1 2 3 ° ▁ 1 7 ' ▁west , ▁the ▁city ▁is ▁the ▁western most ▁city ▁in ▁the ▁cont igu ous ▁ 4 8 ▁states ▁with ▁a ▁population ▁larger ▁than ▁ 5 0 , 0 0 0 . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Est ab lish ment ▁ ▁In ▁October ▁ 1 8 4 5 , ▁Joseph ▁C . ▁A very ▁arrived ▁in ▁Oregon ▁from ▁the ▁east . ▁A very ▁took ▁out ▁a ▁land ▁claim ▁at ▁the ▁mouth ▁of ▁Mary s ▁River , ▁where ▁it ▁flows ▁into ▁the ▁Will am ette ▁River , ▁and ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 8 4 6 ▁took ▁up ▁residence ▁there ▁in ▁a ▁log ▁cabin ▁hast ily ▁constructed ▁to ▁hold ▁what ▁seemed ▁a ▁potentially ▁luc r ative ▁claim . ▁A very ' s ▁primitive ▁ 1 8 4 6 ▁dwell ing ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁home ▁within ▁the ▁boundaries ▁of ▁today ' s ▁Cor v all is ▁and ▁his ▁land ▁claim ▁included ▁the ▁southern ▁section ▁of ▁the ▁contemporary ▁city . ▁ ▁A very ▁was ▁quickly ▁joined ▁by ▁other ▁sett lers ▁along ▁the ▁banks ▁of ▁the ▁Will am ette ▁River , ▁including ▁a ▁ 6 4 0 - acre ▁claim ▁directly ▁to ▁his ▁north ▁taken ▁in ▁September ▁ 1 8 4 6 ▁by ▁William ▁F . ▁D ixon . ▁The ▁discovery ▁of ▁gold ▁in ▁California ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 8 ▁tempor arily ▁st alled ▁development ▁of ▁a ▁town ship , ▁with ▁A very ▁leaving ▁his ▁Oregon ▁claim ▁to ▁try ▁his ▁hand ▁at ▁min ing ▁in ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁that ▁year .