"The town was named Oregon by Pierre M. Irving, a nephew of Washington Irving, author of the popular book Astoria. This book attracted considerable interest in John Jacob Astor's trading lands which were located in what is now the city of Oregon. The story, however, is an account of Astor's fur trading in the territory of Oregon; but since the nephew was representing Astor's interest in fur trading east of the Maumee River, he succeeded in having the town named Oregon. In 1838, Mr. Irving, accompanied by his wife, went to New York expecting to remain there for the summer; but for some reason he never returned." Quoted in the "History of Oregon and Jerusalem" book, authored by Josephine Fassett.

 

The City of Oregon is located in northwestern Ohio in the Toledo Metropolitan area. Oregon is Lucas County's largest suburb with 28.5 square miles and a population of about 20,000. The city has approximately five miles of shoreline along Maumee Bay/Lake Erie, and the elevation is approximately 606 feet above sea level. Local temperatures average 73 degrees in the summer and 25 degrees in the winter. The city has approximately 120 miles of roads with I-280 (which links the east - west Ohio Turnpike, I-80/90 with north-south I-75), State Route 2 (Lake Erie access road) and State Route 51 (Wood County and Ottawa County access road). The port facilities service foreign and domestic cargo for shipment in the Saint Lawrence Seaway and the Great Lakes.

 

The city provides a wide variety of services authorized by its Charter and administrative codes. City services include police and fire protection, emergency medical service, municipal court, planning and engineering, zoning, code enforcement, street maintenance, traffic control, parks and recreation, building inspection, cemetery, community development, curbside recycling, solid waste collection and disposal and general administrative services. The city does not operate hospitals, schools or landfills. In 1998 the city continued to receive federal funding for persons, with qualifying income levels, to rehabilitate and/or receive down payments to purchase homes. The city also operates two enterprise activities: water treatment and distribution, and wastewater collection and treatment. The enterprise funds are used to account for activities operated in a manner similar to a private business. The intent is that the costs of providing the services to the general public on a continuing basis be financed primarily through user charges. The cost of capitalizing the water and wastewater plants is subsidized with a voter-approved designation of approximately twenty percent of income tax revenues for said purpose.