Opinions on Polk County to retire to? (Portland, Salem: 2013, insurance)

[rob043055]

We have been researching the Willamette Valley to retire to and hobby farm a little, and found a place in Polk County, sort of in the country side but near Willamina, up in the hills over the South Yamill River. I noticed a large native American population and saw the Grande Ronde Reservation is not that far away either. The other research I did shows a Superfund site in Sheridan where a woodmill contaminated its soil with heavy concentrations of PCBs but I believe it is contained and has not spread to the groundwater. MSN calls Sheridan one of the 32 riskiest places to live in the US The 32 Riskiest Places to Live in America but I am no fan of MSN

Here are my questions:

Anyone familiar with the areas I am speaking of? Is pollution a concern? How are the taxes in Polk county? Anyone retiring to this area? Are the indians friendly? Don't mean to sound flippant. Any thoughts?

[PNW-type-gal]

If you want to start a farm, read up on water rights in Oregon - sure, in Polk County it'll be rainy and wet in the winter, but in mid-summer to mid-fall, when you are likely to need water the most, you won't get enough rain and will likely have to irrigate.

The rules regarding surface waters are particularly strict.

https://www.oregon.gov/owrd/PUBS/docs/aquabook2013.pdf

[Larry Caldwell]

The combination of rural poverty and the federal penitentiary in Sheridan make it a pretty ugly place as rural communities go. I don't know about Willamina. The casino at Valley Junction is probably the most profitable in the state, thanks to the Portland/Salem coast traffic. Water quality will vary. I know there was a bunch of toxic stuff dumped in Willamina too. They used to treat poles with penta there before it was banned, and wouldn't be surprised if some made it into the water table. However, the Willamette Valley is not one aquifer, it is dozens. You may be able to see the South Yamhill from your house, but your well may not have any hydraulic connection to it. Always have a well tested. It is good insurance, and will only cost a couple hundred bucks to test for mineral, biological and chemical contaminants.

Speaking of house, you didn't mention one. If there isn't a house there already, make sure the area is zoned residential, or you will not be able to get a permit to build one. Make an in-person visit to the county planning department in Dallas. Likewise, the assessor's office can tell you what your taxes are. Nobody here can.

The Grande Ronde Agency started as a concentration camp for all the surviving tribes on the coast and in the Willamette Valley. They will be as friendly or as hostile as anyone anywhere, depending on your attitude and social skills. When I was 21 years old one of the guys from there initiated me into the famous lost tribe, the Fukawi. He didn't let me in on the joke until we were blind drunk. I still grin when I think of it. If you think of the natives as "them" instead of people, you will have a tough time.

[Larry Caldwell]

BTW, Sheridan was named after General Phil "The only good Indian is a dead Indian" Sheridan, one of the most deliberately genocidal criminals in US History. During Oregon's White People Only phase, the Grande Ronde agency was where General Joel Palmer relocated the surviving natives for their own protection. The white settlers had opened a hunting season on natives and intended to kill them all. General Palmer took a lot of political heat for rescuing them, but Oregon was still a territory and he was the Indian Agent.

When Oregon became a state in 1859, they enshrined Oregon For Whites in the state constitution and law. Negroes were given two weeks to get from one border to the other before they were jailed and whipped. Oregon joined the North in the Civil War because they didn't want any negroes in the state. When the railroads imported thousands of Chinese in the 1870s to build the railroads, the state solved the colored problem by loading them all onto ships and sending them back to China as soon as the railroads were built. Many of the children were natural born US citizens, but that was ignored. "Back to China" meant sail into the Pacific for a few days, dump the Chinese overboard and sail back for a new load. It was very profitable.

The exclusion laws didn't break down until WWII, and clear into the '50s it was impossible for a person of color to own property in many small towns. I was talking to a guy from Tennessee once who had never heard the term "Sundown Law." All colored people, of any description, had to be out of town by sundown.

Welcome to Oregon. If the Indians seem a little insular, cut them some slack. They have cause.

[5gables]

This is a great tool for easy access to USDA soil surveys.

https://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/...oilSurvey.aspx

Also, I think those cities that you were asking about are actually in Yamhill county.

[Silverfall]

Willamina and Sheridan are pretty far out there.

Yes, a lot of people are retiring to Polk county, but mostly closer in toward Dallas. Retirees typically want closer access to healthcare. I second looking at water rights if you intend to do any farming.

I can honestly say, I've never had anyone ask me if the Indians were friendly. I'm not even sure what to make of that so I will leave that part alone.

[American Expat]

Originally Posted by rob043055

We have been researching the Willamette Valley to retire to and hobby farm a little, and found a place in Polk County, sort of in the country side but near Willamina, up in the hills over the South Yamill River. I noticed a large native American population and saw the Grande Ronde Reservation is not that far away either. The other research I did shows a Superfund site in Sheridan where a woodmill contaminated its soil with heavy concentrations of PCBs but I believe it is contained and has not spread to the groundwater. MSN calls Sheridan one of the 32 riskiest places to live in the US The 32 Riskiest Places to Live in America but I am no fan of MSN

Here are my questions:

Anyone familiar with the areas I am speaking of? Is pollution a concern? How are the taxes in Polk county? Anyone retiring to this area? Are the indians friendly? Don't mean to sound flippant. Any thoughts?

I lived in Sheridan for 3 years and wasn't aware of any concerns with the environment but with the number of lumber mills, I wouldn't discount it. The relationship with the Grande Ronde nation when I was there was quite good.


It's beautiful country but really only good for people that want to be in the country. I have no desire to return other than to see a couple of friends there.

[CAjerseychick]

Originally Posted by Larry Caldwell

BTW, Sheridan was named after General Phil "The only good Indian is a dead Indian" Sheridan, one of the most deliberately genocidal criminals in US History. During Oregon's White People Only phase, the Grande Ronde agency was where General Joel Palmer relocated the surviving natives for their own protection. The white settlers had opened a hunting season on natives and intended to kill them all. General Palmer took a lot of political heat for rescuing them, but Oregon was still a territory and he was the Indian Agent.

When Oregon became a state in 1859, they enshrined Oregon For Whites in the state constitution and law. Negroes were given two weeks to get from one border to the other before they were jailed and whipped. Oregon joined the North in the Civil War because they didn't want any negroes in the state. When the railroads imported thousands of Chinese in the 1870s to build the railroads, the state solved the colored problem by loading them all onto ships and sending them back to China as soon as the railroads were built. Many of the children were natural born US citizens, but that was ignored. "Back to China" meant sail into the Pacific for a few days, dump the Chinese overboard and sail back for a new load. It was very profitable.

The exclusion laws didn't break down until WWII, and clear into the '50s it was impossible for a person of color to own property in many small towns. I was talking to a guy from Tennessee once who had never heard the term "Sundown Law." All colored people, of any description, had to be out of town by sundown.

Welcome to Oregon. If the Indians seem a little insular, cut them some slack. They have cause.

good post, Larry.
An important primer on some basic Oregon history.....

[leastprime]

Got 14 acres. Bare. Some trees in the back 2. Polk co. Salem.
FSBO.