Environmental History of the Willamette Valley Full Sun withstanding temperatures as low as

withstanding temperatures as low as 5° F

star-shaped flowers

colorful Peperomia featuring deeply ridged

by Bill Thorness

Environmental History of the Willamette Valley Full Sun withstanding temperatures as low asWestern Oregon's Willamette Basin, once a vast wilderness, became a thriving community almost overnight. When Oregon territory was opened for homesteading in the early 1800s, most of the intrepid pioneers settled in the valley, spurring rapid changes in the landscape. Heralded as fertile with a mild climate and an abundance of natural resources, the valley enticed farmers, miners and loggers, who were quickly followed by the construction of rail lines