Columbia County Courthouse at St. Helens, Oregon, 1963
COLLECTION
Ben Maxwell
DESCRIPTION
This is the Columbia County courthouse in St.Helens as seen on August 18, 1963. Columbia County was created January 16, 1854, by the territorial legislature. It comprised the northeast part of Washington County as it was after Clatsop County had been created. It was named for the Columbia River, its northern and eastern boundary. St.Helens is its county seat. The area of Columbia County is 693 square miles. The community of St.Helens was founded by Captain H.M. Knighton, a pioneer of 1845. Records indicate that Knighton, who was a mariner, was born in New England. The name of the place was changed from Plymouth to Saint Helens in the latter part of 1850 because of the proximity to Mount Saint Helens, Washington. Vancouver named the mountain in honor of Baron Saint Helens, British ambassador to Spain in 1790-94, who negotiated the Nootka treaty in Madrid. Saint Helens post office was established with the name Plymouth, April 9, 1850, with William H. Tappan as postmaster.
DATE
1963, August 18
SUBJECTS
Saint Helens, Oregon; courthouse; Columbia County; Knighton, H.M.; Tappan, William H.; Saint Helens, Baron
