Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Early Oregon census and tax records, 1842-1880
Overview of the Collection
- Title
- Early Oregon census and tax records
- Dates
- 1842-1880 (inclusive)18421880
- Quantity
- 0.5 cubic feet, (1 document box and 2 oversize folders)
- Collection Number
- Mss 1
- Summary
- An artificial collection consisting of early census and tax records from the Oregon Provisional and Territorial Government and early Oregon statehood. Records date from 1842 to 1880.
- Repository
-
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org - Access Restrictions
-
Collection is open for research.
- Languages
- English
Historical NoteReturn to Top
The Provisional Government of Oregon was formally established in 1843 to provide a legal system for settlers in the Oregon Country. The Provisional Government covered a region that includes parts of present-day Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. The Oregon Territory was created in 1848 following the signing of the Oregon Treaty by the U.S. and Britain in 1846, which established U.S. sovereignty over Oregon Country below the 49th parallel. The state of Oregon, which was formed out of the southwestern portion of Oregon Territory, joined the union on February 14, 1859.
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Joseph Meek, Elijah White, and Charles Wells were among those who gathered census information prior to Oregon's statehood. Joseph Meek was a nineteenth-century fur trapper, politician, and law enforcement official in the Oregon Country and Oregon Territory of the United States. Elijah White was a doctor, missionary, and agent for the federal government in Oregon Country. Charles Wells was a surveyor and assessor in Benton County, Oregon Territory, in the 1850s.
Other Descriptive InformationReturn to Top
Collection was titled "Oregon census records" prior to 2020.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
This collection consists of early census and tax records from the Oregon provisional and territorial governments and early Oregon statehood. The materials in this collection were gathered from early, mostly pre-1958, Oregon Historical Society Research Library accessions of census and tax-related records. The early census and tax records document demographic and economic data for what are now portions of Oregon and California. Original census records include Elijah White's 1842 census; an 1849 census of males over the age of 21; Jackson County census rolls, circa 1854-1855 and 1858; a Washington County census, 1856; a Washington County tax roll, 1852; and an agricultural census for Clackamas County, 1870. Typescript and photostat reproductions of census records include Joseph Meek's Census of Oregon, 1845; Charles Wells' Benton County census, 1854; the United States Census roll for Coos County, 1860; and a partial typescript of the 1880 United States Census for Wasco County. The collection also includes reports of the 1850 census for Butte and Calaveras counties in California.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Alternative Forms Available
Selected records from 1854 to 1870 are viewable online in OHS Digital Collections.
Alternative Forms Available
Access copies of Mss 1 are also available on microfilm at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Preferred Citation
Early Oregon census and tax records, Mss 1, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Restrictions on Use
The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Acquisition Information
Joe Meek census of Oregon, 1852, donated by Standard Insurance Company prior to 1958 (Lib. Acc. 7419). Agricultural census for Clackamas County, 1870, was the gift of David Duniway prior to 1958 (Lib. Acc. 7777).
Location of Originals
Originals of the Joe Meek Census of Oregon, 1845; The schedule of free inhabitants in Coquille Precinct in the county of Coos in Oregon, 1860; and The schedule of population, Eaton Precinct, Wasco County, Oregon, 1880, are held by the Oregon State Archives.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 1 | 1 | First census of Oregon as taken by Joseph L. Meek (Photostat) | 1845 |
| 1 | 2 | First census of Oregon as taken by Joseph L. Meek for Yamhill County (Typescript) | 1845 |
| 1 | 3 | Names of males over 21 years | 1849 |
| 1 | 4 | Elijah White's census of Oregon (photocopy) | 1842 |
| 1 | 5 | Elijah White's census of Oregon | 1842 |
| 1 | 6 | Enumeration of the inhabitants of Benton County Oregon Territory as taken by Charles Wells (typescript) | 1854 |
| 1 | 7 | Census report for Butte County, California (typescript) | 1850 |
| 1 | 8 | Census report for Butte County, California (typescript) | 1850 |
| 1 | 9 | Census report for Calavaras County, California (typescript) | 1850 |
| 1 | 10 | Schedule of free inhabitants in Coquille Precinct in the county of Coos in Oregon (typescript) | 1860 |
| 1 | 11 | Jackson County census roll | circa 1854 |
| 1 | 12 | Jackson County census roll | 1855 |
| 1 | 13 | Jackson County census roll | 1858 |
| 1 | 14 | Schedule of population, Eaton Precinct, Wasco County, Oregon (typescript) | 1880 |
| 1 | 15 | Washington County census roll | 1856 |
| OS B1 | 1 | Washington County tax roll | 1852 |
| OS B1 | 2 | Washington County census roll (photostat) | 1850 |
| OS B1 | 2 | Agricultural census for Clackamas County | 1870 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Geographical Names
- Benton County (Or.)--Census, 1854
- Butte County (Calif.)--Census, 1850
- Calaveras County (Calif.)--Census, 1850
- Coos County (Or.)--Census, 1860
- Jackson County (Or.)--Census
- Oregon--Census
- Wasco County (Or.)--Census, 1880
- Washington County (Or.)--Census, 1856
Form or Genre Terms
- census records
Other Creators
-
Personal Names
- Meek, Joseph Lafayette, 1810-1875 (creator)
- Wells, Charles (creator)
- White, Elijah, 1806-1879 (creator)
