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Polk County, OR
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 Established:
Dec. 22, 1845
Population: 64,000 (2003)
Elev. at Dallas: 325'
Area: 745 sq. mi.
Average Temp.: January 39.1°, July 65.6°
Assessed Value: $3,297,143,255
Real Market Value: $4,871,835,926
Annual Precipitation: 51.66"
Economy: Agriculture, forest products, manufacturing,
electronics and education.
Incorporated Cities: Dallas | Falls City | Independence |
Monmouth | Salem | Willamina
Points of Interest: Western Oregon University, covered bridges,
historic courthouse, Brunk House, Baskett Slough Wildlife
Refuge, mountain scenery, wineries, National Historic Trail,
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Headquarters and Spirit
Mountain Casino.
General Information: Polk County was created from the original
Yamhill district in 1845, by the Provisional Legislature. It was
named for then President James Knox Polk. The first county seat
was at Cynthia Ann. City officials later changed its name to
Dallas, after Vice-President George M. Dallas, and moved the
community about a mile to improve its water supply.
The first courthouse was at Cynthia Ann. A second courthouse
burned in 1898 and was replaced with the present building, built
with sandstone quarried three miles west of Dallas. A
three-story office annex was completed in 1966. Polk County
Human Services was consolidated in the newly acquired Academy
Building in 1989.
Traveling back roads in Polk County will reveal many
attractions, from covered bridges and pleasant parks to
vineyards, wineries, and bed and breakfast lodgings spotting the
surrounding hills. Many roads meander through beautiful fertile
valleys from the Willamette River to the timbered foothills of
the Coast Range. Polk County was the primary destination of
early wagon trains which took the southern route to Oregon.
Cities located in Polk County include Dallas, Independence,
Monmouth, Falls City and portions of Salem and Willamina.
County Officials: Commissioners—Ron Dodge (D) 2007, Mike Propes,
(R) 2008, Tom Ritchey (R) 2007; Dist. Atty. John Fisher (NP)
2008; Assess. Dennis Day (R) 2009; Clerk Valerie Unger (NP)
2009; Sheriff Robert Wolfe (NP) 2007; Surv. Eric Berry; Treas.
Linda Fox (NP) 2009; Co. Admin. Greg P. Hansen. |
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County History |
The Provisional Legislature created Polk County from
Yamhill District on December 22, 1845. The county was named
after President James Knox Polk and originally included the
entire southwestern portion of present day Oregon to the
California border. County boundaries were periodically changed
to reflect the creation of Benton and Lincoln Counties. Polk
County today contains 745 square miles and stretches from the
Willamette River on the east to the Coast Range on the west. It
is bordered by Yamhill, Lincoln, Benton, and Marion Counties.
The first county seat was a settlement on the north side of
Rickreall Creek named Cynthian (also known as Cynthia Ann). In
1852 city officials changed the name to Dallas after Vice
President George M. Dallas. By 1856, the lack of an adequate
source of drinking water compelled the town to move more than a
mile to the south. During the 1880s and 1890s, Dallas withstood
efforts to move the county seat to nearby Independence.
Three courthouses have served Polk County. The first was built
in Cynthian in 1851 but was dismantled when the town was moved.
Soon thereafter the county built a second courthouse in Dallas,
but it was destroyed by fire in 1898. Construction of the
present courthouse began the same year and was completed in
1900. In 1966 the county completed a three-story annex. Further
expansion occurred in 1989 when the Polk County Human Services
Department was consolidated in the newly acquired Academy
Building.
For over a century, Polk County was governed by a county court.
By the early 1960s the county court in Polk County had ceased to
exercise judicial power and was renamed the board of
commissioners. The board of commissioners acts as the governing
body for the county and is responsible for county
administration, management, and policy.
Polk County's 2000 population of 62,380 represented an increase
of 25.92% over 1990.
The major industries of the county are agriculture, forest
products, manufacturing, and education. Western Oregon
University is located in Monmouth. |
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