St. Boniface Church, 1959 |
The Sublimity area before 1840 was a vast forest, interspersed by Indian trails and sparkling mountain streams. A large Indian burn in the early 1800's cleared the land where the present town now exists. Sublimity had its beginning as an outgrowth of an Indian village or trading post before 1846.
As early as 1852 the
area served as a convenient gathering place for wagon train pioneers and had a
primitive store as a hub for the surrounding area. In September 1852 an Oregon Territorial post office was established and the
town got its official name. The post office
has been in continuous service since 1852 making it one of Oregon's
oldest post offices.
In 1856, Sublimity School
District No. 7 was organized. The first building was a log cabin with a
dirt floor. The following year, Sublimity College, a semi-public
institution was established and operated by the Church of United
Brethren. By modern standards it was more like a grade school but gave
early Sublimity the distinction of being a college town. The first
teacher and president of the college was Milton Wright, father of Wilbur
and Orville Wright. Early Sublimity was a
larger town than it is today. In 1857 it had a Chinese Laundry, five
stores, a gun maker's shop, a public school, a college, Methodist Church,
United Brethren Church, a hotel, post office, public well, and a
made-to-order furniture shop.
When the Civil
War broke out Sublimity was a town of 1,500 but people returned to their
native states to fight and the town became deserted. Population
declined and depression set in. The 1860's brought resettlement by
German Immigrant farmers. By 1874 nearly all the abandoned farms around
Sublimity were possessed by new people and the town grew rapidly. In
1878 the town was divided into 20 city blocks. Buildings
included a hotel and rooming house, a store, saloon,
blacksmith, and LaCroix's Store.
Railway immigrants from the midwest founded St.
Boniface
church in 1879, Fr. Peter Juvenal Stampfl pastor. Built in the Carpenter
Gothic style of architecture, it is a massive six-bay wooden structure
with lancet stained glass windows and a steep sloping roof. The
cross-adorned
steeple above its front entrance reaches to a height of 110 feet above
the ground. Its historic cemetery adjoins the church building on one
side. It stands on the former Sublimity College site.
Sublimity was
incorporated and granted its own charter in 1903. John Kintz was elected
the town's first mayor in that year. In 1912 the city saw the first
fire fighting equipment. Electric lights were brought to town in 1914.
In Capitol Journal news of the 1920s, we see these items:
1923: Paving between Stayton and Sublimity, to start early in July,
would be over a log road 10 feet high laid down by Downing in the early
1870s. Between these points in 1871, F. T. Wrightman recalled, there was
a great morass. Through this swamp Downing laid poles 10 feet high and
covered his road laid on piles with earth. By 1923 the pole roadbed had
sunk out of sight. It was the foundation of that part of the road between Stayton and Sublimity that was soon to be paved.
1926: A sedan owned by John Boedigheimer was still standing in the
street at Sublimity. John left his car briefly and when he returned he
discovered a swarm of bees had taken over. The swarm established
itself under the back seat where they were impossible to dislodge.
1927: A debate between Sublimity and Stayton men was held on the
question, "Resolved: that the dishrag is more important than the
broom." Judges decided 2 to 1 in favor of the dish rag.
The city's portrait |
Today the city of Sublimity is a rural, residential community of less than one square mile, located on the western low foothills of the Oregon Cascades about 15 miles southeast of Salem on Highway 22. It is situated north of the Santiam Highway (directly to the north of the city of Stayton) amid gently rolling hills and land well suited for agriculture.
In the 1990s and early 2000s, the population doubled, reaching the present number of 2,681. The city has a mayor and four city council members. There is a Finance Director who is City Recorder, a Public Works Department of two members, a City Attorney and Auditor. There is a Sewer Committee and Planning Commission. Police services are under the Marion County sheriff. The city is served by the Sublimity Rural Fire Protection District, a volunteer department with two fire stations--a new station built in 1989 on Parker Street and another station outside town on Drift Creek Road. Sublimity contracts with the City of Stayton for sewer treatment and disposal.
Currently the city has two beautiful parks. One is adjacent to city hall
and has a tennis court, baseball diamond, picnic shelter, and
playground equipment. The other park on East Main Street has a picnic
shelter, jogging trail, barbecues, and playground equipment. This park
is in a beautiful wooded setting and is about six acres in size.
Visitors are treated to a variety of attractions. In July, the Santiam Canyon Stampede puts on a rodeo event. The first weekend after Labor Day in September is the occasion of the Sublimity Harvest Festival featuring Monster Trucks and Truck, Tractor ATV and Horse Pulls. Area school groups and other local organizations are recipients of grant monies from this event.
Sublimity remembers its residents' military service with a War Memorial across from church.
The St. Boniface Community Archives and Museum, founded in 2006, is located in the old convent building across from the church, the second oldest church building in continuous use in Oregon. The facility is open, without fee, 9:00 to noon on Tuesdays (503 769 5381). The Archives and Museum website lists an impressive number of records, publications, photographs, family histories and artifacts outlining the city's history and traditions. The building itself, especially the second floor where the sisters once lived, transmits the spirit of the nuns' lives as teachers and spiritual leaders. Rarely does one find such a dedicated volunteer effort to preserve a community's history as one finds in Sublimity. Of especial interest is An Illustrated History of Sublimity from the 1850s on by Henry Strobel, 2003.
The St. Boniface Community Archives and Museum, founded in 2006, is located in the old convent building across from the church, the second oldest church building in continuous use in Oregon. The facility is open, without fee, 9:00 to noon on Tuesdays (503 769 5381). The Archives and Museum website lists an impressive number of records, publications, photographs, family histories and artifacts outlining the city's history and traditions. The building itself, especially the second floor where the sisters once lived, transmits the spirit of the nuns' lives as teachers and spiritual leaders. Rarely does one find such a dedicated volunteer effort to preserve a community's history as one finds in Sublimity. Of especial interest is An Illustrated History of Sublimity from the 1850s on by Henry Strobel, 2003.
Nearby are the popular Silver Falls State Park and the Silver
Creek Youthcamp Historic District & Concession Building Area
Historic District.
We are indebted to Carol Ditter for her hospitality and generous help in compiling this Sublimity information. Tom and I have enjoyed lunches at the Wooden Nickel, a comfortable pub, and at Canyon's Edge. Other choices include Denim Country, Rob's Panezanellie's and Sloper Restaurant in Marian Estates. When you visit Sublimity,
check out the Kiosk by City Hall at 245 NW Johnson Street for upcoming event information as well as city maps and the CARTS route
schedules. Local newsletters and shopping guides are also sometimes available.
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