Seniors Find Boring Not So Dull

Boring is an unincorporated community that lies about 25 miles from Portland. The population in Boring runs right at 8,000 and this senior bets that you are wondering, like I was, how it got a name like Boring.

In 1903, Boring was named after one of its first residents, W.H Boring, a Union veteran who moved to Oregon after the Civil War. He died in 1932 at the age of 91 and was buried beside his wife Sarah in Damascus Pioneer Cemetery. Boring, who began farming in the area in the 1870s has a great grandson, Bob Boring, who still lives locally and insists the town is more lively than its name suggests.

Boring, laid out in 1903, was labeled “Boring Junction”. The post office was established and named “Boring” the same year, and the builders of the interurban railway adopted Boring as the name of the community.

Seniors Find Guide Dogs For The Blind Campus

The unusual name of the town often prompts its inclusion on lists of unusual place names.  The tag “Boring” is embraced by locals and found in local businesses, resulting in many road signs that seem humorous to outsiders. Boosters of the village like to use the slogan “Boring…the most exciting place to live.”

At one time a thriving timber town, Boring still has a colorful active lumber mill. The town has gained fame more recently as being the home of a campus of Guide Dogs For The Blind, the oldest guide dog training program on the US west coast.

The locals note that Boring should be known as the “Community that works”.  Resident services are most often provided by local citizens who are committed to the area.  Volunteerism is alive and well in Boring. For a small community, senior visitors find some neat things to see and do in and around the area.

Great Stop For Seniors Headed For Mount Hood

On your way to Mount Hood, senior visitors are invited to stop for some refreshment as you pass through Boring. On your stop, you will discover some not so boring restaurants and bar options, plus you will have the opportunity to encounter some friendly Boring residents.

TripAdvisor suggests that senior campers check out Barton Park on the Clackamas River with 102 Campsites with water and electric hook-ups and 7 primitive campsites. Also consider a visit to Liepold Farms and the Bushue Family Farm, sample a Boring beer in the Boring pub and hunt for a bargain in the Boring antiques shop.

In a play on the town’s name, the Boring Community Planning Organization voted to “pair” with Dull, Scotland, for the purpose of promoting tourism in both towns. While the name is a little “different,” Boring, Oregon  thrives on knowing that it is far from boring.  -jeb