On Monday, May 8 three of Oregon’s early counties were memorialized in the State Capitol State Park with the addition of commemorative plaques for each. The fourth original county, Clackamas, already has a plaque, as do all of Oregon’s 36 counties.
In 1843 when the provisional government of Oregon was created, one of the first acts was to divide the Oregon country into four districts: Champooick (Champoeg), Clackamas, Tuality and Yamhill. Over the years, these four districts were divided into counties:
1844: Clatsop County was created from Tuality
1845: The original four districts were redesignated as counties
1845: Polk County was created from Yamhill County
1847: Benton County was created from Polk County
1847: Linn County was created from Champoeg County
1849: Champoeg County changed its name to Marion County
1849: Tuality County changed its name to Washington County
1851: Lane County was created from Benton and Linn counties
1851: Umpqua County was created from Benton and Linn counties
1852: Douglas County was created from Umpqua County
1852: Jackson County was created from Umpqua County
1853: Coos County was created from Umpqua and Jackson Counties
1853: Tillamook County was created from Clatsop, Polk and Yamhill Counties
1854: Columbia County was created form Washington County
1854: Multnomah County was created from Washington and Clackamas counties
1854: Wasco County was created from Clackamas, Douglas, Lane, Linn and Jackson counties
1855: Curry County was created from Coos County
1856: Josephine County created from Jackson County
1859: Oregon admitted as a State
In all, there were 19 Oregon counties at the time of statehood. In 1862 Umpqua County merged with Douglas County keeping the Douglas County name.
Contributed by: Laura Cleland, Communications Director