Page:Centennial History of Oregon 1811-1912, Volume 1.djvu/657

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The organization of the counties of Oregon commenced with the Provisional Government. At the popular sovereignity meeting of the people held at Cham- poeg (then called and spelled "Charapooick") on May 2, 1843, a legislative com- mittee was appointed by the sovereign people at that meeting and instructed to prepare a Code of Laws and report the same to a meeting to be held on July 5, 1843. No authority was conferred upon the committee to divide the country into Districts or counties ; but the committee assumed that power believing it to be a necessary part of their duty under the circumstances, and recommended the following: "The First District, to be called the Tuality District, comprising all the country south of the northern boundary line of the United States, west of the Willamette or Multnomah river, north of the Yamhill river, and east of the Pa- cific Ocean.

"Second District, to be called the Yamhill District, embracing all the country west of the Willamette, or Multnomah river, and a supposed line running north and south from said river, south of the Yamhill river to the parallel of 42° north latitude, or the boundary line of the United States and California, and east of the Pacific Ocean.

"Third District, to be called the Clackamas District, comprehending all the territory not included in the other three districts.

"Fourth District, to be called the Champooick District, and bounded on the north by a supposed line drawn from the mouth of the Anchiyoke (Pudding) river, running due east to the Rocky mountains, west by the Willamette or Mult- nomah river, and a supposed line running due south from said river to the paral- lel of 42 ° north latitude ; south by the boundary line of the United States and California-, and east by the summit of the Rocky Mountains.

"The committee recommended that the above districts be designated as 'Oregon Territory.

Clackamas county is distinguished in the history of the State as the first center of American population; and as having in it the first established town (Oregon City), and as having the first mercantile establishments, the first saw mill, the first fiour mill, the first newspaper, the firet Capital of the future State, and the first and only mint to coin and issue money in the United States, independent of the United States.

The Census returns of population for Clackamas county are as follows: for the year 1850—1,859; 1860—3,466; 1870—5,993; 1880—9,260; 1890-15,233; 1900—19,658; 1910—29,931.

Subsequently the Provisional Government legislature created the districts of Clatsop and Polk, and in 1845 changed the name of district to that of county.