Tillamook County was created by the legislative assembly on Dec. 15, 1853, from portions of Yamhill and Clatsop Counties. It was named for the Tillamook Indians. Tillamook County is bounded on the north by Clatsop County, on the east by Washington and Yamhill Counties, on the south by Polk County, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean.
The first US contact in the area was in 1788, when Robert Gray entered Tillamook Bay in the sloop Lady Washington to provision his ship. In a skirmish with local Indians, Gray's servant, Marcos Lopez was killed. The ship's clerk named the bay "Murderer's Bay." There is also an Indian legend of a Spanish ship which was wrecked in Nehalem Bay in the mid 1700s.
Lewis and Clark visited the area in 1805-1806. The Tillamook Tribe, a branch of the Salish people, inhabited the Tillamook Bay and Nehalem Bay areas. The tribe numbered 2,200 in 1806, but disease reduced the tribe's population to 200 in 1849. The earliest white settlement in the area was the town of Tillamook, formally known as Hoquarten by the Indians or "The Landing" by early white settlers. The settlement was situated on a prairie above the east bank of the bay. The first settler, Joseph Champion, arrived in 1851. By 1852, families had begun settling in the area.
Series Descriptions for Tillamook County
1852-1860
.1 cubic feet
Calendar Microfilm
Series used to assess real and personal property in order to determine tax liabilities. Assessment rolls show tax year, taxpayer's name, real and personal property values, taxes assessed, and assessor's name. Items assessed include gold dust, scrip, land, livestock, boats, and wagons. Series is not arranged.
1854-1858
.1 cubic feet
Calendar Microfilm
Series used to document county population and to report statistics to the territorial government. Census rolls show resident's name; number of legal voters, adult males and females, males aged 10 to 21, females aged 10 to 18, and males and females under age 10; totals; census date: and census taker's certification. Series is not arranged.
1854-1857
.1 cubic feet
Microfilm Reel 14
Series documents the payment of county expenses by the county court. Ledger entries show court term, date order issued, payee's name, order number, amount of order, and total expenses for the term. Series is arranged chronologically by date of court term.