centered around the city of Portland, Oregon. The U.S...
. Settled in the late 1840s, the community was platted in 1874 after the arrival of the railroad. The population of the area in 2000 was approximately 2,000.
History
Horace and Marilda Parsons settled in the area located south of Forest Grove in 1849. In 1850, Parsons built a grist mill along the Tualatin River near what later became Dilley on the land claim of William Owen Gibson. Gibson settled his claim in 1847, and built the log cabin used for Tabitha BrownTabitha Brown
Tabitha Moffatt Brown was an American pioneer emigrant who traveled the Oregon Trail to the Oregon Country. There she assisted in the founding of Tualatin Academy, which would grow to become Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon...
’s orphan school that later became Pacific University
Pacific University
Pacific University is a private university located in Oregon, United States. The first campus began more than 160 years ago and is located about 38 km west of Portland in Forest Grove...
. Dilley School District 10 was established in 1860, with a school built on the north end of the town that same year. A flour mill was added nearby in 1863, and Joseph Gaston’s West Side Railroad
Oregon Central Railroad
The Oregon Central Railroad was the name of two railroad companies in the U.S. state of Oregon, each of which claimed federal land grants that had been assigned to the state in 1866 to assist in building a line from Portland south into California...
reached the area in 1872. James C. Chamberlain, was the first postmaster of the post office established on December 31, 1873.
On March 18, 1874, Milton E. and Martha Dilley platted the area that became Dilley Station. They created the town on the Donation Land Claim of the Chatfield family. The Dilleys arrived in 1853, with Milton buying 140 acre (0.5665604 km²) in the area. The original plat had east-west running streets of A through D and north-south running streets of First through Fourth. There were 13 lots along the roads that varied from 30 feet (9.1 m) wide to 60 feet (18.3 m) wide. Other businesses in the community in the early years were a barber shop, general stores, ice warehouse, and a blacksmith among others.
In 1880, Mr. McLeod and two sons built a sawmill in the area. In 1895, 23 years after the railroad reached the area, a station was built in Dilley. The Methodist Church in town was established in 1896, and around 1953 the Bible Church of Dilley was started. Other businesses at one time included a hotel, dance hall, saloons, machine shop, and a hardware store. About 1961 the Dilley post office was closed. At one time the town had a band and baseball team. In 1967, the last store and gas station were torn down when Oregon Route 47 was re-routed. By 1976 the school was consolidated into the Forest Grove School District. In 1998, the community made national news when a convicted sex offender was scheduled to live in the community at his mother's home. Neighbors objected, and purchased the home to prevent the offender from moving to Dilley.
Details
Forest Grove School District
Forest Grove School District is a public school district in Washington County, Oregon, United States. It serves the communities of Cornelius, Dilley, Forest Grove and Gales Creek. Yvonne Curtis is the superintendent of the district...
, received a rating of exceptional by the state for the first six years of the state rankings. The community has one church, Bible Church of Dilley. Dilley is not part of a fire protection district. Oregon House of Representatives
Oregon House of Representatives
The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 57,000. The House meets at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem....
District 26 (Matt Wingard
Matt Wingard
Matt Wingard is an American politician in the state of Oregon. He won the Republican nomination to represent District 26 in the Oregon House of Representatives in May 2008.- Early life :...
) and Oregon Senate District 13 (Larry George
Larry George
Larry George is an American politician and businessman in Oregon. A Republican, he is a member of the Oregon State Senate representing District 13 since election in 2006. He previously was the leader of the political group Oregonians In Action...
) cover the community. Dilley is within Oregon's 1st congressional district
Oregon's 1st congressional district
Oregon's 1st congressional district consists of the northwest corner of Oregon. It includes Clatsop, Columbia, Washington, and Yamhill counties, and southwest Portland, part of Multnomah County, which belonged to the 3rd district before the 2002 redistricting....
, represented by Congressman David Wu
David Wu
David Wu is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 1999 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party.The district includes most of Portland west of the Willamette River, as well as all of Yamhill, Columbia, Clatsop, and Washington Counties...
.
As of 2000, the estimated population of the area was as high as 2000 people, though there are no defined boundaries for the community. The community has the Forest Grove ZIP Code of 97116, and area codes 503 and 971. The main roads in the area include Oregon Route 47 (also known as Tualatin Valley Highway
Tualatin Valley Highway
The Tualatin Valley Highway No. 29 is an Oregon highway which passes through the Tualatin Valley, between the cities of McMinnville and Beaverton...
) that runs north-south, along with southwest Anderson and Dilley roads. Dilley, classified as a populated place, sits at an elevation of 197 feet (60 m) above sea level. The U.S. Geologic Survey operates a water gauge on the Tualatin River
Tualatin River
The Tualatin River is a tributary of the Willamette River located in Oregon in the United States. The river is approximately long, and it drains a fertile farming region called the Tualatin Valley southwest and west of Portland at the northwest corner of the Willamette Valley...
at Dilley.