[citation needed] Elvin A. Thorp arrived in the Independence area in 1845 and staked a claim north of Ash Creek in June of that year.

Thorp named the town for his eponymous hometown in Missouri, as well as in honor of Andrew Jackson's characteristic of "Independence".

[7] In 1847, Henry Hill came across the plains looking for a level piece of ground on which to raise stock.

[citation needed] On November 14, 1847, he found his location on the west bank of the Willamette River (south of Ash Street) and marked off his donation land claim, which was 1 mile (1.6 km) square.

The Kalapuya had experienced devastating floods in the past, which had even swept away their horses.

[7] In December 1861, a devastating flood struck Independence, wiping out the town's commercial district, farms, and livestock.

The flood was the result of a prolonged period of rain that began in October and continued into November, compounded by snow accumulation in the Cascades.

As temperatures rose in late November, the snow melted, leading to severe flooding by the first week of December.

The flood destroyed much of the town's infrastructure, including warehouses, docks, and ferries along Water Street.

After the waters receded, the residents of Independence, along with Henry Hill returning from the California Gold Mines, began considering the possibility of rebuilding the town on higher ground, just across Ash Creek.

In 1867, Hill made the decision to move forward with the plan, choosing a 40-acre plot of land that bordered the Willamette River south of Ash Creek to build his "Henry Hill's Town of Independence".Economic History and Transportation Development Independence thrived as a shipping point, by both rail and boat, for agricultural products and lumber until the 1950s.

[16] Ash Creek flows through Independence, where it meets the Willamette River.