 Clatsop
County was created created out of the northern and western
portions of Tuality District on June 22, 1844 by Oregon's provisional
government. Five days later all of Clatsop County north of the Columbia River
was used to create Vancouver County, in what is now Washington. The Provisional
and Territorial Legislatures further defined Clatsop County's boundaries in 1845
and 1853. The county currently occupies an area of 873 square miles and is bordered
on the west by the Pacific Ocean, on the north by the Columbia River, on the east
by Columbia County, and on the south by Tillamook County. Clatsop County was named
for the Clatsop Indians, one of many Chinook tribes living in Oregon. Before
1850 most of Clatsop County's government activity occurred in Lexington. Astoria,
Oregon's oldest city, was founded in 1811 and as Astoria grew, activities gradually
shifted to that city. Astoria was chosen by electors to be the county seat in
1854 and the first county government sat in Astoria in 1856. The
early sessions of the county court prior to 1855 were held in the homes of county
officials and private citizens, first in Lexington and later in Astoria. In 1855
a two-story frame courthouse was completed. The second courthouse was completed
in 1908 and is still in use. With state court offices using most of the courthouse,
the majority of county offices are now located in administration buildings near
the courthouse. The
first county government was organized in the mid-1840s with the election of justices
of the peace, clerk, sheriff, assessor, treasurer, and the formation of district
courts and the county board of commissioners. In 1964 the county court was replaced
by a board of commissioners. The voters of Clatsop County approved a home rule
charter in 1988, which called for a board of county commissioners as the policy
determining body of the county, and a county administrative officer. The
principle industries of Clatsop County are fishing, lumber, and agriculture. The
Port of Astoria, created in 1914, is one of 23 Oregon port districts that support
the trade and commerce of Oregon. An increasing number of cruise ships now stop
in Astoria as tourists enjoy its shops, history, and nearby attractions. The population
of Clatsop County was 35,630 in 2000, a 6.99% increase over 1990.
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|  The
Clatsop County tourist destination town of Seaside got its name from the famous
hostelry and resort, the Seaside House. Entrepreneur and railroad builder Ben
Holladay built the resort in the 1870s and attracted prominent guests from far
and wide with the sumptuous accommodations. Because the area was so isolated before
the construction of modern highways, several means were used to travel to the
resort.
Some
of the visitors came down the Columbia to a landing point on the Skipanon River,
near Astoria, where they were met by luxuriously appointed stage coaches for the
last leg of their journey. Other guests traveled from San Francisco via Holladay
steamers. Beginning in 1907 Portland area beach lovers took the Spokane, Portland
and Seattle Railway to the beautiful Seaside setting. The line remained popular
until World War II but has since been removed. | |
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