Roseburg, Oregon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Roseburg
City
Nickname(s):  Timber capital of America
Location within Douglas County and Oregon
Country	United States
State	Oregon
County	Douglas
Incorporated	1872
Area
• Total	10.91 sq mi (28.26 km2)
• Land	10.72 sq mi (27.77 km2)
• Water	0.19 sq mi (0.50 km2)
Elevation	479 ft (146 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	23,683
• Density	2,209.24/sq mi (852.96/km2)
Time zone	UTC−8 (Pacific)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (Pacific)
ZIP code	97470, 97471
Area code	541
FIPS code	41-63650
GNIS feature ID	2410997

Roseburg is the biggest city and the main town (county seat) in Douglas County, Oregon. It is located in the Umpqua River Valley in southern Oregon. The city was started in 1851. In 2020, 23,683 people lived there. This makes it the main city in its local area. Roseburg grew along both sides of the South Umpqua River. Interstate 5 runs right through it. It's always been known for its timber industry. Roseburg was the first home of Roseburg Forest Products. This company is now based in nearby Springfield.

City Hall

About Roseburg, Oregon

Nature and Resources

Roseburg is surrounded by beautiful nature. You can find waterfalls like Susan Creek Falls and Fall Creek Falls nearby. The main jobs in Roseburg are in timber and helping tourists. The area also has many vineyards and over 30 wineries.

If you like fishing, you're in luck! The Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife lists over 50 places to fish near Roseburg. You can catch salmon, steelhead, bass, bluegill, and trout.

History of Roseburg

The land where Roseburg is today was once home to many Native American tribes. This includes the Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Tribe. Their foundation is located in Roseburg. In 1855, the Battle of Hungry Hill happened here. It was part of the Rogue River Wars between some southern Oregon Indian groups and the US Army.

The city is named after Aaron Rose. He settled here on September 23, 1851. Rose was born in New York in 1813. He moved to Oregon in 1851 from Michigan.

Roseburg in 1891

Aaron Rose built the first building in Roseburg. It was a simple structure made of poles and wood planks. It served as a grocery store, dining room, and kitchen. For many years, it was a roadside inn and tavern. In 1853, Rose built a proper hotel. He passed away in 1899.

The Hebe Fountain, rebuilt in 2002

Roseburg was first called Deer Creek. This was because it was where Deer Creek met the South Umpqua River. In 1854, people voted for Roseburg to be the county seat. This meant it would be the main town for the county, instead of Winchester. Aaron Rose gave 3 acres of land and $1,000 to build the county courthouse. Important buildings from Winchester were moved to Roseburg before 1860.

The Deer Creek post office opened in 1852. Its name changed to "Roseburgh" in 1857. The spelling became "Roseburg" in 1894. Roseburg officially became a city on October 3, 1872.

Roseburg's Timber Industry

Roseburg grew as the lumber industry became strong. In 1937, Roseburg Lumber opened. Kenneth Ford started the company, and it became a major employer in the area. Other big timber companies like Weyerhaeuser also grew here. By the 1970s, Roseburg was known as the "Timber Capital of the Nation."

The country singer Johnny Cash even sang about Roseburg loggers in his 1960 song "Lumberjack": "Ride this train to Roseburg, Oregon. Now there's a town for you! You talk about rough... You know a lot of places in the country claim Paul Bunyon lived there. But you should have seen Roseburg when me and my daddy come there. Every one of them loggers looked like Paul Bunyon to me.”

The Roseburg Blast

On August 7, 1959, around 1:00 a.m., the Gerretsen Building Supply Company caught fire. Firefighters arrived to put out the blaze. A truck driver had parked his explosives truck in front of the building. No one had noticed it. The truck exploded at about 1:14 a.m. This explosion destroyed buildings in an eight-block area. It also badly damaged 30 more blocks.

The truck carried two tons of dynamite and four-and-a-half tons of a blasting agent called nitro carbo nitrate. The driver had parked the truck after setting up his delivery for the next morning. This happened even though the company had been warned not to leave such trucks alone or park them in busy areas. A police officer, Donald De Sues, and the Chief of Police were there. They helped people get away from the truck before it exploded. Donald De Sues and the Assistant Fire Chief were heroes that day. Both of them died in the blast.

In total, 14 people died, and 125 were hurt. The damage cost about 10 to 12 million dollars. The powder company later paid $1.2 million in damages. However, they were found not guilty of breaking the law.

Roseburg's downtown was rebuilt. Businesses used money from insurance claims. The city also built a new bridge over the South Umpqua River in the affected area. This event is often called the Roseburg Blast or simply "The Blast." In 2005, SOPTV made a documentary about it called The Roseburg Blast: A Catastrophe and Its Heroes.

Geography and Climate

Roseburg covers about 10.20 square miles (26.42 square kilometers). Most of this is land, with a small amount of water. The city is about 500 feet (152 meters) above sea level. Its highest point is Mount Nebo, a 1,200-foot (366-meter) hill.

Roseburg has a Mediterranean climate. This means it has cool, rainy winters and very warm, dry summers. Each year, the temperature reaches 90°F (32°C) or higher about 30 days. It can even reach 100°F (38°C) a few days a year. The highest temperature ever recorded was 114°F (46°C) on June 27, 2021. The lowest was −1°F (−18°C) on January 22, 1962.

