Prior to settlement by
Oregon pioneers, the area which became known as West Linn was the home of ancestors of some of the present-day
Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon.
19th century Major
Robert Moore was an early settler who arrived in 1839—before the
Champoeg Meetings—having been the senior member of the first attempt to create an American state in Oregon, the
Peoria Party. After journeying around the
Willamette Valley and Columbia Basin, Moore bought title to approx. on the west side of
Willamette Falls, across the
Willamette River from
Oregon City, from Native American Chief Wanaxha of the Wallamut Tribe, on which he platted a town he called "Robin's Nest" in early 1843. He also filed a provisional claim with the then government of the
Oregon Country, not knowing if his transaction would be honored by the eventual governing laws. The
Oregon Territorial Legislature voted to rename it
Linn City on December 22, 1845, as a memorial to Senator
Lewis F. Linn after whom
Linn County is also named. Linn was a neighbor and family friend of the Moores from their time as settlers in the early
Missouri Territory. For many years Linn City was a political and commercial rival to the adjacent town of
Oregon City, but it suffered a series of natural and man-made setbacks. A major fire and the
Great Flood of 1862 put a halt to the pioneer settlement in 1861, dispersing many of the surviving family members throughout the
Pacific Northwest. The
Willamette Falls Locks and canal were completed in 1873, making the waterfall passable by river traffic. The locks closed in 2011 with no plans to reopen. The
Willamette Falls Pulp and Paper Company began operation in 1889.
20th century West Linn was incorporated in 1913 and merged with the adjacent town of
Willamette in 1916, which had incorporated five years earlier. When the City of West Linn incorporated in 1913, it encompassed West Oregon City, Bolton, Sunset and Willamette Heights. The incorporation allowed the settlements to obtain needed services, utilities, and improvements without annexing to Oregon City. After considerable debate about naming, the city founders decided to honor the pioneer town that Moore had established. The
Oregon City Bridge was built in 1922. The city's population historically grew steadily, but in recent years has leveled off. The 1860 census listed 225 residents. By 1920, the number had grown to 1,628. The 1960 census set the population at 2,923, and by 1970, West Linn had grown to more than 7,000. The city's population has continued to grow each year. Currently, the city's population is 25,250. ==Geography==