06 Nov Peeking into the Past: Silverton, Oregon’s History
Silverton, Oregon’s historical places and people to explore.
Silverton, Oregon is no small town to ignore. Our city of about 10,000 people contains vibrant charm and rich history that makes our city the delightful, eclectic place it is today.
If you visit in summer, you can celebrate one of our most famous historical figures, Homer Davenport, during the Homer Davenport Community Festival. Davenport was an internationally known cartoonist of the 19th and 20th centuries who hailed from Silverton. He’s authored numerous books, including The Country Boy, which detailed his upbringing in our town. Although the famed political cartoonist passed away in 1912 in New York City, his final resting place is at Silverton Cemetery, next to his father.
Bobbie the Wonder Dog is another late Silverton, Oregon celebrity. Determined to reunite with his owners after getting lost, this four-legged friend reportedly trekked 2,551 miles back to Silverton. He returned home six months later, tired, tiny, and a little banged up, beating the odds of a lost dog finding their way back home.
There are other Silverton, Oregon natives who have gone to great heights—literally. NASA Astronaut Donald R. Pettit, who hails from our small town, has flown on three space flights, even living aboard the International Space Station for more than six months. Read more about his voyages here.
Silverton, Oregon has plenty of places to peer deep into our past. The Gordon House, for example, is the only building in Oregon design by famed late architect Frank Lloyd Wright, commissioned by an Oregon farm family (1.1 miles from us). Nearby, the Silverton Country Historical Society and museum features a collection of artifacts from Silverton, Oregon pioneers in its building, constructed in 1908. (0.3 miles from us.)
Silverton Inn & Suites also connects visitors with Silverton, Oregon’s history. Each of our charming rooms and suites are named after an important part of the city’s past, from our prized Centennial Suite, named after the committee of prominent businesspeople that gathered to honor Silverton’s 100th anniversary, to our Polly Crandall room, named after Silverton’s “founding mother.” For more fun facts on Silverton, Oregon, visit silvertoninnandsuites.com.
Polly Crandall room
Centennial Suite