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Wasco County ORGenWeb is a free genealogical site about the history of the Oregon county. It is a member of ORGenWeb, which is a member of USGenWeb®. We hope you find helpful clues for your research of Wasco County ancestors.

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Are you familiar with the area? Do you have a family tree connection to the area? Please consider contributing your pieces of Wasco County family history. Corrections, updates, and additions to this site are always welcome. Our combined efforts can make this a great site for all who visit!

Co-County Coordinator: YOU? If you have a sincere interest in the genealogy of Wasco County, and if you are willing to help others along their family history journey, but website maintenance doesn't appeal to you, consider becoming a Co-CC. As Co-CC you would reply to email inquiries, contribute content, monitor the website, .... Contact us to give it a try.

County Coordinator: Norma Hass normahass01@gmail.com

State Coordinator: Bob Jenkins orgenweb01@gmail.com

COUNTY FORMATION

Wasco County is named for the Wasco (or Wascopam) tribe of Indians that lived south of the Columbia River, near The Dalles. When Wasco County was created from portions of Clackamas, Marion, Linn, and Lane Counties on January 11, 1854, it consisted of all of Oregon Territory between the Cascade Range and the Rocky Mountains and from latitude 42deg. (the California border) to latitude 46deg. (the Washington border). This was the largest county ever formed in the United States, originally consisting of 130,000 square miles. Portions of Wasco County as it was originally drawn now lie in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. Over the years, seventeen other counties in eastern Oregon were created from Wasco County, which now consists of 2,387 square miles. It is bordered by two rivers, the Columbia to the north and the Deschutes to the east, and by the Warm Springs Indian Reservation on the south and Mt. Hood National Forest on the west. Wasco County shares political boundaries with Sherman, Wheeler, Jefferson, Clackamas, and Hood River Counties. The Dalles was designated the county seat when the county was formed in 1854. Courthouses were built in 1859, 1884, and in 1914. All three buildings are standing today and the 1914 building is still in use as the county courthouse.