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 Forklift Masts Salem - Salem is the capital of Oregon, a U.S. state on the Pacific coast. The city lies within the Willamette Valley and is bisected by the Willamette River. It serves as the county seat of Marion County. The city is in both Marion and Polk counties, with the river functioning as the boundary between counties. The city of Salem is a mid-sized city - with 154,637 inhabitants, it is the 3rd biggest within Oregon after Eugen and Portland.
The city is the main city in the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area. This area serves over 395,000 people. The bigger city of Portland is less than an hour away.
Salem was named the capital of Oregon Territory less than ten years after it was founded officially in the year 1842. Salem took the title of state capital from the city of Oregon, but lost it for almost a year to Corvallis, before it finally regained its previous status. Salem was incorporated as a city during the year 1857, making it among the oldest communities within Oregon. The original name of the area was Chemeketa, a Native American word that means "resting place" or "meeting".
The second and original capital building in the city both were destroyed by fires. One of the capital buildings was fashioned like the U.S. Capitol building and had a dome roof made of copper. The current Oregon State Capitol building was built in the year 1938. Its capital dome is surmounted by a gold-plated pioneer statue, called the Oregon Pioneer.
Salem consists of numerous Educational Institutions, including Corban University, Willamette University, Oregon School for the deaf, Chemeketa Community College and Chemawa Indian School. The biggest public employer of the city is the State of Oregon. Salem Hospital is the largest private employer with practically 3,000 staff.
The city of Salem is a main center for agricultural food processing, serving as a vital focal point for the surrounding communities. A huge number of jobs are provided by the several correctional facilities in Salem. Along with being the home of Oregon State Penitentiary, Oregon's only maximum security prison, Salem has the head office of the Oregon Department of Corrections and four state correctional facilities.
Businesses which operate in the city consist of the T-Mobile Calling Center, GE Security, Wells Fargo Customer Contact Center, NORPAC Foods, Inc., Sanyo and Roth's Family Market. The Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde run the Spirit Mountain Casino west of Salem.
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