Talent, Oregon

A. P. Tallent, an East Tennessee native who settled in Oregon in the 1870s, platted the city in the 1880s. He wanted to name it Wagner but was overruled by postal officials, who preferred Talent, dropping one of the L's. The post office opened at this location in 1883. Earlier names for the settlement were Eden District and Wagner Creek.{{cite book | last = McArthur | first = Lewis A. | author-link = Lewis A. McArthur |author2=Lewis L. McArthur |author2-link=Lewis L. McArthur | title = Oregon Geographic Names | orig-year = 1928 | edition = 7th | year = 2003 | publisher = Oregon Historical Society Press | location = Portland, Oregon | isbn = 0-87595-277-1 | page = 934}}

On September 8, 2020, roughly a third of Talent, along with neighboring Phoenix and parts of Medford and Ashland, were destroyed by the Almeda Drive Fire.Erik Neumann, and Liam Moriarty, [https://www.ijpr.org/2020-09-08/fire-in-ashland-leads-to-limited-evacuations "The Almeda Drive Fire Causes Extensive Damage To Talent and Phoenix"], Jefferson Public Radio (last accessed 10 September 2020){{cite web|url=https://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/2020/09/wildfire-cuts-swath-of-destruction-in-southern-oregon-phoenix-and-talent-pretty-well-devastated.html|title=Wildfire cuts swath of destruction in southern Oregon; Phoenix and Talent 'pretty well devastated'|author=Crombie, Noelle|date=September 9, 2020|publisher=OregonLive|access-date=September 10, 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://mailtribune.com/news/top-stories/talent-phoenix-wakes-up-to-decimated-neighborhoods-businesses|title=Talent, Phoenix wakes up to decimation|author=Zavala, Joe|publisher=Mail Tribune|access-date=September 10, 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/10/us/satellite-images-oregon-wildfire-trnd/index.html|title=Satellite images show Phoenix and Talent, Oregon, have been nearly wiped out by wildfire|author=Murphy, Paul P.|date=September 10, 2020|publisher=CNN|access-date=September 10, 2020}} On September 11, 2020, authorities said they were preparing for a mass fatality incident.{{Cite web|url=https://www.koin.com/news/wildfires/oregon-wildfires-kate-brown-press-conference-09112020/|title=Oregon preparing for 'mass fatality incident' in wildfire recovery|date=September 11, 2020}} As of September 11, 600 homes and 100 commercial buildings have been destroyed by the Almeda Drive Fire,Benda, David. "[https://www.redding.com/story/news/local/2020/09/10/almeda-fire-southern-oregon-two-confirmed-dead-600-homes-destroyed-damaged/3456818001/ Southern Oregon wildfires update: 700-plus homes, businesses destroyed as officials' investigate fire's cause]", Redding Record Searchlight. September 11, 2020. Retrieved September 11, 2020. but on September 18, that number was updated to 2,800.{{cite web|url=https://mailtribune.com/news/top-stories/sheriff-more-than-2800-structures-burned-damaged-in-almeda-fire|title=Sheriff: More than 2,800 structures destroyed by Almeda fire|author=Aldous, Vickie|date=September 18, 2020|newspaper=Mail Tribune|access-date=October 28, 2020}} Officials stated that the Almeda Drive Fire was human-caused. On September 11, a man was arrested for arson, for allegedly starting a fire that destroyed multiple homes in Phoenix and merged with the Almeda Drive Fire.Deliso, Merideth. "[https://abcnews.go.com/US/man-charged-arson-connection-almeda-fire-southern-oregon/story?id=72960208 Man charged with arson in connection with Almeda Fire in southern Oregon]", ABC News. September 11, 2020. Retrieved September 12, 2020. A separate criminal investigation into the origin point of the Almeda Drive Fire in Ashland is ongoing.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of {{convert|1.33|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, all of it land.{{cite web|title=US Gazetteer files 2010|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=2012-12-21|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125061959/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt|archive-date=2012-01-25}}

The city is south of Medford, about halfway between Phoenix, to the north, and Ashland, to the south, along Interstate 5 and Oregon Route 99. This is toward the southern end of the Rogue River Valley, near the Siskiyou Mountains and the border with California.{{cite book|title=Oregon Road & Recreation Atlas|publisher=Benchmark Maps|year=2012|location=Santa Barbara, California|edition=5th|page=96|isbn=978-0-929591-62-9}}

Wagner Creek, a tributary of Bear Creek, joins the larger stream at Talent. Wagner was the name of a family of pioneer settlers who lived here before Talent became a city. The Bear Creek Greenway, a biking and hiking trail connecting Ashland, Phoenix, Medford, and Central Point along Bear Creek, also passes through Talent.{{cite web|title=Map|url=http://www.bearcreekgreenway.com/explore/maps/|publisher=Bear Creek Greenway Foundation|access-date=October 12, 2015}}

This region experiences warm to hot and dry summers, with average temperatures above {{convert|81.6|F|C}}. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Talent has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.{{cite web|url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=424553&cityname=Talent%2C+Oregon%2C+United+States+of+America&units=|title=Talent, Oregon|publisher=CantyMedia|work=Weatherbase|access-date=October 12, 2015}}

