What is the Early Oregonian database?
The Early Oregonian database is a Sesquicentennial project that attempts to document all individuals who lived in Oregon prior to statehood through 1860.
How many Early Oregonians were there?
There are approximately 105,500 Early Oregonians represented in the database.
How can I search for early Oregonians?
Name: Enter either a first or last name. At the present time, at least one character is required in a name field. Note: the application at this time cannot search for middle names. It is advised to omit the middle name when searching.The database will display results as an exact match unless the wildcard character is used. Once the search criteria are entered and you click search, the database will display the search results in a list. Clicking on the hyperlinked name will navigate you to the Person Profile, which is a page representing all the information we have gathered on this particular Early Oregonian. The Person Profile also lists any additional information such as associated records and federal census records in their own tabs. State census records will be displayed in the associated records tab. You can also navigate between Person Profiles by clicking the “Next” and “Previous” links. There are also page numbers at the top of the page, as the database will only display 20 results per page. Clicking on the numbered pages will navigate through the search results.
County: A location can also be used in searching. At the present time, only one county can be selected. The list includes all current Oregon counties plus additional counties of Champoeg, Clark, Island, King, Lewis, Pacific, Pierce, Thurston, Tuality and Vancouver.
Date Range: A date range can be very helpful when searching. The date range for Early Oregonians is 1700 – 1970. For example, if you wanted to find all Early Oregonians that lived in Marion County 1850 – 1880. If you are using the date range, the end date is not required. If left blank, the database will default to 1970.
Is there a wildcard? Yes. The wildcard character (*) can be used along with at least two other characters. For example, searching for Smith last name and Jo* for first name will return all the Smiths last name and contains Jo in the first name. The wildcard can be used on either last name or first name.
Are there special characters I can use in the search? Yes. There are currently three special characters. The apostrophe (‘), dash (-), and space ( ) can be used in searching. For example, O’Neal, A-Wi-Yw Lucy.
Are there any tips for interpreting search results?
Yes. As you look at the search results it will be helpful to keep in mind the difference between the way records are stored and the way they are retrieved and presented.
Records are stored in the order that they are entered into the database. In the case of the Early Oregonians records, this is the order in which information about those people was discovered or gleaned from various information sources.
Records are displayed in alphabetical order, sorted first on last name, then first name, then middle initial.
In order to achieve a reasonable response time for your search requests, we limit the number of records that we will present to you as search results. Currently that limit is 200 results. Searches that exceed 200 results will not be displayed. Instead you will see a message stating to please refine your search.
Search results are sorted into alphabetical order after they are retrieved, not before. This was done to shorten the response time.
Do I need to log in to use the Early Oregonian database?
No. The login feature is used for the Trademark application. You are free to browse the Early Oregonian database without logging in.
How often will the data be updated?
The data will be updated every quarter.
How can I purchase records of Early Oregonians?
You can purchase records by contacting the Reference Desk.
How can I ask questions about the Early Oregonians?
You can send questions to Early.Oregonians@state.or.us