CogKnoSys

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Physical

St. Helens, Oregon

St. Helens is the county seat of Columbia County, Oregon, a riverside city named for its view of Mount St. Helens.

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The idea

St. Helens is a city in northwestern Oregon and the county seat of Columbia County. A county seat is the community where a county's government offices and courthouse are located. The city lies along the river, about 28 miles to the northwest of Portland. It began as a river port on the Columbia, where boats could stop to load and unload.

Captain Henry Montgomery Knighton, who came from New England, founded the town and first called it Plymouth. Its present name comes from its view of Mount St. Helens, a volcano roughly 39 miles away in Washington. The mountain itself had been named for a British diplomat, Baron St Helens, a friend of the explorer George Vancouver.

St. Helens sits where the Multnomah Channel, a side branch of the Willamette River, meets the Columbia River. Across the channel from the city lies the northern tip of Sauvie Island, a large river island known for farms and wildlife areas. Chinook people known as the Multnomahs once lived in villages along the channel. Every October the town holds a month-long Halloween celebration, and its Riverfront District was the backdrop for the movie Halloweentown.

Check yourself

Question 1 of 3

What was St. Helens first called when it was founded?

Pick one. The first pick counts.

Composition

what it's made of

  • County government — As county seat, the city is home to Columbia County's government.
  • Riverfront — The city sits where the Multnomah Channel meets the Columbia River.
  • Riverfront District — The old riverside district that served as the backdrop for the 1998 movie Halloweentown.
  • Name and view — The city is named for its view of Mount St. Helens across the river in Washington.

Connection

how it relates

Under Lower Columbia Cities and Towns

Related

  1. Mount St. Helensstrength 80 of 100

    The city took its name from its view of Mount St. Helens, roughly 39 miles away.

In place

  1. Columbia Riverstrength 70 of 100

    The Multnomah Channel meets the Columbia River near St. Helens.

  2. Sauvie Islandstrength 60 of 100

    The northern tip of Sauvie Island lies across the Multnomah Channel from St. Helens.

Change

how and why it evolves

Past
The Lewis and Clark Expedition camped in the area on the night of November 5, 1805. Knighton's town dates from 1845, and its new name came in the latter part of 1850. St. Helens was incorporated as a city in 1889, and in 1914 it merged with the neighboring town of Houlton.
Now
As of the 2020 census, St. Helens had 13,817 residents.
Next
Like many smaller cities near a growing metropolitan area, the city may continue to expand, though the pace will depend on housing, employment and transportation.

Knowledge you can walk. Read the idea, then step up, across or down.

St. Helens, Oregon

St. Helens is the county seat of Columbia County, Oregon, a riverside city named for its view of Mount St. Helens.

See it on the map

Learn, discuss, create, buy or invest

The idea

St. Helens is a city in northwestern Oregon and the county seat of Columbia County. A county seat is the community where a county's government offices and courthouse are located. The city lies along the river, about 28 miles to the northwest of Portland. It began as a river port on the Columbia, where boats could stop to load and unload.

Captain Henry Montgomery Knighton, who came from New England, founded the town and first called it Plymouth. Its present name comes from its view of Mount St. Helens, a volcano roughly 39 miles away in Washington. The mountain itself had been named for a British diplomat, Baron St Helens, a friend of the explorer George Vancouver.

St. Helens sits where the Multnomah Channel, a side branch of the Willamette River, meets the Columbia River. Across the channel from the city lies the northern tip of Sauvie Island, a large river island known for farms and wildlife areas. Chinook people known as the Multnomahs once lived in villages along the channel. Every October the town holds a month-long Halloween celebration, and its Riverfront District was the backdrop for the movie Halloweentown.

Check yourself

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