Linn County was created in 1847 and named for U.S. Senator Lewis F. Linn of Missouri, who was the author of the Donation Land Act which provided free land to settlers in the West. Linn County is in the center of the Willamette Valley, with the Willamette River as its western boundary and the crest of the Cascades as its eastern boundary. The climate and soil conditions provide one of Oregon’s most diversified agriculture areas, allowing a variety of specialty crops and leading the nation in the production of common and perennial ryegrass. Linn County is also home to major producers of processed food, manufactured homes and motor homes, as well as the traditional logging and wood products industries. Recreational opportunities are extensive and include hiking, climbing and skiing, picnicking and camping in county and state parks; boating, water skiing and fishing on lakes and rivers; petrified wood and agate beds; covered bridges and historic districts and events.