Oregon: Bibliography and Sources

Oregon Atlas of Historical County Boundaries

John H. Long, Editor; Peggy Tuck Sinko, Associate Editor; Emily Kelley, Historical Compiler; Laura Rico-Beck, GIS Specialist and Digital Compiler; Peter Siczewicz, ArcIMS Interactive Map Designer; Robert Will, Cartographic Assistant

Copyright The Newberry Library 2007


Abbott, Newton Carl, and Fred E. Carver. The Evolution of Washington Counties. Yakima, WA: Yakima Valley Genealogical Society and Klickitat County Historical Society, 1978.

Bancroft, Hubert Howe. History of Oregon 1834-1888. 2 vols. San Francisco: The History Company, 1886-1888.

Beckham, Stephen Dow. Land of the Umpqua: A History of Douglas County, Oregon. Roseburg, OR: Douglas County Commissioners, 1986.

Clark, Malcolm, Jr. Eden Seekers: The Settlement of Oregon, 1818-1862. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1981

Clarke, Gordon W. Polk County, Oregon Place Names. Monmouth, OR: Oregon College of Education, 1977.

Corning, Howard McKinley, ed. Dictionary of Oregon History: Compiled from the research files of the former Oregon Writers’ Project with much added material. Portland: Binfords " Mort, 1956.

Dodds, Gordon B. Oregon: A Bicentennial History. New York: W.W. Norton, 1977.

Filby, P. William, comp. Bibliography of American County Histories. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1985.

Haines, Dr. Francis D. The Applegate Trail: Southern Emigrant Route. The Applegate Bicentennial Wagon Train Trek, 1975.

Hayes, Derek. Historical Atlas of British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest. Vancouver: Cavendish Books, 1999.

Historic Douglas County, Oregon 1982. Douglas County Historical Society, 1982.

Historical Atlas Map of Marion and Linn Counties, Oregon. San Francisco: Edgar Williams " Co., 1878. Rpt. Salem, OR: Marion County Historical Society, 1975.

Hitchman, Robert. Place Names of Washington. Washington State Historical Society, 1985.

Holman, Frederick V. “Oregon Counties: Their Creations and the Origins of their Names.” Quarterly of the Oregon Historical Society 11, no. 1 (March 1910): 1-81.

Illustrated History of Lane County Oregon. Portland: A.G. Walling, 1884.

Kane, Joseph Nathan. American Counties: Origins of Names, Dates of Creation and Organization, Area, Population, Historical Data and Published Sources. 3rd ed. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1972.

Loy, William G., Stuart Allan, Clyde P. Patton, and Robert D. Plank. Atlas of Oregon. Eugene: University of Oregon Books, 1976.

McArthur, Lewis A. Oregon Geographic Names. 3rd ed. Portland: Binfords " Mort, 1965.

McArthur, Lewis A. Oregon Place Names. Portland: Binfords " Mort, 1944.

McDonald, Grace E., comp. Check-List of Session Laws. New York: H.W. Wilson Co., 1936. Complemented by Pollock (below), this guide lists all state session laws through 1935.

McDonald, Grace E., comp. Check-List of Statutes of the United States of America, Including Revisions, Compilations, Digests, Codes and Indexes. Providence: Oxford Press, 1937. The most complete guide to state codes through 1937.

Nelson, Earl M., ed. Pioneer History of North Lincoln County, Oregon. Vol. 1. North Lincoln Pioneer and Historical Assoc., comp. McMinneville, OR: Telephone Register Publishing Co., 1951.

Oregon. Oregon Archives: Including the Journals, Governors’ Messages and Public Papers of Oregon, from the Earliest Attempt on the Part of the People to Form a Government, Down to, and Inclusive of the Session of the Territorial Legislature, Held in the Year 1849, Collected and Published Pursuant to an Act of the Legislative Assembly, Passed Jan. 26, 1853. By La Fayette Grover, Commissioner. Salem, Ore., 1853. Cited as Ore. Archives.

Oregon Country 1819-1890: Boundary Changes During Territorial Days and Formation and Changes of County Boundaries. Eugene: Oregon Genealogical Society, Inc. 2004. [Primarily useful for information and maps regarding various pioneer trail routes.]

