Verboort, Oregon
Encyclopedia
Verboort is an unincorporated
community in Washington County
, Oregon
, United States. It is located about two miles northeast of Forest Grove
, a mile west of Oregon Route 47 in the Tualatin Valley
.
The community was founded by six Dutch
Catholic families. The group was led by John Verboort, who had traveled from Holland with his family and first settled in Wisconsin
. In 1875, the group, unhappy with the soil and weather in Wisconsin, bought 550 acres of land in the Verboort area and shared a large house. Father William Verboort, son of John, joined family later that year. Father Verboort and the community built St. Francis Xavier Church, and an informal school was founded at the same time. In 1883, a new church was built and named Our Lady of the Visitation, while the old church was converted into a schoolhouse. The Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon
established a convent in Verboort in 1891, and by longstanding tradition, local families provide the sisters with produce. In 1922, the school at Verboort and the Sisters of St. Mary who taught there were affected by the Oregon Compulsory Education Act
, which was later overturned by the United States Supreme Court. The current Visitation Church building, with 150-foot sequoias
on either side, was constructed in 1959. The sequoias were planted in 1888 by John Porter, who brought the seeds back to Oregon from California
after returning from the California Gold Rush
of 1849.
The church at Verboort established successful missions in Hillsboro
, Cornelius
, Forest Grove, and Roy
(another Dutch Catholic community), which all became self-supporting parishes.
and sauerkraut
dinner, attracts between 7,800 to 10,000 people each year, while the line for purchasing bulk sausage and sauerkraut starts forming four or five hours before sunrise. In 2008, 15 tons of sausage and 2,000 pounds of sauerkraut were produced for the event. The sausage is smoked using green vine maple wood.
, notable sites in the community include the 1864 house of Henry Black, on whose Donation Land Claim
the Verboort family originally settled, the 1921 William Hermans Granary, the 1921 Verboort Garage and General Repairing building, and the 1876 Martin Hermens House and Farm.
(1920 – 2009), member of the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
, was from Verboort.
45.5495587°N 123.0867742°W
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. It is located about two miles northeast 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...
, a mile west of Oregon Route 47 in the Tualatin Valley
Tualatin Valley
The Tualatin Valley is a farming and suburban region southwest of Portland, Oregon in the United States. The valley is formed by the meandering Tualatin River, a tributary of the Willamette River at the northwest corner of the Willamette Valley, east of the Northern Oregon Coast Range...
.
History
Verboort was named for early settler Father William Verboort in 1876. Verboort post office was established in 1893 and ran intermittently until 1919.The community was founded by six Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
Catholic families. The group was led by John Verboort, who had traveled from Holland with his family and first settled in Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. In 1875, the group, unhappy with the soil and weather in Wisconsin, bought 550 acres of land in the Verboort area and shared a large house. Father William Verboort, son of John, joined family later that year. Father Verboort and the community built St. Francis Xavier Church, and an informal school was founded at the same time. In 1883, a new church was built and named Our Lady of the Visitation, while the old church was converted into a schoolhouse. The Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon
Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon
The Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon are a Roman Catholic religious order founded in 1886 in the U.S. state of Oregon. Their convent is located in Beaverton...
established a convent in Verboort in 1891, and by longstanding tradition, local families provide the sisters with produce. In 1922, the school at Verboort and the Sisters of St. Mary who taught there were affected by the Oregon Compulsory Education Act
Oregon Compulsory Education Act
The Compulsory Education Act or Oregon School Law was a 1922 law in the U.S. state of Oregon that required school age children to attend only public schools. The United States Supreme Court later struck down the law as unconstitutional.-Background:...
, which was later overturned by the United States Supreme Court. The current Visitation Church building, with 150-foot sequoias
Sequoiadendron
Sequoiadendron giganteum is the sole living species in the genus Sequoiadendron, and one of three species of coniferous trees known as redwoods, classified in the family Cupressaceae in the subfamily Sequoioideae, together with Sequoia sempervirens and...
on either side, was constructed in 1959. The sequoias were planted in 1888 by John Porter, who brought the seeds back to Oregon from California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
after returning from the California Gold Rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
of 1849.
The church at Verboort established successful missions in Hillsboro
Hillsboro, Oregon
Hillsboro is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and is the county seat of Washington County. Lying in the Tualatin Valley on the west side of the Portland metropolitan area, the city is home to many high-technology companies, such as Intel, that compose what has become known as the...
, Cornelius
Cornelius, Oregon
Cornelius is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States. The population was 9,652 at the 2000 census. The 2007 estimate is 10,895 residents.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
, Forest Grove, and Roy
Roy, Oregon
Roy, Oregon is an unincorporated historic locale in Washington County, Oregon, United States. It is located south of the Sunset Highway and southeast of the city of Banks....
(another Dutch Catholic community), which all became self-supporting parishes.
Annual cultural events
The annual Verboort Sausage and Sauerkraut Festival, founded in 1934, is held on the first Saturday in November; proceeds go to the upkeep of the church school. The festival, with its sausageSausage
A sausage is a food usually made from ground meat , mixed with salt, herbs, and other spices, although vegetarian sausages are available. The word sausage is derived from Old French saussiche, from the Latin word salsus, meaning salted.Typically, a sausage is formed in a casing traditionally made...
and sauerkraut
Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut , directly translated from German: "sour cabbage", is finely shredded cabbage that has been fermented by various lactic acid bacteria, including Leuconostoc, Lactobacillus, and Pediococcus. It has a long shelf-life and a distinctive sour flavor, both of which result from the lactic acid...
dinner, attracts between 7,800 to 10,000 people each year, while the line for purchasing bulk sausage and sauerkraut starts forming four or five hours before sunrise. In 2008, 15 tons of sausage and 2,000 pounds of sauerkraut were produced for the event. The sausage is smoked using green vine maple wood.
Museums and other points of interest
Along with the Catholic church and its pioneer cemeteryPioneer cemetery
In the United States and Canada, a pioneer cemetery is a cemetery that is the burial place for pioneers in any area subject to territorial expansion, with founding dates spanning from the late 18th to early 20th centuries.-Definitions:...
, notable sites in the community include the 1864 house of Henry Black, on whose Donation Land Claim
Donation Land Claim Act
The Donation Land Claim Act of 1850 was a statute enacted by the United States Congress intended to promote homestead settlement in the Oregon Territory in the Pacific Northwest...
the Verboort family originally settled, the 1921 William Hermans Granary, the 1921 Verboort Garage and General Repairing building, and the 1876 Martin Hermens House and Farm.
Notable people
Major league baseball All-Star pitcher Larry JansenLarry Jansen
Lawrence Joseph Jansen was an American right-handed pitcher and coach in Major League Baseball. A native of Oregon, he played minor league baseball in the early 1940s before starting his Major League career in 1947 with the New York Giants. Jansen played nine seasons in the big leagues, and was...
(1920 – 2009), member of the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
The Oregon Sports Hall of Fame honors Oregon athletes, teams, coaches, and others who have made a significant contribution to sports in Oregon. The first class was inducted in 1980, with new inductees added in the fall...
, was from Verboort.
External links
- Historic images of Verboort from Salem Public Library
- History of Verboort from Visitation Parish
45.5495587°N 123.0867742°W