Canby, Oregon

C anby, Oregon is close-knit community of 17,000, located on a high plateau between the Willamette and Molalla Rivers in Clackamas County, about 25 miles south of Portland. Canby was once the seasonal meeting place for tribes of local Native Americans and was well known for its annual crop of wild strawberries. The area that became Canby was once called Baker Prairie after one of its earliest white settlers, James Baker, made his way north from California with a herd of cattle in tow. He married a woman from the Kalapuya tribe, and, together, they operated a huge farm in what is now north Canby. The city was formally incorporated in 1893, and named after Major General Edward R.S. Canby, a Civil War general and Commander of the U.S. Army’s Department of the Columbia. Today, Canby’s economy is healthy and diverse. Blessed with some of the best soils in the state, the city is home to a sophisticated nursery industry of high quality dahlias, tulips, perennials, shrubs, and trees that are sold nationwide – thus the city’s moniker: The Garden Spot. Its two industrial parks deal strictly with industrial uses, focusing on manufacturing, and running the gamut from pump companies and aerospace to distribution centers. Major employers include Johnson Controls, Pioneer Pump, Shimadzu USA, Kendall Floral, Milwaukie Electronics, Wilson Controls Construction, ICC Northwest, SR Smith, American Steel, Package Containers, and OBC Northwest. The AT A GLANCE CANBY, OREGON WHAT: A city in Clackamas County; population 18,000 WHERE: 21 miles south of Portland, Oregon WEBSITE: www.canbyoregon.gov RDEN SPOT