Everything about Grants Pass Oregon totally explained
Grants Pass is a city in, and the
county seat of
Josephine County,
Oregon,
United States . The city is located on
Interstate 5, northwest of
Medford. Attractions include the
Rogue River, famous for its rafting, and the nearby
Oregon Caves National Monument located 30 miles south of the city. As of the
2000 census, the city population was 23,003. As of 2006, the population is 30,930.
History
Early
Hudson's Bay Company hunters and trappers, following the
Siskiyou Trail, passed through the site beginning in the
1820s. In the late
1840s, settlers (mostly American) following the
Applegate Trail began traveling through the area on their way to the
Willamette Valley. The name was selected to honor General U.S. Grant's success at Vicksburg and a post office was established on
March 22,
1865. The city of Grants Pass was incorporated in
1887, a year after it had become the county seat.
In
1922, a group of local businessmen incorporated the Grants Pass Cavemen. Taking their name from the nearby
Oregon Caves National Monument, this group was one of many groups of boosterism common in the United States at the time. For decades afterwards, this group would represent their city in countless public gatherings, dressed in furs and bearing clubs, performing such uncivilized acts as capturing female crowd members and politicians and putting them in their cages. To honor this group, in 1971 a fiberglass statue of a caveman was erected at the corner of Morgan Lane and Sixth Street. Grants Pass High School's mascot is also the
caveman. The original monument was damaged by
arson in 2004 and repaired in 2005.
Geography
Grants Pass is located at (42.438969, -123.328249).
U.S. Route 199 passes through the city, and joins
I-5. It is located in the
Rogue Valley.
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, of which of it's land and of it or 1.56% is water.
Climate
True to its motto, "It's the climate!" Grants Pass enjoys a Zone 7 climate with hot, short summers and mild but pronounced winters with sharply defined seasons without the severe winter cold or enervating humidity. This climate zone differs from the rest of Western Oregon in that there's less ocean influence, cooler winters, and warmer drier summers.
Summer days are sunny, dry and hot but it cools down dramatically at night; the average July high temperature is 90°F (32°C) and the low, 53°F (12°C). Winters are cool and fairly rainy with only occasional snow; the average January high temperature is 47.5°F (8.5°C) and the low, 32.5°F (0°C). It receives roughly 30 inches (760 mm) of precipitation per year, with three-quarters of it occurring between November 1 and March 31. The mild winters and long dry summers support a native vegetation structure quite different from the rest of Oregon, dominated by madrone, deciduous and evergreen oak, manzanita, pine, chinquapin, and other species that are far less abundant further north.
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The Rogue River
The Rogue River runs through Grants Pass and many people come to the city to raft the river's world-class rapids. Visitors can also travel down the river on
jetboats.
Demographics
As of the
census of 2000, there were 23,003 people, 9,376 households, and 5,925 families residing in the city. The
population density was . There were 9,885 housing units at an average density of 1,303.3 per square mile (503.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.97%
White, 0.33%
African American, 1.09%
Native American, 0.98%
Asian, 0.12%
Pacific Islander, 1.63% from
other races, and 2.88% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 15.37% of the population.
There were 9,376 households out of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.5% were
married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.0% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 19.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 86.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,197, and the median income for a family was $36,284. Males had a median income of $31,128 versus $23,579 for females. The
per capita income for the city was $16,234. About 12.2% of families and 34.9% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 20.8% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Historically the city's economy has been based on
timber. However, in recent years the importance of timber on the local economy has decreased and has subsequently been replaced by tourism as the most prominent source of revenue for the city. Tourism is now a very visible part of the city.
Tourism
During the summer, there are many different attractions for tourists to visit. There is a growers' market, concerts are held in Riverside Park on many summer nights, and there are many other parks to visit. The historic theater downtown has been transformed into a performing arts venue and frequently hosts top name national acts. The historic downtown area is lined with antique and specialty shops and is a destination for collectors and shoppers. Formerly, local artists decorated bear statues; this ended in 2006. From 2006-present, statues of various northwest animals have lined the streets. The Grants Pass Towne Center Association's "Back to the 50's" Celebration includes free concerts, a nearly 600-vehicle Classic Car Cruise, Poker Runs, and thematic shopping.
Boatnik is held every Memorial Day weekend in Grants Pass and is one of the years most popular events in Grants Pass, drawing many visitors to town.
The activities start in Riverside Park with the Davis Shows Carnival.
Friday includes the Boat Show on the River - 8:00pm to 9:00pm Sprints, Drags, and Hydros. Saturday morning is the well-known Boatnik parade. Sunday includes the Fireworks Display at Dusk at Riverside Park.
Monday is the highlight of Boatnik featuring an F15 Flyover and the world famous white water hydroplane race.
During the winter, there are the Christmas murals on many downtown streets, along with Santa's arrival by train to the Town Square and a Christmas tree-lighting ceremony.
Year round, there's First Friday Art Nights. On the first Friday of every month, many the city's stores hold art shows and other showings.
In 1986, Grants Pass won one of ten
All-America City Awards given out that year. The city has one of the top 100 hospitals: Three Rivers Community Hospital and Health Center.
Parks and recreation
Grants Pass has numerous and diverse parks and green spaces.
Education
Grants Pass area public schools are served by
Grants Pass School District, including
Grants Pass High School, and
Three Rivers School District, including
North Valley High School, and
Hidden Valley High School.
Rogue Community College's (RCC) main (Redwood Campus) is located south of Grants Pass on Redwood Highway with additional campuses located in
Medford, Oregon (Riverside Campus) and
White City (Table Rock Campus).
Infrastructure
Transportation
Notable residents
David Anders, actor
Charlie Armbruster, baseball player
Carl Barks, artist
Pat Beach, football player
Tom Blanchard, football player
Ty Burrell, actor
Terry Carr, science fiction editor
Bob Christie, race car driver
William Dellinger, runner, coach
David Goines, artist, writer
Helen Chenoweth-Hage, U.S. Representative from Idaho
Kevin Hagen, actor
Jack Lee Harelson
Mike Johnson, rock musician
Jeremy Maxwell, (Kramer) actor
Hub Pernoll, baseball player
Shelley Shannon, anti-abortion activist
Craig L. Williams, LGBT activist aka Emperor XVI Craig Hollywood of the Imperial Court of New York
Ken Williams, baseball player
References in art
Country musician and Earth First! member Darryl Cherney has a country song called "Grants Pass" in which he describes being an environmentalist in the small logging town. The song makes many references to local landmarks including Shenanigan's Saloon, the Silver Fire Round-Up, The Giant Caveman, and the banner that reads "It's the climate".
Sister city
Rubtsovsk, Russia (External Link)Further Information
Get more info on 'Grants Pass Oregon'.
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