Gresham, Oregon

Gresham /ˈɡrɛʃəm/ is a city located in Multnomah County, Oregon, United States immediately east of Portland. It was named after the American Civil War general, and Postmaster General, Walter Quinton Gresham. The population was 105,594 at the 2010 census, making Gresham the fourth largest city in Oregon.

History

Gresham could not establish itself as a city unless given a post office and postal code. A local storeowner offered to use his store as a post office and offered to name the city after Postmaster General Walter Q. Gresham if a post office was granted. Until that time, the city had simply been known as Campground because this forested site was where pioneers often stopped to spend the night and compose themselves before moving on to Portland and the Willamette Valley. Although a post office was established in May 1884, Gresham was not incorporated as a city until 1905. Lewis Shattuck, son of a pioneer family, was the first mayor. Gresham General Hospital opened in 1959 in downtown Gresham. In 1984, the hospital moved to Stark Street and became Mount Hood Medical Center.