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Oregon 150SesquicentennialMarion County150 Miles for 150 YearsMarion County is pleased to join in withcommunities across the state and take part inhonoring Oregon’s 150th birthday. There willbe passports with historic clues for each of the20 cities, relays, geocaching, and plenty of eventsthroughout the year in all the communitiesaround the county.Sunflowers outside SilvertonPhoto by Bill EnosMarion County Population GrowthPamela Ferrara, Workforce AnalystWorksource Oregon Employment DepartmentPamela.A.Ferrara@state.or.usMarion County’s population changes haveinfluenced the size and composition of itslabor force. Let’s take a look at some of thosechanges in the county over the decades.Marion County Oregon 150 Passport eventis providing a map of Marion County withsuggested destinations in each city. These siteshave historic value and are destinations withevents important to the community. The passportwill be available in locations throughout MarionCounty and will allow visitors to document theirvisits. The Marion County Commissioners plan torecognize those who visit the most destinations ata public celebration later this year.It is hoped that this passport will bring peopleto the communities to visit, promote economicdevelopment, as well as enhance tourism andawareness of each city and its special, historicalplaces to visit.The 150-mile route starts in Idanha and linkseach incorporated city before it ends in Salem.Participants may choose to start their tour at anypoint on the map - and it can be done in oneday or several days as desired. This route offersvisitors a chance to learn about the historicalsignificance and contribution of the cities toOregon’s statehood. The tour through MarionCounty cities will foster a better understanding ofeach city’s contribution to the past and challengesfor the future.150 Miles for 150 Years RelayThe relay event will tour each of Marion County’stwenty cities and many of the county’s thirtysevenunincorporated communities. There willbe festivities at each stop along the relay. The150-mile relay will take place over five weekends,starting Saturday, June 13 and concluding onJuly 11. The 150-mile trek will begin at MarionCounty’s easternmost boundary near Idanha;continue through the Santiam Canyon to thecounty’s southern boundary at Jefferson; thentravel north through Salem to Keizer and St. Paul;then eastward to Aurora and south to Silverton.The trek will end in Salem at the Oregon StateFairgrounds during the 2009 Marion CountyFair.For complete information visitGlockenspiel in Mount AngelA scenic Cascade Mountain viewQuick Facts:County Seat: SalemArea: 1,194 Square MilesEstablished: July 5, 1843Population (2008): 314,865Cities: 20 incorporated,37 unincorporatedElevation: 154 feet atSalem & 1,595 feet atDetroit LakePrincipal Industries:Agriculture, government,food processing, lumber,manufacturing, educationand tourismMarion County had 314,865 residents in2008, according to the Population ResearchCenter at Portland State University. Seventythree percent of the county’s population livedin 20 incorporated cities and towns. Four ofthose have part of their population living inother counties (Idanha, Gates and Mill Cityare part in Linn County, and West Salem, ispart of Polk County). Nearly half the county’spopulation lives in the state’s capitol, Salem– its population in 2008 was 154,510.Historically Marion County’s populationgrowth has generally grown about in tandemwith the state’s population, but with larger andsmaller differences over the decades (Graph1). More recently, the county grew 12 percentfrom 1980 to 1990, and 25 percent from 1990to 2000. The states growth rates were8 percent and 20 percent respectively.From 2000 to 2008 the county’s populationgrew by 10 percent, about the same as the stateas a whole. Marion County will have slightlyslower population growth from 2010 to 2040than the state as a whole, according to thestate Department of Administrative Servicespopulation projections.The Hispanic population in the countyhas doubled each decade from 1980, andHispanics made up nearly 22 percent of theMarion county population in 2007. Thecounty had a higher percentage of residentsage 17 and under than the state as a whole.Eighty one percent of the population age 25and older had at least a high school diplomain 2007 compared to 87 percent for the state.Twenty one percent in Marion County had aleast a bachelor’s degree, compared to nearly28 percent in the state as a whole.www.sedcor.comPage 21