Column: An Introduction to Newberg History

Editor’s Note: this is the first entry in a partnership column with the Newberg Area Historical Society (NAHS), our local historical society dedicated to preserving Newberg’s history. Each column will highlight a different historical story, shedding light on the current by telling the stories of the past.

NAHS provides several opportunities to learn more about our area history, including a newsletter, walking tours, and more. Visit their website to learn more. Thank you to NAHS president Britta Mansfield for contributing this month’s column, an introduction to Newberg history.

Newberg, nestled in the northern Willamette Valley, is known by many for its blossoming wine industry and by others as a nice place to stop on the way to the Oregon Coast.

Fewer people, though, know the early history of our charming town, and how Newberg came to be.   

Newberg’s history includes a wide range of stories from a variety of people groups. Native Americans have called this region home since time immemorial. British and American settlers lived in nearby Champoeg and were responsible for establishing Oregon’s provisional government. Newberg became a key destination for a Quaker settlement. The 31st President of the United States spent his childhood in the Willamette Valley. Newberg’s agricultural landscape has been used to grow everything from berries and plums to hazelnuts and grapes. 

Euro-American settlers came to the region as early as the 1830s. Ewing Young was one of the region’s notable early inhabitants, whose death without a will led to Oregon settlers deciding which government to join, USA or UK (it was a close vote, but USA prevailed – visit Champoeg to learn more).

However, decades passed before anyone established a lasting settlement in the town of Newberg as we know it today. In 1876, William Hobson traveled to the West Coast from Iowa in a search of an ideal location for a new Quaker settlement and discovered Newberg. He encouraged many of his fellow church members to move to Newberg, and a sizable migration soon followed.

One of his recruits was Jesse Edwards, who arrived in 1881 and is credited with influencing much of the town’s early city planning.  His home is across the street from the beautiful brick Newberg Friends Church on College St., and was lived in by George Fox University presidents until very recently.

The portion of town that was most heavily developed by Edwards was sometimes referred to as the godly end of town while the eastern portion, which ran along Main Street, was known as the ungodly end. The two ends merged in the early 1900s as the town grew. 

The Quaker influence in Newberg was strong in its early days. Establishing a Quaker school was  a top priority for Edwards and his fellow settlers. Friends Pacific Academy, later George Fox University, was established by 1884. Originally, the academy was built on the site of the the current Friends church building on South College Street.

President Herbert Hoover was one of the school’s first pupils and his aunt and uncle, Laura and John Minthorn, were some of its first teachers. The school initially served elementary through high school aged students but the need for a college was quickly realized.

A college was opened in 1891 and some of the original buildings were moved across town to the university’s current location. The Quaker presence in Newberg may be different today than it was in the 1880s but many Quaker churches remain and serve the community along with churches from other denominations. Recently, Newberg had the most churches per capita in the state of Oregon.

Perhaps ironically, although no alcohol was allowed in the town until 1966, some of the first wine grapes in the Willamette Valley were planted that same year, leading to our local emphasis on the wine industry and world-renown for our wine production. Today Newberg is at the heart of Oregon wine country, as the industry continues to grow rapidly.

However, grapes were not the first crop planted in Newberg. Native Americans gathered various plants and vegetables and European settlers found the soil conducive for many crops including berries, plums, and hazelnuts. 

Evidence of Newberg’s history can be seen throughout the town. Newberg’s downtown core retains much of its historic nature while still showcasing how the community has grown through the years.

Major industries have changed along with notable architecture and infrastructure. George Fox University remains an integral part of the community. Beyond the downtown, growth and innovation can be seen in the new neighborhoods that have been established and the flourishing industries influenced by companies like A-dec. 

Follow along with the Newberg Area Historical Society as we showcase portions of Newberg’s history each month on Newsberg. Learn at the NAHS website.