Other historic sites of interest
Wilsonville has always been a restful, scenic wonderland patiently waiting for something. Its history is hidden in its common everyday folk as it continues to play the role of a mere resting place on life's endless journey to other destinations.
Wilsonville is a close neighbor to many historic Oregon sites. A mere 20 miles to our north is Oregon's largest center, Portland. A few miles down the Willamette River is the end of the Oregon Trail and Oregon City, once Oregon's capitol. About 4 miles upstream is the historic Oregon site of Champoeg and about 20 miles to the south is Salem, Oregon's present capitol city.
However, no single site or venture lends more history to this community than that of the Boone's Ferry. It began in 1849 as venture by Alphonso Boone and his son Jessie. Boones Ferry was soon transformed into a vital link for commerce, communication and transportation between the Willamette Valley and the Northwest. It served as a major link for all traffic destined north for Canada or south from Seattle to San Francisco. It could have been on a crossing of the Willamette River that Alphonso Boone first heard of the "golden" treasures to be had in the gold fields of California. His ferry was instrumental in the settlement of one of this county's fastest growing counties, Washington County. Much of the present I-5 freeway from Salem to Portland closely parallels the road which Jessie Boone dug to his ferry.
There are many other links for those who wish to explore more about Wilsonville and Oregon's past:
Wilsonville Chamber of Commerce
Clackamas County Family Historical Society