Oregon City #26: Jacobs Memorial Square

Plaque at Jacobs Memorial Square on August 19, 2006

The Oregon City Manufacturing Company, established in 1864, was the third oldest corporation in Oregon, and operated the largest woolen mill west of the Mississippi River on the banks of the Willamette in Oregon City. In 1867, brothers Isaac and Ralph Jacobs, immigrants from Germany, owned the owned the mill. It was later passed on to Ralph's son Adolf, under whose leadership the company became known throughout America for its high-quality woolens.

Plaque at Jacobs Memorial Square on August 19, 2006

The company shut down in 1954. That year, Frances and Hilda Jacobs established the Ralph and Adolf Jacobs Foundation in memory of their father and brother, dedicated to education and other charitable causes. Oregon City's Block 62, on the southeast corner of Sixth and John Adams Streets, was purchased by the trustees of the foundation and given to the people of Oregon City. The square is dedicated as Jacobs Memorial Square in memory of the Jacobs family to "be forever used for the recreational, education and/or civic purposes of the residents of the city." The plaques at the square were placed by the city of Oregon City in 1974.

Plaque at Jacobs Memorial Square on August 19, 2006

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