Newberg, Yamhill County, Oregon Genealogy

Newberg, Oregon- Newberg, in Yamhill county, is situated on the narrow gauge system of the Southern Pacific railroad, 26 miles south of Portland. The town was incorporated in 1888, the population at the time of incorporation having been about 500. Since that time the place has more than doubled in population, and it is now one of the flourishing points on the west side of the Willamette valley reached by the narrow-gauge system.
     Newberg is located in the heart of the Chehalem valley, which, during the past few years, has been attracting considerable attention as a rich fruit-growing section. The town was first settled by a colony of Quakers, who yet hold the balance of power in the matter of population and in control of the municipal government at this point. The old town of Newberg still stands near the bank of the Willamette river, where it was first located, but the new town is located midway between the river and the railroad, the distance between each being about one mile. The old and new towns, however, are under a single municipal government, and the interests of both centers of population are handled harmoniously.
     The manufacturing interests of Newberg consist of a small roller-flouring mill and a sawmill, both of which are located on the river bank. Both of these plants are operated by water power. A drain tile works, which manufactures annually a large quantity of tile from blue clay, which is found in the vicinity of the town, is also located here. The Newberg Pressed Brick & Terra Cotta Company was organized last year, with a capital stock of $50,000. This plant has now been in operation for almost a year, and it is now turning out dry-pressed brick, made from dry clay, at the rate of 20,000 per day. The principal market for the output of this plant is in Portland.
     The various mercantile pursuits of Newberg are handled principally by a wide awake class of business men. The town claims two banks, which do a large and safe business. Situated on the main street of the town are four brick blocks, and it is the intention of the owners of other business property to erect additional fine buildings during the present year.
     The people of Newberg take a pardonable spirit of pride in the fine schools maintained here. The Pacific College, founded and fostered by the Friend's church, is located at this point, and it offers a full collegiate course of instruction, embracing the classical, scientific, normal, music and art departments. The average attendance of students at this school during the past year was 80. An efficient corps of instructors preside over each department of the school. The college building shown by the illustration published on this page, affords ample facilities for conducting the thorough collegiate work of the school. The public school of Newberg is conducted in an eight room building, six rooms of which are now occupied. Six teachers are now employed in the public school here, and the school, in its efficiency, compares very favorably with the best public schools of the state. The average daily attendance of pupils at the public school is about 250.
     Newberg is distinctly a moral town. No saloon or resort of vice is found in the town, the location of saloons here being restricted by a town ordinance. Eight churches, most of which own their places of worship, are established here. The denomination of The Friends own a church building of an ornamental nature, as shown by the illustration published in connection with this article. The erection of this church building involved an outlay of about $10,000. The other church denominations represented here are the Presbyterian, Baptist, two Methodist, Christian, Evangelical and Adventists. In addition, a strong Y.M.C.A. organization is maintained in the town, as well as a free reading room for the benefit of the public. Two newspapers are published at this point, The Graphic and The Chehalem Valley Times. Tourists visiting Newberg find comfortable accommodations furnished by the two hotels and two livery stables of the town.
     In the district tributary to Newberg fruit growing is the principal occupation followed. The Chehalem valley proper includes an area of 3 miles by 10 miles in extent, and the greater part of the land contained in this area is especially adapted to fruit culture. Peaches, pears, prunes, cherries, and all the smaller varieties of fruit, do well here. In addition, the land also produces hops, cereals of all kinds, and vegetables, as well as any land in the Willamette valley. Prune growing pays well here. With an average of 125 trees to the acre, and an average yield of 50 pounds of fruit to a tree, at 8 cents per pound, which is the prince paid for dried prunes in bulk, the annual income from an acre of prune land here is about $500. A most conservative estimate places the profit from a single acre planted in mature prune trees in the Chehalem valley at from $250 to $300.
     Newberg is within easy reach of Portland, either by the daily lines of steamers which ply regularly on the river, or by the cars of the railroad passing this point. The country surrounding Newberg is comparatively a newly settled district, and the inducements offered to newcomers to settle in this tributary section at the present time are especially flattering.

The Oregonian's Handbook of the Pacific Northwest, c. 1894