Dorena, Oregon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dorena, Oregon
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Dorena Mercantile
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 Dorena, Oregon
Location in Oregon
Dorena, Oregon
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| County | Lane |
| Elevation | 922 ft (281 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code |
97434
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| Area code(s) | 458 and 541 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1141192 |
Dorena is a small, unincorporated community in Lane County, Oregon, United States. This means it's a group of homes and businesses that isn't officially a city with its own local government. You can find Dorena southeast of Cottage Grove, right by the Row River. The Row River is a smaller stream that flows into the Coast Fork Willamette River.
Contents
A Look Back at Dorena's Past
Early Days and Names
The first people settled in the Dorena area in the 1850s. They mostly grew crops and raised animals to live. Later, cutting down trees (called logging) and searching for gold (called gold mining) became very important jobs in the area.
The name "Dorena" was created by combining the first names of two women: Dora Burnette and Lorena Martin. A school was built in Dorena in 1896, and a post office opened there in 1899.
The Town Moves
In 1946, the original town of Dorena had to be moved. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers started building the Dorena Dam on the Row River. This dam was built to help control floods.
The Corps of Engineers moved about 100 homes from the old town site. The dam was finished in 1949. When the dam was completed, it created the Dorena Reservoir, which is a large artificial lake. This new lake flooded the old town site. So, the community of Dorena was moved about five miles up the river to its current location.
Dorena's Weather
Understanding the Climate
Dorena has a type of weather called a "warm-summer Mediterranean climate." This means that the summers are warm but not extremely hot, and they are usually dry. The average monthly temperatures do not go above 71.6 degrees Fahrenheit (22 degrees Celsius). This kind of climate is often found in places like the Mediterranean Sea region.
Getting Around Dorena
The Row River Trail
The Row River Trail goes right through Dorena. This trail used to be a railroad line for the Oregon, Pacific and Eastern Railway. Now, it's a "rails to trails" project, meaning the old railway has been turned into a path for walking, running, and biking.
