Washington County.
The name of Twality County was changed to Washington by the first Territorial Legislature by an Act passed September 3, 1849. ^ was on ly after a long and tedious search that I was able to find this Act. After going through, page by page, the Journals of the House of Representatives and Council for the session of the Legislature begun and held at Oregon City, July 16, 1849, an d also the compilation of the laws of that session, I was unable to find that this Act passed both Houses, or to find the Act itself. I did find that the Act had passed the Council. The Local Laws for the session of 1850-1 has no index and I went through this book, page by page, and was rewarded by finding on pages 53 and 54 the three Acts, each passed by the Territorial Legislature September 3, 1849, changing the names of the Counties of Twality, Champooick and Vancouver. One of said Acts provides: "That the name of the county commonly called 'Faulitz' o- 'Falatine' be and the same is changed to Washington." (Local Laws of 1850-1, page 54).
Of course this County is named for George Washington. Washington County is now bounded: on the north by Columbia County; on the east by Multnomah County and portions of Columbia and Clackamas Counties; on the south by Yamhill County, a small portion of Clackamas County, and a very small portion of Tillamook County; and on the west by Tillamook County. Its county seat is Hillsboro.
Hillsboro is situated on the Donation Land Claim of David Hill, and was named for him. David Hill was a member of the Executive Committee of three of the Provisional Government elected by the people on July 5, 1843, to serve one year, the other two being Alanson Beers and Joseph Gale, who were practically the first governors of Oregon. The name of the town has been Hillsboro ever since it was platted. Prior to the time it was platted it was apparently called Columbus. In a letter now in the possession of the Oregon Historical Society,
