ABOUT

Gervais  is a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States. The population was 2,464 at the2010 census. It is part of the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History
The city is named for pioneer Joseph Gervais who was one of the first settlers on French Prairie.On October 6, 1902, the business district of the city burned and losses were estimated at $100,000. The local fire department's power was insufficient to handle the fire so Portland and Salem were called upon to help. Unfortunately they were unable to respond in time to help. In little over an hour all but two of the businesses in the town had burned to the ground.In the late 1960s, Russian Old Believers established a small colony between Gervais and Mt. Angel. As of 2002, Oregon had the highest population of Old Believers in the United States.