Albany Oregon In Northern Oregon

Welcome to Historic Albany, home of the the Albany Regional Museum with an extensive collection of Albany memorabilia, photos and artifacts. The Museum was founded in 1980 and put up its first exhibit in 1982. Housed in an 1887 Italianate building in the heart of historic downtown Albany, the museum is a must see for all. The goal of the Albany Regional Museum is to be a first class museum, with educational exhibits and interactive events all open and accessible to the public.
The Albany Regional Museum has been successful in acquiring and displaying a variety of artifacts representing the history of the Albany area. There is no fee to visit the museum. However, donations are most appreciated. Volunteers run the museum, with the help of one part-time staff person. The 12-member Board of Directors oversees the operation and development of exhibits. Donations and volunteers have enabled the museum to be open six days a week year-round. The Albany Regional Museum has become a community treasure, preserving and displaying thousands of precious artifacts and historical materials for the enjoyment of future generations. The Albany Regional Museum is a non-profit institution incorporated by the State of Oregon to acquire, document, preserve, and interpret materials that illustrate the history and development of Albany, Oregon and those areas within its sphere of influence. Open 12 noon - 4:00 pm Monday through Saturday. Phone: 541-967-7122. Email: armuseum@peak.org 136 Lyon Street SW Albany, Oregon 97321

The Monteith House This 1849 house-museum is said to be the most authentically restored Pioneer Era home in Oregon and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Monteith House stands today as a carefully restored memorial to our pioneer ancestors and the spirit that brought them to Oregon. This structure carries the intriguing story of how one family fashioned a new city in Oregons land of milk and honey.

Brothers Walter and Thomas Monteith traveled to Oregon by ox team in 1847 over the Oregon Trail. Close to the confluence of the Calapooia and the Willamette Rivers, the Monteith brothers found a wide, open, prairie - a perfect setting for their envisioned city. For $400 they were able to purchase 320 acres of land along the Willamette River from Hiram Smead.

With the acquisition of another 320 acres of adjacent land, the brothers were able to plot out a 60 acre townsite. They named this new town after Albany, New York, the capital of the state of their birth.

These enterprising brothers began to construct a house which straddled the dividing line between their claims, fulfilling the requirement that each man sleep on his claim. This was one of the first homes in Oregon to be constructed from sawed lumber, and was the Albany areas first frame home. With the assistance of friend Samuel Althouse, the Monteith House was basically complete by 1849.

In 1849 California's Gold Rush caught the Monteith brothers attention. An apparently successful venture to the Goldfields provided resources to enter several business ventures which helped establish Albany as the A Hub of the Willamette Valley.
518 Second Avenue, SW Albany, Oregon

Open 12:00 - 4:00 pm Wednesday through Sunday, June 15th to September 15th

Historic Homes Tour
Visit some of Albany's beautiful homes, churches and museums during the Summer Interior Homes Tour (last Saturday in July) or the Christmas Parlor Tour (Second Sunday in December). Phone: 541-928-0911.

Wineries, special events and festivals or outdoor recreation, Albany is the place to be.

Historic Thompson's Mills properties
The Boston Mill Society

THE PURPOSE
"...working to preserve the Boston/Thompson mill properties as a center to interpret the agricultural, commercial, industrial and social life of Oregon's Willamette Valley."

The Vision is to celebrate and commemorate Oregon pioneers and those who followed, and bring their living history to us and future generations.

Acquisition of historic Thompson's Mills properties located in the mid-Willamette Valley near Shedd, Oregon will provide the setting for a Living History Museum and Agricultural Interpretive Center.

Experience gained by visitors will help them understand the past and prepare for the future.

The Boston Mill Society, in partnership with others, will develop and manage a significant historic site.

Boston Mill Society
1132 30th Place SW
Albany, OR 97321-3419

Thompson's Flouring Mills, circa 1941

The fertile Willamette Valley is what prompted the pioneers to come to Oregon in the 1800s. Albany is located in the middle of that fertile valley. Farmers in the surrounding areas grow crops like corn, beans, mint, hazel nuts, and grass seed. The rich valley floor truly is the "promised land" the early settlers dreamed of.

Contact Information:
250 Broadalbin SW #110
PO Box 965
Albany, Oregon 97321
(541) 928-0911 (800) 526-2256
Fax: (541) 926-1500
Email: info@albanyvisitors.com

Albany is located in the heart of the Willamette Valley just 44 miles north of Eugene, 69 miles south of Portland, and 24 miles south of Salem, Oregon's state capitol. Nestled between the Coast and the Cascade Mountains, it allows an easy drive to ocean beaches or snow covered slopes. Albany lies on the path of the Willamette and Calapooia Rivers, the Amtrak railroad route, US Highway 99E, Highway 20, and I-5. The I-5 exits to Albany include Exit 228, 233, 234A, and 234B.

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