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Sherwood Chamber of Commerce |
2013-2014 Business & Community Directory
|
www.sherwoodchamber.org
|
503-625-7800
HISTORY OF SHERWOOD
4
If you stand at the corner of Washington and Third, you
can almost catch a glimpse of the world that 4-yearold
James Christopher Smock saw when he arrived via covered
wagon in 1852. Third Street was part of the Oregon City-
Lafayette Wagon Road in those days, an extension of the
Oregon Trail.
J.C. Smock would grow up to plant the new town of
Smockville in 1889, assisted by his wife Mary Ellen Hall –
perfect timing to meet the coming Oregon Transcontinental
Railroad line. Seeking a more “sophisticated” name, with
abundant local forests reminiscent
of Sherwood Forest in England,
city leaders renamed the town to
Sherwood when it was incorpo-
rated in 1892.
Sherwood's rst business was
a saw mill just down the hill by
Cedar Creek. In the early 1890's,
Sherwood's main industry was
a brickyard supplying building
bricks for the rapidly growing city
of Portland. Most of Sherwood's
commercial buildings were built at
this time, including the nine-block
area known as Old Town. The
brickyard closed in 1895. A year
later, with a citizen bucket brigade
the only defense, a terrible re
razed most of the business district,
with yet another re coming
through in 1911. With the brickyard
closed, the economy diversi ed
to include a fruit and vegetable
cannery and tannery. Employees
a ectionately called the cannery
“the lifeblood of the Sherwood
community.” You could smell the
fragrant scent of strawberries in
the summer, hear the sounds of
the railroad coming in and the
pleasant “whoosh” of the large pressure cookers. There were
always fresh beans, onions and sauerkraut. The cannery was
a big supporter of community activities, athletics and events
until the day that it closed its doors in 1971.
In the early 1900’s, Sherwood city limits consisted of one
square mile, with a population of 350. Today, Sherwood's
population is over 18,205, and the city limits have expanded
to 4.5 square miles. Despite the growth that has helped
area businesses thrive, Sherwood has
retained its identity as being indepen-
dent and friendly with a small town
charm. Sherwood business leaders,
local government and school district
managers have built strong relation-
ships that have fostered cooperation
and have allowed Sherwood to main-
tain a standard of excellence. Recent
and ongoing revitalization projects,
including the development of the old
Cannery site into a future Community
Center, are transforming Old Town and
Sherwood as a whole into a thriving
new business center. While embracing
the promise of change, Sherwood has
not forgotten its past and still pays
homage to its beginnings.
In 2011, Sherwood was acknowl-
edged as one of “America’s Best Places
to Live" by CNN Money Magazine. In
2009, Family Circle named Sherwood
"One of the Top 10 Cities for Families".
B
A
PHOTOS:
A)
The J.C. Smock home as it was originally built, now houses the Sher-
wood Historical Museum
(Photo courtesy Sherwood Historical Society)
B)
A popular Sherwood eatery and creator of the rst Cruisin’ Sherwood
Classic and Custom Car show, Clancy’s Pub & Restaurant celebrated their
25th anniversary in March of 2013
.
(Photo courtesy Les Comfort)