{{Weather box

|location = Talent, Oregon

|width = 50%

|single line = Y

|collapsed = Y

|Jan high F = 45.3

|Feb high F = 51.3

|Mar high F = 57.9

|Apr high F = 65.6

|May high F = 72.9

|Jun high F = 80.4

|Jul high F = 89.6

|Aug high F = 88.2

|Sep high F = 80.0

|Oct high F = 66.7

|Nov high F = 53.3

|Dec high F = 45.6

|year high F=

|Jan low F = 29.7

|Feb low F = 31.8

|Mar low F = 34.0

|Apr low F = 37.7

|May low F = 42.6

|Jun low F = 48.1

|Jul low F = 52.3

|Aug low F = 51.0

|Sep low F = 45.6

|Oct low F = 39.1

|Nov low F = 33.7

|Dec low F = 31.0

|year low F=

|Jan record high F = 70

|Feb record high F = 78

|Mar record high F = 82

|Apr record high F = 88

|May record high F = 101

|Jun record high F = 105

|Jul record high F = 106

|Aug record high F = 108

|Sep record high F = 103

|Oct record high F = 97

|Nov record high F = 79

|Dec record high F = 70

|year record high F= 108

|Jan record low F = −1

|Feb record low F = −1

|Mar record low F = 17

|Apr record low F = 20

|May record low F = 23

|Jun record low F = 29

|Jul record low F = 32

|Aug record low F = 34

|Sep record low F = 27

|Oct record low F = 13

|Nov record low F = 3

|Dec record low F = −4

|year record low F= −4

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation inch = 2.41

|Feb precipitation inch = 1.95

|Mar precipitation inch = 1.62

|Apr precipitation inch = 1.25

|May precipitation inch = 1.44

|Jun precipitation inch = 1.04

|Jul precipitation inch = 0.34

|Aug precipitation inch = 0.22

|Sep precipitation inch = 0.76

|Oct precipitation inch = 1.76

|Nov precipitation inch = 2.39

|Dec precipitation inch = 2.79

|year precipitation inch=

|Jan snow inch = 3.10

|Feb snow inch = 1.50

|Mar snow inch = 0.70

|Apr snow inch = 0.10

|May snow inch = 0

|Jun snow inch = 0

|Jul snow inch = 0

|Aug snow inch = 0

|Sep snow inch = 0

|Oct snow inch = 0

|Nov snow inch = 0.10

|Dec snow inch = 0.90

|year snow inch=6.40

|source 1=[http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?or8338/]

|source 2= [http://wwworigin.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/USOR0340/]

}}

{{US Census population

|1920= 278

|1930= 421

|1940= 381

|1950= 739

|1960= 868

|1970= 1411

|1980= 2577

|1990= 3274

|2000= 5589

|2010= 6066

|2020= 6282

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}{{cite web|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/pl?get=P1_001N,NAME&for=place:*&in=state:41&key=5ccd0821c15d9f4520e2dcc0f8d92b2ec9336108|title=Census Population API|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=Oct 12, 2022}}

}}

As of the census of 2010, there were 6,066 people, 2,639 households, and 1,462 families living in the city. The population density was {{convert|4560.9|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 2,826 housing units at an average density of {{convert|2124.8|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 87.0% White, 0.8% African American, 1.3% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 5.9% from other races, and 3.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.6% of the population.{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=2012-12-21}}

There were 2,639 households, of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.9% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 44.6% were non-families. 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.96.

The median age in the city was 38.4 years. 24% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.4% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 16.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.6% male and 53.4% female.

As of the census of 2000, there were 5,589 people, 2,324 households, and 1,426 families living in the city. The population density was {{convert|4,433.6|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 2,420 housing units at an average density of {{convert|1,919.7|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 87.30% White, 0.54% African American, 1.06% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 7.91% from other races, and 2.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.40% of the population.

There were 2,324 households, out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.9% were married couples living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.6% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the city, the population was 26.0% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 18.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $29,063, and the median income for a family was $33,333. Males had a median income of $24,781 versus $21,213 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,271. About 12.4% of families and 15.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.3% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.

Talent Elementary School and Talent Middle School are part of the Phoenix-Talent School District. High school students attend Phoenix High School in Phoenix. Phoenix-Talent Rising Academy is a virtual hybrid school in Phoenix.

• Robert Arellano (1969– ), author and professor{{cite news|url=http://www.taosnews.com/entertainment/article_140979de-7104-11e1-9175-001871e3ce6c.html|title=Novel by former Taos author observes Los Alamos with a critical eye|date=March 18, 2012|newspaper=The Taos News|location=Taos, New Mexico|access-date=August 4, 2015}}
• John Beeson (1803–1889), abolitionist and Native American advocate

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category}}

• {{official website|http://www.cityoftalent.org}}
• [https://sos.oregon.gov/blue-book/Pages/local/cities/s-y/talent.aspx Entry for Talent] in the Oregon Blue Book
• {{Oregon Encyclopedia|talent|Talent}}

{{Jackson County, Oregon}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Cities in Oregon

Category:Cities in Jackson County, Oregon

Category:1910 establishments in Oregon

Category:Populated places established in 1910