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Community Guide
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City of Beaverton 2012-2013
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www.BeavertonOregon.gov
Where we have been
and where we are going.
This is a special edition of the Chamber’s
Business Directory and Community / Visitor
Guide. To help celebrate Beaverton’s 120th
year as a city and the 60th year of the
Beaverton Area Chamber of Commerce, we
are looking back at where we have been
as a community and imagining what we
may achieve together in the coming years.
We hope you enjoy looking back at our
historical roots and how they have prepared
us for tomorrow’s opportunities.
Beaverton’s early years.
Beaverton was incorporated as a city in
1893 with a population of 386 people. The
area was originally a huge lake covering
much of the present downtown area and
beyond. According to the city’s Diamond
Jubilee Publication in 1968, “a less promising
location for a town could scarcely be
imagined.” However, early settlers to the
area recognized the rick and fertile quality
of the soil, if the beaver dams could be
removed. Early pioneers, including Augustus
Fanno, John Henry, William Hall, George
Hornbuckley, Thomas Denney, George Betts,
and others drained the lake and Beaverton’s
roots were planted.
Today, Beaverton is a family-friendly
city known for its many attractive
neighborhoods. People enjoy an unparalleled
quality of life with excellent schools, a
great reputation for public safety, various
recreational opportunities, shopping, and
a tremendous regional location. People
living in Beaverton tend to be young and
highly educated. The median age is 35 with
a fast-growing population of 90,000 people.
The city benefits from tremendous cultural
diversity, with one in four people being born
outside the United States.
Listening and planning for our future.
The city’s award-winning Beaverton
Community Vision program began as an
outreach effort to plan and prioritize the
city’s choices for years to come. The initial
endeavor has grown into a community-
wide outpouring of support and interest
in Beaverton’s future, with more than
60 community partner organizations
committed to fulfilling the vision. Priorities
include revitalizing Beaverton’s downtown,
improving mobility, building community,
and much more.
Community