Hi, While its "official" boundaries for a couple years ending in 1859 did indeed include a large part of present Idaho, a small corner of present Wyoming, and a tiny sliver of present Montana, there was not at any time during this period any white population in any of those areas. In fact, the entire "county" prior to statehood in 1859 consisted of a handful of families making their livings from the small army post at Fort Dalles, all living within yards of the post or on it. There were so few white men that the county offices (commissioner, sheriff, auditor, accessor, etc.) had to be assigned, two or three offices per man. It is certainly not true that people searching for early Idaho pioneers can find records in Wasco County. Several Oregon counties were formed decades later from Wasco, and in these cases some old records may exist in Wasco. Washington Territory was formed in 1853 (before Wasco County), Idaho Territory was formed from Washington Territory in 1863. Kevin Fraley ----- Original Message ----- From: "Pete Wasser" <petew@netcnct.net> To: <OREGON-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, February 21, 2002 11:39 AM Subject: [OREGON] Large counties downsizing > Karen, > In the book I quoted from is this explanation: "1850, Clackamas, Marion > and Linn extended by statute to the Rocky Mountains, but the 1850 census > population lay west of the Cascade Mountains." > > I live in Wasco county. It covered four states including Idaho, Montana > and Wyoming. Wasco county was the largest county in the U.S. People > unaware of its history would not know to contact the governmental > offices here in Wasco county to search for records of their ancestors in > newer counties that were formed later. The records are not sent to the > newly formed counties, they remain with the original counties. > > In 1860 Idaho was considered a part of the "Washington Territory". It > became "Idaho Territory" around 1870. By 1870 Wasco county had been > downsized and the counties of Umatilla, Union, Grant and Baker were > formed in eastern Oregon. > > > ==== OREGON Mailing List ==== > Welcome to the OREGON LIST > To Search the OREGON-L or leave the lists use this link to the Oregon-L > web site http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/usa/OR/misc.html > Oregon Archives http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/ > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 >

I beg to differ. There were settlements before 1859 - in Nez Perce, Idaho already as early as 1843 in Camas Prairie. Then there's the settlement at Franklin, Idaho. Not to mention the Whitman Mission settlement that changed over to Walla Walla within short time. And "decades later" as you said so from Wasco, I beg to differ also Baker County 1862 Grant County 1864 Umatilla County 1862 Lake County 1874 Records go back that early. David Samuelsen Kevin Fraley wrote: > > Hi, > While its "official" boundaries for a couple years ending in 1859 > did indeed include a large part of present Idaho, a small corner of > present Wyoming, and a tiny sliver of present Montana, there was not > at any time during this period any white population in any of those > areas. In fact, the entire "county" prior to statehood in 1859 > consisted of a handful of families making their livings from the small > army post at Fort Dalles, all living within yards of the post or on > it. There were so few white men that the county offices > (commissioner, sheriff, auditor, accessor, etc.) had to be assigned, > two or three offices per man. It is certainly not true that people > searching for early Idaho pioneers can find records in Wasco County. > Several Oregon counties were formed decades later from Wasco, and in > these cases some old records may exist in Wasco. Washington Territory > was formed in 1853 (before Wasco County), Idaho Territory was formed > from Washington Territory in 1863. > > Kevin Fraley > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Pete Wasser" <petew@netcnct.net> > To: <OREGON-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Thursday, February 21, 2002 11:39 AM > Subject: [OREGON] Large counties downsizing > > > Karen, > > In the book I quoted from is this explanation: "1850, Clackamas, > Marion > > and Linn extended by statute to the Rocky Mountains, but the 1850 > census > > population lay west of the Cascade Mountains." > > > > I live in Wasco county. It covered four states including Idaho, > Montana > > and Wyoming. Wasco county was the largest county in the U.S. People > > unaware of its history would not know to contact the governmental > > offices here in Wasco county to search for records of their > ancestors in > > newer counties that were formed later. The records are not sent to > the > > newly formed counties, they remain with the original counties. > > > > In 1860 Idaho was considered a part of the "Washington Territory". > It > > became "Idaho Territory" around 1870. By 1870 Wasco county had been > > downsized and the counties of Umatilla, Union, Grant and Baker were > > formed in eastern Oregon. > > > > > > ==== OREGON Mailing List ==== > > Welcome to the OREGON LIST > > To Search the OREGON-L or leave the lists use this link to the > Oregon-L > > web site http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/usa/OR/misc.html > > Oregon Archives http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/ > > > > ============================== > > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy > records, go to: > > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > > > > ==== OREGON Mailing List ==== > Welcome to the OREGON LIST > To Search the OREGON-L or leave the lists use this link to the Oregon-L > web site http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/usa/OR/misc.html > Oregon Archives http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/ > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237