Polk County" which was passed by the Provisional Legislature December 20, 1847 ("Oregon Archives," page 237).
Polk County is now bounded: on the north by Yamhill County; on the east by the Willamette River, its common boundary with Marion County; on the south by Benton County, and a small portion of Lincoln County; and on the west by a portion of Lincoln County and a small portion of Tillamook County. Its county seat is Dallas.
As I have said, by an Act of the Provisional Legislature, approved Devember 22, 1845, the name District was changed to County. Thereafter all former Districts were called Counties. This Act was approved the same day the Act creating Polk District was approved.
Benton County.
Benton County was created December 23, 1847, by the Provisional Legislature. (General and Special Laws of 1843-9, page 50.) It comprised the southern portion of the original Yamhill District out of which Polk District had been created. Benton County, at the time of its creation, was all of the original Polk District from the re-established southern line of Polk County to the California north line. Prior to the creation of Umpqua County, January 24, 1851, a new southern line of Benton County was established by an Act of the Territorial Legislature passed January 15, 185 1. The description of this line in Section 1 of said Act is as follows:
"The southern boundary of Benton [County] shall be located as follows: commencing in the middle of the channel of the Wallamet River, at a point where a line, running west, will pass three miles south of the ford on Long Tom [River] (near Roland Hinton's field), and running due west to the Pacific Ocean." (Local Laws of 1850-1, page 34).
It is named for Senator Thomas H. Benton, of Missouri, who, for many years, had been a strong advocate for Oregon.
Benton County is now bounded: on the north by Polk
