Canby (Images of America)

The town of Canby is located in the North Willamette Valley, in Clackamas County, Oregon. By 1838, James Baker, one of the earliest European settlers in Oregon, came to Canby with a cattle drive from California. Soon, he and other settlers were farming on the rich soil. Joseph Knight and four sons moved to the area in 1868. They were active in early Canby development, starting many local businesses and setting the framework for a future town. Maj. Gen. Edward R.S. Canby, hero of the Civil and Indian Wars, had arrived in Oregon in February 1893 to take up command of the US Army's Department of the Columbia. The new town was given this brave man's name by his good friend Ben Holladay, chief of the Oregon & California Railroad. Canby was incorporated on February 15, 1893, making it the second-oldest city in Clackamas County.