Pratum, Oregon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pratum
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Pratum as seen from Howell Prairie Road
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 Pratum
Location in Oregon
Pratum
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| County | Marion |
| Elevation | 230 ft (70 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code |
97305
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| Area code(s) | 503 and 971 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1166698 |
Pratum is a small, unincorporated community in Marion County, Oregon, United States. It is located northeast of Salem, near the Pudding River. The name Pratum comes from Latin and means "meadow."
Discovering Pratum
Pratum is a quiet place that is not officially a city or town. It's found in Marion County, Oregon. You can find it northeast of Salem on Howell Prairie, close to the Pudding River.
A Look at Pratum's Past
Pratum was settled in the late 1800s. A group of Mennonite people moved here. Many of them were from Switzerland.
Around 1880, a narrow-gauge train line was built through the area. This was part of the Oregonian Railway. The train station here was first called "East Side Junction."
In 1895, the station's name changed to "Enger." This was named after a friend of a man named Mr. Larson. Mr. Larson planned a townsite with that name in 1898. He also opened the first store there. However, the postal service thought "Enger" sounded too much like Eugene. So, the station's name was changed again to "Pratum."
The Pratum post office opened in 1887. It was first called "Switzerland." Then it became "Enger," and finally "Pratum" in 1898. This matched the railroad station's name. The post office served the community until 1964. The railway line was later made wider for standard trains. It is still used today by the Willamette Valley Railway.
Life in Pratum Today
Pratum is home to Pratum Elementary School. This school was built in 1928. It used to be its own school district. Now, it is part of the Silver Falls School District and is still open.
The community also has Emmanuel Community Church. It used to be called Emanuel Mennonite Church. The Pratum Co-op was started in 1946. It still uses its original location by the railroad. It also has other nearby spots. The tall grain elevators, which were a landmark, were taken down recently. The co-op has grown over the years. Its main office moved to Salem, but it kept the name "Pratum."
Pratum is also part of the larger Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area. This means it's connected to the bigger Salem area.