Oregon. Laws of a General and Local Nature Passed by the Legislative Committee and Legislative Assembly, At Their Various Successive Sessions from the Year 1843, Down to and Inclusive of the Session of the Territorial Legislature, Held in the Year 1849; Except Such Laws of Said Session As Were Published in the Bound Volume of Oregon Statutes, Dated Oregon City, 1851. Salem, Ore., 1853. Cited as Ore. Terr.  Laws, 1843-1849.

Oregon. Oregon Laws. Salem, 1860–. Cited as Ore. Laws.

Oregon. Secretary of State, State Archives Division. “Oregon Blue Book: State Government Homepage.” http://bluebook.state.or.us/ (accessed 7 Dec 2007). The Oregon Blue Book is the official state directory and fact book about all levels of government in Oregon.

Oregon. Secretary of State, State Archives Division. “Provisional and Territorial Records Guide.” http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/ (accessed 7 Dec 2007). Page includes links to maps, synopsis of the Provisional and Territorial periods, and county histories tracing the establishment and evolution of each of the twenty-seven county governments of Oregon Territory and of the Washington counties which originated as part of the Oregon Territory.

Oregon State Legislature. Oregon Revised Statutes. http://www.leg.state.or.us/ors/ (accessed 7 Dec 2007). See: ORS Chapter 201-Boundaries of Counties. Descriptions included annotations.

Oregon Supreme Court. “State v. Branton.” Reports of Cases Decided in the Supreme Court of the State of Oregon. Vol. 33. Salem: W.H. Leeds, 1899. Report of a Supreme Court case involving uncertainties in the boundaries between Lane, Linn and Wasco Counties.

Oregon Supreme Court. “Allison v. Hatton.” Reports of Cases Decided in the Supreme Court of the State of Oregon. Vol. 46. Portland: Geo. A. Batteson " Co., Inc., 1912. Report of a Supreme Court decision involving the boundary of Columbia and Washington counties.

Oregon Territory. Laws of the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Oregon. Oregon City [et al.], 1849-1858. Title varies. The session laws of Oregon Territory. Cited as Ore. Terr. Laws.

Parry, Clive, ed. Consolidated Treaty Series. 231 vols. Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.: Oceana Publications, 1969–1981.

Paullin, Charles O. Atlas of the Historical Geography of the United States. Edited by John K. Wright. Washington, D.C., and New York: Carnegie Institution of Washington and American Geographical Society of New York, 1932. Excellent section on international and interstate boundary disputes.

Pollock, Ervin H., comp. Supplement with Bibliographical Notes, Emendations, and Additions to the Check List of Session Laws, Compiled by Grace E. McDonald. Preliminary ed. Boston: National Association of State Libraries, 1941. Fills gaps in McDonald’s 1935 compilation (above) to produce the most complete list of state session laws through 1935.

Prosch, Thomas W. “Evolution of Spokane and Stevens Counties.” Quarterly of the Oregon Historical Society 5, no. 1 (March 1904): 25-33.

Stephenson, Richard W., comp. Land Ownership Maps: A Checklist of Nineteenth Century United States County Maps in the Library of Congress. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, 1967. Most of the maps listed here have been reproduced on microfiche by the Library of Congress.

Swindler, William F., ed. Sources and Documents of United States Constitutions. 10 vols. Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.: Oceana Publications, 1973-1979. The most complete and up-to-date compilation for the states.

Thorndale, William, and William Dollarhide. Map Guide to the U.S. Federal Censuses, 1790-1920. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing C., 1987.

United States. Statutes at Large of the United States of America,1789-1873. 17 vols. Boston: Little, Brown, 1845-1874, Vols. 18–. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1875–. Cited as U.S. Stat.

U.S. Census Bureau. “Significant Changes to Counties and County Equivalent Entities: 1970–Present.” http://www.census.gov/geo/www/tiger/ctychng.html (accessed 7 Dec 2007)

U.S. Geological Survey. “Geographic Names Information System.” http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic (accessed 7 Dec 2007)

Van Zandt, Franklin K. Boundaries of the United States and the Several States. Geological Survey Professional Paper 909. Washington D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1976. The standard compilation for its subject.

Wheeler, L.M., ed. History of Linn County, Oregon. Portland: Boyce Wheeler Publishing, 1982. Reprint of material originally compiled by Workers of the Writers’ Program of the Work Project Administration and the Linn County Pioneer Memorial Association.