Our History

Founded in 1845 at the End of the Oregon Trail, the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office was among the first in the Oregon Territory.

Oregon City, the county seat of Clackamas County, was the first incorporated city west of the Rocky Mountains, the first capital of the territorial government in 1848, and the site of the first state legislative session. It was designated in the 1980s by the National Park Service as the official “End of the Oregon Trail,” the 2,000-mile road that brought pioneers from Independence, Mo. to the Northwest.

One of the first Sheriffs in the Oregon Territory was William Livingston Holmes. He was elected to the position in 1845 and served until 1852. Holmes was an interesting man who also dabbled in politics and education. His historic home, the Rose Farm, has been preserved as a museum in Oregon City. It was the second-oldest mansion in the city in 1847. In 1848, Territorial Governor Joseph Lane was inaugurated on the balcony and held the first Territorial legislative session in the ballroom of the home.

Established on July 5, 1843, Clackamas County is named for the resident Clackamas Native American tribe, and is one of the four original Oregon counties. As capital of the Oregon Territory, Oregon City was also the site of the only federal and district courts west of the Rockies. In 1850, when San Francisco was platted, officials from the California city had to file the map in Clackamas County. The original plat hangs in a museum in Oregon City.

The territorial capital eventually was moved to Salem, and the U.S. Court was later relocated to Portland.

Over the past 177 years, CCSO has grown into one of the most respected Sheriff's Offices in the Pacific Northwest —featuring superb training, a supportive workplace, and over 500 employees serving an appreciative community.