CORVALLIS

city, seat (1851) of Benton county, western Oregon, U.S. It lies at the head of navigation of the Willamette River, 224 feet (68 m) above sea level and 85 miles (137 km) south of Portland. Laid out in 1851 as Marysville, it was renamed Corvallis (Latin for heart of the valley) in 1853. For a short period in 1855 the state legislature met there. Oregon State University (founded as Corvallis College in 1868) is the city's major economic asset; other employers include engineering consultants and producers of business machines. Agriculture, sawmilling, and truck farming are regional activities. Corvallis is headquarters for Siuslaw National Forest. The university's Horner Museum houses a historic Pacific Northwest collection. Inc. 1857. Pop. (1990) 44,757.