Turner History

The city of Turner, founded in 1871 and incorporated in 1905, sits a few miles southeast of Salem, Oregon’s state capitol. As of 2018, the population of Turner is 2005. Platted by Henry J. Turner, for whom the town then was named, settlers began arriving in the 1840s to the area already occupied by the Kalapuya Indians. From a rural small town to its current small city status, Turner claims a rich history of agriculture and the lumber industry. It also serves as a bedroom community for many who work in Salem. Local industry and businesses also provide employment.

For decades Turner was a self-sufficient town with medical, retail, and other services available. Before the automobile, the seven miles to Salem might as well have been 70 to the fewer than 400 Turner residents. With the arrival of modern transportation and the slow decline of the lumber industry, nearby Salem provided more and more retail and business services to Turner residents.

The first volunteer Fire Department was established in 1916, the foundation for the present Turner Rural Fire District. It serves the residents of the city of Turner and the surrounding environs, including 24/7 ambulance services.

In 2016, a new city hall was completed with a remodel of the former offices of the Burkland Lumber Company, adding to the renewal of the downtown area. The City takes pride in its highly acclaimed drinking water, managed by the City public services department. Since several creeks merge in Turner, flooding has historically been an ongoing challenge, most recently in 1996 and 2012. Major efforts are underway in collaboration with several area agencies, to mitigate flooding issues in the Santiam watershed from Silverton to Salem.

5th street park has been developed in recent years, featuring a baseball diamond, picnic facilities, and a planned restoration of a 15 acres natural habitat north of the ballpark. It will eventually feature walking trails and a research-educational center. 

The Turner Rural Delivery Route, begun in 1896, was the first of its kind in the State of Oregon. That heritage of good service is now continued by a modern post office that serves Turner and the surrounding area.

The City is served by the Cascade School District, that includes the highly acclaimed Turner Elementary School still anchored by its original 1922 building. Adjacent is the Burkland Pool that serves the entire Turner area for summer recreation, as well as area swim meets.

City and area streets and roads commemorate the names of early Turner families, including the Delaneys, considered to be the first residents of the city. 

Interest and preservation of the history of City of Turner and the Turner area was celebrated in 1971 in a special Centennial celebration of the founding of the city. Also in 1971 the formation of the Turner Historical Society laid the foundation for preserving artifacts and documents important to local Turner history. In 2016, the concerns of that early effort were renewed with the formation of Yesterday In Turner, the successor to the original Society. A seven member Board of Directors was formed, new Articles of Incorporation were filed with the Secretary of State, and 501(c)3 status was obtained. This allows income tax donation receipts for eligible donations.

Currently, the holdings transferred from the former Historical Society to YIT are housed in rooms at the former Turner City Hall on 3rd St. in Turner. They are currently being organized and processed for future research use and public access. 

Turner Historic Context by Jill A. Chappel

Joab Powell's Pioneer Church Newspaper article reconstruced by David Boneck

Assorted Historical Pictures from the Blue Loose-Leaf Binder