Brief
History:
Jefferson County was
created on Dec. 12, 1914, out of territory
that was once part of Crook County.
The county was named after Mount
Jefferson, the second highest peak in
Oregon with an elevation of 10,497 feet,
which marks the county's western
skyline. The county is bounded on the
north by Wasco County, on the east by
Wheeler
and Crook Counties, on the south by
Deschutes County, and on the west by Linn
and Marion Counties. The county
encompasses 1791 square miles.
Madras, named after the city in
India, was incorporated in 1911 and serves
as the county seat. A new county
courthouse
was built in 1961. County government
is administered by a three-member board of
commissioners.
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