Wanting to lift my winter-weary spirits, I decided to explore the historic downtown area of Stayton at the first hint of the sun emerging from its grey, dreary cover. This small town located only 15 miles east of Salem gained its name from one of its first settlers, Drury Stayton. Stayton built a sawmill along the North Santiam River in 1870, and helped to plat the downtown area, which was incorporated in 1891. Stayton wanted to name the town Florence, in honor of his daughter, but was hindered from doing so because a town along the coast had already laid claim to that name. Instead, he bestowed the name upon one of the main streets. On Florence Street, I found a row of four tidy bungalows originally used as worker’s cottages due to their proximity to
... read more
