Oregon State...
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Oregon Counties
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Multnomah County, Oregon
Multnomah County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education
County Seat: Portland
Year Organized: 1854
Square Miles: 435
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Records Management Office
501 SE Hawthorne Blvd., Suite 600
County Courthouse
Portland, OR 97214-3587 |
Etymology - Origin of County Name
The county was named after the Multnomah Indians who were part
of the Chinookan tribe that lived on the eastern tip of what is now Sauvie
Island in the Columbia River.
Demographics:
County QuickFacts:
Census Bureau Quick Facts
History
Multnomah County was created on
December 22, 1854. It was the thirteenth county created in Oregon Territory. The
land was taken from the eastern portion of Washington County and the northern
part of Clackamas County. The borders have remained relatively unchanged to the
present.
Multnomah County was created when the people living in Portland found it
difficult to travel to Hillsboro to conduct business at the county seat of
Washington County. They also thought that they were paying too much in taxes to
support the farmers in the rural areas surrounding Portland. In 1854, Portland
businessmen petitioned the Territorial Legislature for a new county and
Multnomah County was created at the subsequent session. The county was named
after the Multnomah Indians who were part of the Chinookan tribe that lived on
the eastern tip of what is now Sauvie Island in the Columbia River. The City of
Portland was chartered in 1851 and made the county seat in 1854. The Multnomah
County Commissioners met for the first time on January 17, 1855.
Multnomah County is the smallest county in Oregon, with only 465 square miles.
It is bounded by Columbia County and the Columbia River on the north, Washington
County on the west, Clackamas County on the south, and Hood River County on the
east. Multnomah County is very diverse with Portland in the west and the
Columbia Gorge and Mt. Hood in the east. Most of the eastern portion of the
county is covered with timber and is sparsely populated.
The first courthouse was built in 1866. Expanding county business required the
addition of a north wing in 1885 and a south wing in 1889. In 1914 a new
courthouse was completed at the same location.
The voters of Multnomah County approved a home rule charter on May 24, 1966,
which became effective January 1, 1967. The primary organizational change was a
governing body consisting of a board of five full-time county commissioners,
which is the policy determining body of the county. In 1968 the board of
commissioners established administrative departments to operate county services
and administer county affairs. The commissioners change the organization and
duties of departments to meet changing needs. The county commissioners, auditor,
sheriff, and district attorney are elected officials.
The principle industries of Multnomah County are manufacturing, transportation,
wholesale and retail trade, and tourism. Tourism attractions in Multnomah County
include the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, Washington Park and Zoo,
Oregon Historical Society, Portland Art Museum, Rose Test Gardens, and Japanese
Gardens in Portland, and Multnomah Falls in the Columbia River Gorge. The Port
of Portland, established in 1891, exports more wheat from its marine terminals
than any American port. The port also ranks high in overall tonnage and the
importation of automobiles.
The population of Multnomah County has steadily increased since 1860. The 2000
county population of 660,486 represented an increase of 13.12% over 1990. A 2005
estimate put the population at 672,906. Portland is the county's largest city
with a population of well over 550,000.
Neighboring Counties:
Cities and Towns:
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- Fairview |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Gresham |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Happy Valley |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Maywood Park |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Portland
(County Seat) |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Troutdale |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Wood Village |
city |
Incorporated Area |
County Resources:
Enter County Resources and Information Here
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County Resource Guide
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The history of our nation can be seen as a prolonged struggle to define the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local. And the names we've given our counties, our most locally based jurisdictions, reflects the "characteristic
features of our country!"
But age, size and colorful names of our counties isn't the only reason to explore counties' role in American history, or the history of county government itself. In fact, the story of county government reflects the larger meanings of American history.
Today's counties are the most flexible, locally responsive and creative governments in the US. They are the most diverse, varying in size, population, geography, and governmental structure. In their politics and policies, they express a 1990's political slogan "Think globally,
act locally." |
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Penn Foster High School
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