Creswell, The Friendly City, lies 10 miles south of Eugene-Springfield, north of Cottage Grove, along Highway 99 and Interstate 5. Over the years, Creswell has grown from a farming community into a small city with close ties to the metropolitan area.

Creswell was first settled in 1872 by Alvin Hughes and James Robinett, each with five-acre land donations, located just south of where the railroad traveled from Eugene. In 1873, the Creswell Post Office opened and Ben Holladay of the Oregon-California Railroad Company named the city after John Creswell, who was then the U.S. Postmaster General.In the early years, Creswell’s economy centered around agrist mill in the community. Agriculture included wheat, cattle, and hog farming, with fruit trees adding to the economy by the end of the nineteenth century. By the time of the city’s incorporation in 1909, there were 5,000 acres of producing orchards, a cannery, a packing plant, a fruit dryer, doctors, dentists, and a variety of businesses clustered around Oregon Avenue.

Since the 1930s, Creswell has seen a fairly consistent pattern of growth, with a population boom occurring during and immediately after World War II. The city’s economy has shared an intrinsic link with its historic transportation system. Over the years, the city’s location along the rail line, Highway 99 and, later, I-5 has influenced the type of jobs found locally, which continue to be primarily in agriculture and timber processing.