The Newberg Area Historical Society is embarking on a mission to present the unique history of Newberg through signage. Newberg has a rich history and is blessed with a downtown that largely reflects this history. The signage is intended to help our community members establish deeper connections to our city and our roots.
By Britta Stewart If you’ve been around Newberg or George Fox University you may have noticed that the name Herbert Hoover comes up a lot. There is a Hoover building on the George Fox campus and a stretch of Highway 99W called Herbert Hoover Highway. It does seem unusual for a small town in the Willamette Valley to be seemingly obsessed with a president who is most often remembered by the economic turmoil of the Great Depression. However, a deeper look shows that this fascination is not that strange. Herbert Hoover actually called the Willamette Valley home for six years during his childhood. Hoover, or Bert as he was often called, was born in West Branch, Iowa in 1874. Unfortunately, he was orphaned by the time he was nine and subsequently moved to Newberg when he was eleven to live with his uncle and aunt, John and Laura Minthorn. Dr. Henry John Minthorn (John) and his wife Laura had recently moved to Newberg to teach at a school called Friends Pacific Academy. This was
Nice. Newberg has a great atmosphere and I'm confident that's because of it's history & heritage. Should embrace and celebrate that!
ReplyDeleteThank you! We are working hard to celebrate and embrace local history!
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