Gresham, Oregon

Episode 240 / 9 September 2021 / 161 min / full

The Threesome From Hell

"This is Gresham, Oregon... just outside of Portland... This is in Multnomah County here." about 0:05:18

The case: Murder of Deborah Sue Spicer (October 1989). Read the case file.

The figures, as told in 2021

Population

110,031

Median age

about 37 and a half

Median household income

$50,675

Median home value

$341,700

Two-bedroom rent

$1,321

Religious

37.1%

Property crime

▲ about one-third higher

Violent crime

▼ just below average

History, in brief

• The area was first settled in 1851 by brothers who claimed land under the Donation Land Claim Act of 1850. about 0:07:31
• It was first known as Powell's Valley, after the brothers Jackson and James Powell. about 0:08:01
• In 1884 a local merchant petitioned the United States Post Office Department for a post office in his store and offered to name it after Postmaster General Walter Q. Gresham. about 0:08:10
• Other members of the community secured a separate post office called Campground, named for the religious camp meeting ground there and the valley's use as a stop-off for travellers to Portland. about 0:10:26
• The post office revoked the Campground office, and in 1905 the town became Gresham. about 0:10:44
• At that time the population was only 365, and people farmed berries and grapes. about 0:10:56
• Trains ran between Gresham and Portland every hour. about 0:11:04
• The population was 3,000 in 1950, 4,000 in 1960, 10,000 in 1970, 33,000 in 1980 and 68,000 in 1990. about 0:11:23

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