St. Paul
Marion County, 97137
St. Paul is famous for it's Rodeo. It might be the biggest small town Rodeo in the world. Other than the Rodeo grounds and the Catholic church, there is not much to town. The first Catholic church was a log style building built in 1839. A brick church replaced it in 1846. That is reputed to be the oldest brick building in the Pacific northwest. Beautiful and productive agricultural enterprises surround the town and almost everyone is involved in farming. Although the town was only incorporated in 1901, much history precedes that date. The post office dates from 1874. The area, and indeed the main road, are called French Prairie after the early nineteenth centry French trappers. The nearby area of Champoeg was first settled by Hudson Bay trappers and became the site of the formation of the Oregon provisional government in 1843.