In summer, there is little rain and lots of sunshine. About 73.5% of days in July, August, and September are sunny. In winter, it's often cloudy and rainy. It can rain 8 inches (200 mm) or more in a month. Roseburg gets about 30.7 inches (780 mm) of rain each year. More than half of this rain falls between November and January. Light snow can fall sometimes, but it rarely stays on the ground.

Population Information

Roseburg has grown steadily over the years.

In 2010, there were 21,181 people living in Roseburg. Most residents were White (91%). About 5.5% of the population was Hispanic or Latino. The average age in the city was 41.1 years old.

Education and Learning

Roseburg High School

The Roseburg School District provides public education for younger students. For older students, Umpqua Community College is the city's two-year college.

Economy and Jobs

The unemployment rate in Roseburg is about 6.9%. During the Great Recession in 2009, it went up to 16.5% before getting better. In 2012, the biggest employer in town was Roseburg Forest Products. Mercy Medical Center, a 178-bed hospital, was the second largest.

Mercy Medical Center, a 178-bed hospital. Mercy is the 2nd largest employer in the town of Roseburg.

Media and Communication

In 2018, the City of Roseburg opened its own library. Before that, the city's library was part of the Douglas County Library System. It had closed when county libraries lost public funding.

Newspapers

Three newspapers serve Roseburg:

• The News-Review is published five days a week and is based in Roseburg.
• The Roseburg Beacon is published weekly.
• The Douglas County News is published weekly and is based in nearby Sutherlin.

Radio Stations

• AM

* KGRV 700 (Religious) * KTBR 950 (JPR News and Information) * KQEN 1240 (News/Talk) * KSKR 1490 (Sports)

• FM

* KMPQ 88.1 (NPR Variety) * KEAR 88.5 (Family Radio – Religious) * KLOV 89.3 (K-Love – Contemporary Christian) * KAWZ 90.7 (CSN – Religious) * KSRS 91.5 (JPR Classics and News) * KSMF 91.9 (JPR Rhythm and News) * KCNA 98.3 (Classic Hits) * KQUA 99.7 (Community Radio) * KSKR-FM 100.9 (i101 – Top 40) * KZEL-FM 102.1 (Classic Rock) * KRSB-FM 103.1 (Country) * KROG 103.7 (Modern Rock) * KKMX 104.5 (Sam FM – Adult Hits) * KYTT 105.5 (Contemporary Christian) * KLLF-LP 106.7 (Religious)

Television Channels

Transportation Options

Roads

Oregon Route 99 goes through downtown Roseburg. It is the main road running north and south. Interstate 5 runs along the west side of the city. It is across the South Umpqua River from downtown. Oregon Route 138 goes northwest from Roseburg to Elkton, Oregon. It also goes east from Roseburg to U.S. Route 97. This is near Diamond Lake and Crater Lake.

Buses

Roseburg and nearby towns use U-Trans (formerly Umpqua Transit) for local bus service. These services were greatly expanded in 2017. For longer trips, Greyhound Lines provides bus transportation.

Airports

There are two public airports in Roseburg. They are Marion E. Carl Memorial Field at the north end of town and George Felt Airport to the west. The closest airport with commercial flights is Eugene Airport. It is 81 miles (130 km) away.

Famous People from Roseburg

Many notable people have connections to Roseburg:

• Mike Allred – a comic book artist
• Dave Archer – an artist
• H. Guy Bedwell – a famous horse trainer in the Racing Hall of Fame
• Barbara Hibbs Blake – a scientist who studies mammals
• Tim Blixseth – a real estate developer and songwriter
• Knute Buehler – a Rhodes scholar and politician
• Jamie Burke – a baseball player (catcher) for several MLB teams
• Troy Calhoun – head coach of the Air Force Academy football team
• Marion Eugene Carl – a Marine Corps general and flying ace
• Guy Cordon – a U.S. Senator and lawyer
• Wes DeMott – an author
• Chuck Eisenmann – a professional baseball pitcher and dog trainer
• Jeremy Guthrie – a professional baseball pitcher
• Bobby Henderson – founder of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster
• Tyler Hentschel – lead singer of Insomniac Folklore
• David Hume Kennerly – a Pulitzer Prize-winning presidential photographer
• John Kitzhaber – former Oregon governor
• William W. Knight – publisher and father of Phil Knight, who founded Nike
• Joseph Lane – a general and early governor of Oregon
• Jason Latimer – a magician and illusionist
• Matthew Lessner – a director and screenwriter
• Lucy A. Rose Mallory – an editor and daughter of Roseburg's founder, Aaron Rose
• Nancy A. Norton – a Vice Admiral in the U.S. Navy
• Shelley Plimpton – a former actress
• Barry Serafin – a television journalist
• Alek Skarlatos – an Oregon Army National Guardsman, awarded the Legion of Honour
• Craig Tanner – a film director, producer, and editor
• Chris Thompson – an Olympic bronze medalist in swimming
• ZZ Ward – a musician, singer, and songwriter

Sister Cities

Roseburg has three sister cities. These are cities in other countries that have a special friendship with Roseburg:

• Aranda de Duero, Castile and León, Spain
• Kuki (formerly Shōbu), Saitama, Japan
• Kermanshah, Iran

See also

In Spanish: Roseburg (Oregón) para niños