Gresham: From Crossroads Camp to Thriving City

Nestled against the Cascade foothills just east of Portland lies the city of Gresham. Oregon’s fourth-largest city, Gresham possesses a rich, intriguing past — a mosaic of pioneer grit, Native history, agricultural richness, and steady suburban growth. Like many towns across the Pacific Northwest, Gresham’s story is one of transformation — a place shaped by people, land, and change, with roots stretching back to rough-hewn trails and verdant berry-covered hillsides.

Indigenous Foundations

Centuries prior to settlers pushing west on the Oregon Trail, the land that is now Gresham was home to the Clackamas people — a Chinookan-speaking tribe that lived along the Clackamas and Sandy Rivers. Dwelling in plank houses, harvesting salmon, and moving with the rhythms of the seasons, their presence stretched across what we now call east Multnomah County, and their trails crisscrossed the fields and forests of the region. Tragically, like so many Indigenous communities, their population was decimated by smallpox, measles, and other diseases introduced by European contact.

Today, few visible traces of the Clackamas people remain in Gresham’s modern environment. Despite this, their legacy endures in place names, oral histories, and the land itself. As with all American towns built on Native lands, Gresham’s history begins long before incorporation.

From Campground to Community

The pioneer era began in earnest during the 1850s, when the Donation Land Claim Act opened the Oregon Territory to white settlers. Among the early arrivals to the area were brothers Jackson and James Powell, whose claims encompassed the forested land that would become central Gresham. The Powells, along with other settlers, cleared timber, planted crops, and hosted large religious gatherings — particularly Methodist camp meetings — leading to the area being colloquially named the “Campground.”

Located along the historic road between Portland and the Columbia River Gorge, this small hub was an important stopover point for travelers. As settlement of the area increased, the community grew into a farming enclave known as Powell Valley. Early industries sprang up — sawmills, gristmills, and general stores — all of them centered around what is now Main Avenue.

The Post Office, a Name, and Incorporation

In 1884, local businessman Benjamin David applied to the federal government for a post office. He suggested naming it after Walter Q. Gresham, then Postmaster General of the United States and a former Union general. Though General Gresham never visited Oregon, the name stuck — and “Gresham” became the official name on government records.

Incorporation followed in 1905, as residents sought more control over infrastructure, education, and growth. Lewis Shattuck, Gresham’s first mayor, took office in a town of just over 300 people. Horse-drawn carriages still rolled down muddy roads, and kerosene lamps lit the windows of clapboard homes.

Berry Fields and Boomtown

In the early 20th century it wasn’t gold or timber that spurred Gresham’s economy — it was berries. By the 1910s, the area’s rich volcanic soil and moderate rainfall made it ideal for farming berries, and raspberries became Gresham’s calling card. The city marketed itself as the “Raspberry Capital of the World,” with thousands of pounds of fruit shipped annually by rail and truck. Fields of strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries followed, supported by canneries and a reliable seasonal labor force.

This was Gresham at its most idyllic — quiet, rural, productive. Families worked the land, children walked to one-room schoolhouses, and Sunday church bells echoed across open fields. From the edge of town you could see nothing but farmland rolling out before you, straight to Mount Hood.

Railroads and Modern Infrastructure

The arrival of the electric interurban rail line in the early 1900s connected Gresham more directly with Portland. The Mount Hood Electric Railway made commuting and shipping far more viable. Paved roads soon followed, as well as water mains and the first public library, the latter thanks to a 1913 grant from Andrew Carnegie.

The Gresham Carnegie Library still stands today, now home to the Gresham Historical Society. It’s one of many landmarks that reflect the city’s effort to preserve its early 20th-century heritage even as it continues to grow.

Post-War Growth and Suburban Shift

Everything changed after World War II. As shipyards and war industries boomed in Portland, workers flooded into the metro area. After the war, returning veterans and young families needed affordable housing — and Gresham’s wide-open farmland fit the bill. From the 1950s through the 1970s Gresham saw explosive suburban development. Raspberry fields gave way to ranch homes. Shopping centers replaced pastures. Schools and churches multiplied to serve the burgeoning population.

The construction of Interstate 84 and the MAX light rail in later decades further integrated Gresham into the Portland metropolitan area. By 1980, the city had exceeded 60,000 residents. Today, it’s over 110,000 and counting.

Notable Landmarks and Legacy Sites

Despite all that change, Gresham has strived to preserve its heritage. Some of the city’s best-known historic sites include:

• Zimmerman Heritage Farm: A beautifully preserved 19th-century farmhouse and outbuildings located along the Columbia Slough.

• Jacob Zimmerman House: A stately structure built in 1874 by one of the area’s early civic leaders.

• Louise Home Hospital and Residence Hall: A mission-driven facility dating to the 1920s, once caring for women and girls in crisis.

• Downtown Gresham: Although many buildings have been updated, several blocks of downtown still reflect early 20th-century architecture, including the original Carnegie Library.

Gresham’s historical society, local preservationists, and longtime residents continue to preserve the city’s past, even as new apartment complexes and urban development reshape its skyline.

A City in Transition

Today, Gresham is a city straddling old and new. It’s a place where urban concerns — housing, transit, and growth — meet the deep-rooted sense of place derived from decades of community-building.

For those who grew up in Gresham, it’s more than a suburb — it’s home. For newcomers, it’s a city of opportunity and natural beauty, framed by the green hills of the Columbia River Gorge and the snowy majesty of Mount Hood. The logging roads are gone. The raspberry fields are mostly memory. But the story of Gresham continues — layered, dynamic, and still growing.