▁mem orial ▁to ▁Senator ▁Lewis ▁F . ▁L inn ▁after ▁whom ▁L inn ▁County ▁is ▁also ▁named . ▁L inn ▁was ▁a ▁neighbor ▁and ▁family ▁friend ▁of ▁the ▁Mo ores ▁from ▁their ▁time ▁as ▁sett lers ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁Missouri ▁Territ ory . ▁ ▁For ▁many ▁years ▁L inn ▁City ▁was ▁a ▁political ▁and ▁commercial ▁rival ▁to ▁the ▁adjacent ▁town ▁of ▁Oregon ▁City , ▁but ▁it ▁suffered ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁natural ▁and ▁man - made ▁set back s . ▁A ▁major ▁fire ▁and ▁the ▁Great ▁Flo od ▁of ▁ 1 8 6 2 ▁put ▁a ▁halt ▁to ▁the ▁pione er ▁settlement ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 1 , ▁dispers ing ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁surv iving ▁family ▁members ▁throughout ▁the ▁Pacific ▁North west . ▁▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁ ▁West ▁L inn ▁was ▁incorpor ated ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 3 ▁and ▁merged ▁with ▁the ▁adjacent ▁town ▁of ▁Will am ette ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 6 , ▁which ▁had ▁incorpor ated ▁five ▁years ▁earlier . ▁When ▁the ▁City ▁of ▁West ▁L inn ▁incorpor ated ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 3 , ▁it ▁en comp ass ed ▁West ▁Oregon ▁City , ▁Bol ton , ▁Sun set ▁and ▁Will am ette ▁He ights . ▁The ▁incorpor ation ▁allowed ▁the ▁settlement s ▁to ▁obtain ▁needed ▁services , ▁util ities , ▁and ▁improvements ▁without ▁an nex ing ▁to ▁Oregon ▁City . ▁After ▁considerable ▁debate ▁on ▁a ▁name , ▁the ▁city ▁found ers ▁decided ▁to ▁honor ▁the ▁pione er ▁town ▁that ▁Moore ▁had ▁established . ▁The ▁city