Salem dates to 1842, and 70 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 81% of U.S. towns · #10 of 142 in Oregon. What drives it
Most of Salem was built recently: 9% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1980. 70 places in town are on the National Register, among them eight historic districts with 315 buildings between them. Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1884 on, and the census since 1860.
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1849.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Salem’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Salem is more historic than 81% of U.S. towns, #10 of 142 in Oregon. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Salem’s overall grade.
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Salem ranks #115 on History.
Oregon towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Oregon town has 2.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Salem’s 21.7 sits above most of its state (81% of Oregon towns have fewer) while its 388 historic buildings outnumber those of 96% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A. The pre-1940 share (±0.7 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1842.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Salem’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Places that used to be
Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds
Salem’s post office has been open since 1849. Six other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.
Salem
1849–today
Fair Ground
1871–1874
Chemawa
1885–1953
Dencer
1889–1892
Fairgrounds
1892–1914
Minto
1892–1904
Liberty
1895–1901
18401930today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Badger CornerBrush CollegeChapman CornerChemawaDencerGrabenhorst CornerHighland StationKingwood ParkLibertyOak ParkSalem StationSalemtowneWest Salem
Gone or out of use
Baker Elementary SchoolschoolBellevuelocaleBuntinglocaleCamp RussellmilitaryChemawa Post Officepost officeClaxtarlocaleCroisanlocaleDencer Post Officepost officeDowntown Post Officepost officeFair Ground Post Officepost officeFair GroundslocaleFairgrounds Post Officepost officeGarfield SchoolschoolGesnerlocaleGravel Pit SpurlocaleHazelaulocaleHospital Post Officepost officeKingwood Post Officepost office
9cemeteries and burying grounds inside Salem
Belcrest Memorial ParkBoysChemawaCity ViewHayesvilleHerrenLee MissionPioneerSaint Barbara
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Help out
Start Salem’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Salem’s history is told.
Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Salem was founded in 1842, became the capital of the Oregon Territory in 1851, and was incorporated in 1857.
The Native Americans who inhabited the central Willamette Valley at first European contact, the Kalapuya, called the area Chim-i-ki-ti, which is thought to mean "meeting or resting place" in the Central Kalapuya language (Santiam). When the Methodist Mission moved to the area, they called the new establishment Chemeketa; although it was more widely known as the Mill, because of its situation on Mill Creek. When the Oregon Institute was established, the community became known as the institute.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Salem. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1915Eola sheet · 1:31,680
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Salem.
Every building
Salem, building by building, 1884–1895
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
In 1842, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Salem’s post office opened in 1849, and the census of 1860 counted 902 people here.
How does Salem rank for history?
Salem is more historic than 81% of U.S. towns, #10 of 142 in Oregon. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Salem?
70 listings: 59 buildings, among them the Jason Lee House (listed 1973, the first), 8 historic districts with 315 contributing buildings, 2 sites, and 1 structure. 388 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Salem?
9% of Salem’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 5.3% for an Oregon town; the median home was built in 1980.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (2), Wikidata (10), the National Register of Historic Places (70), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
1863
