Tualatin

History

The name of the city is taken from the Tualatin River, which flows along most of the city's northern boundary. It comes from a Tualatin-Yamhill word that probably means "lazy" or "sluggish," but may also mean "treeless plain," for the plain near the river, or "forked," for its many tributaries. According to Oregon Geographic Names, a post office with the spelling "Tualitin" was established November 5, 1869, and the spelling changed to "Tualatin" in 1915. In the 1850s, the settlement was first called Galbreath after its founder Samuel Galbreath. In 1853, Galbreath built the first bridge over the Tualatin river, and the town became known as Bridgeport. In the 1880s, John Sweek platted a town around the new railroad depot, and named the town Tualatin. It was incorporated as the City of Tualatin in 1913. In 1962, a fossilized mastodon (Mammut americanum) was excavated in what later became a Fred Meyer parking lot. It is on display in the lobby of Tualatin Public Library. In 1972 fossils were uncovered near Fanno Creek that were determined to be a partial skeleton of a Harlan's ground sloth (Paramylodon harlani).

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Tigard High School
  High · Tigard · 1,799 students · 18.7:1 ratio
• Mountainside High School
  High · Beaverton · 1,758 students · 22.5:1 ratio
• Tualatin High School
  High · Tualatin · 1,747 students · 17.8:1 ratio
• Sherwood High School
  High · Sherwood · 1,704 students · 24:1 ratio
• Aloha High School
  High · Beaverton · 1,686 students · 17.7:1 ratio
• Southridge High School
  High · Beaverton · 1,495 students · 18.5:1 ratio
• Beaverton High School
  High · Beaverton · 1,483 students · 17:1 ratio
• Sherwood Middle School
  Middle · Sherwood · 1,135 students · 20.6:1 ratio