Pratum, Oregon

2025-06-04T19:46:57Z

2601:1C2:4581:41A0:C171:78E1:67A6:72E5:

{{Short description| Unincorporated community in the state of Oregon, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|name = Pratum
|official_name =
|settlement_type = [[Unincorporated area|Unincorporated community]]
|nickname =
|motto =


|image_skyline = Pratum, Oregon.jpg
|imagesize = 250px
|image_caption = Pratum as seen from Howell Prairie Road
|image_flag =
|image_seal =


|pushpin_map = USA Oregon#USA
|pushpin_label_position = 
|pushpin_map_caption = Location within the state of Oregon
|pushpin_mapsize =
|image_map =
|map_caption = Location within Marion county


|subdivision_type = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name = United States
|subdivision_type1 = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1 = [[Oregon]]
|subdivision_type2 = [[List of counties in Oregon|County]]
|subdivision_name2 = [[Marion County, Oregon|Marion]]
|government_footnotes =
|government_type =
|leader_title = 
|leader_name =
|leader_title1 =
|leader_name1 =
|established_title =
|established_date =


|unit_pref = Imperial
|area_footnotes =
|area_magnitude =
|area_total_km2 =
|area_land_km2 =
|area_water_km2 =


|population_as_of = [[United States Census, 2000|2000]]
|population_footnotes =
|population_total =
|population_density_km2 = auto


|timezone = [[Pacific Time Zone|Pacific (PST)]]
|utc_offset = -8
|timezone_DST = PDT
|utc_offset_DST = -7
|elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
|elevation_ft = 230
|coordinates = {{coord|44|57|32|N|122|52|43|W|type:city_region:US-OR|display=inline,title}}


|postal_code_type = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code = 97305
|area_code = [[Area codes 503 and 971|503 and 971]]
|blank_name = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info =
|blank1_name = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info = 1166698<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|1166698}}</ref>
|website =
|footnotes =
}}
'''Pratum''' is an [[Unincorporated area|unincorporated community]] in [[Marion County, Oregon|Marion County]], [[Oregon]], United States. It is located northeast of [[Salem, Oregon|Salem]] on [[Howell Prairie]] near the [[Pudding River]]. ''Pratum'' is [[Latin]] for "meadow".<ref name="OGN">{{cite book
| last = McArthur
| first = Lewis A.
| author-link = Lewis A. McArthur
|author2=Lewis L. McArthur
|author2-link=Lewis L. McArthur
| title = [[Oregon Geographic Names]]
| orig-year = 1928
| edition = Seventh
| year = 2003
| publisher = [[Oregon Historical Society]] Press
| location = [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]], [[Oregon]]
| isbn = 0-87595-277-1
| page =783 }}</ref> The community was settled in the late 19th century by a group of [[General Conference Mennonite Church|Mennonite]]s, many of them of [[Switzerland|Swiss]] extraction.<ref>[http://www.gameo.org/index.asp?content=http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/O751.html Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online: Oregon (State)]{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>[http://www.salemhistory.net/places/salem_mennonite_church.htm Salem Online History]</ref> A branch of the [[Narrow gauge railway|narrow-gauge]] [[Oregonian Railway Company|Oregonian Railway]] was built through the area in about 1880, and the station there was called "East Side Junction".<ref name="OGN"/> The railway was eventually converted to standard gauge, and is still in use today by the [[Willamette Valley Railway]]. In 1895, the station was renamed "Enger" after a good friend by a Mr. Larson who platted a townsite by that name in 1898 (still on file at Marion County) and opened the first store there. The name "Enger" was rejected by the postal service as too easily confused with [[Eugene, Oregon|Eugene]], however, and the name of the station changed to "Pratum".<ref name="OGN"/> Pratum post office was established in 1887, and was originally called "Switzerland", then "Enger" and finally "Pratum" in 1898, matching the railroad station.<ref name="OGN"/> The post office ran until 1964.<ref name="OGN"/>

Pratum Elementary School, was built in 1928 and was originally its own district but has since become part of the [[Silver Falls School District]], and is still operating.<ref>[http://www.silvertonchamber.org/schools.html Silverton Chamber of Commerce] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011054049/http://silvertonchamber.org/schools.html |date=2007-10-11 }}</ref> The community is home to Emmanuel Bible Church (formerly Emanuel Mennonite Church). The Pratum Co-op was established in 1946 and still occupies the original site along the railroad as well as several others in close proximity, though the landmark grain elevators have recently been torn down. The co-op has expanded geographically over the years <ref>[https://www.capitalpress.com/state/oregon/cooperative-branches-out/article_1bf03e28-a43e-59d1-a00c-5c69f4af6e0d.html Pratum Coop Expansion]</ref> and the headquarters relocated to Salem, but the name based on this small community has been retained.

The community is part of the [[Salem, Oregon|Salem]] [[Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area|Metropolitan Statistical Area]].

[[File:PratumElev.1.JPG|thumb|left|Pratum grain elevator (razed in 2023).]]
{{clear left}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links==
*{{commons category-inline}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120617113437/http://pratumelem.silverfalls.orvsd.org/ Pratum Elementary School]
*[http://photos.salemhistory.net/cdm4/results.php?CISOOP1=any&CISOBOX1=Pratum&CISOFIELD1=CISOSEARCHALL&CISOROOT=all Historic images of Pratum from Salem Public Library]


{{Marion County, Oregon}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Salem, Oregon metropolitan area]]
[[Category:Unincorporated communities in Marion County, Oregon]]
[[Category:1887 establishments in Oregon]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1887]]
[[Category:Unincorporated communities in Oregon]]

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Pratum, Oregon