Did searching in Portland city directories, or in Gresham and rural directories help you find all the past residents of your house? If not, try these other resources and strategies.
Search digitized newspapers
You may be able to find news articles, rental or real estate advertisements, or funeral notices that reference your house.
- Search for your house’s address in the library's Oregon Journal (1902-1982) and Historical Oregonian (1861-1987) databases.
- To search newspapers published in Gresham and other cities, try the University of Oregon Libraries’ Historic Oregon Newspapers.
Search tips
- If your house was built before the early 1930s, don’t forget to search for your house’s old street address.
- Use quotes to search for a phrase (eg. “468 Roselawn” or “124 SW Meade”).
- Experiment with keywords. Think about what words a homeowner might have included in a classified ad, or what words a journalist might have used in a local news story.
- If you know the name of an early resident, try searching for it.
- If you get really stuck, we can help! Contact us by email, phone or chat – or ask for help at any library.
Contact your local library
If you live in Clackamas or Washington county, your local library can help. They are experts about their cities and neighborhoods. Get in touch with your librarians through Washington County Cooperative Library Services or Libraries In Clackamas County.
Search for early owners
If you can't find a list of residents, you can look for a list of owners. After all, they might have lived in the house too! By combing through the property records at your county assessor or recorder's office (in person), you can compile a list of previous owners. Find owners from 1850 to present. You might also find the names of people who owned the land before your house was built.
- If your house is in Multnomah County, you can find records at the Public Records Access room at the Multnomah County Division of Assessment and Taxation.
- To research previous owners of property in Clackamas County, visit the Recording Division of the Clackamas County Clerk's office.
- For Washington County records, go to the Recording Division of the Washington County Assessment and Taxation Division.
Written property records
The location where Portland was built has always been a place of meeting, commerce and culture. First for Indigenous people and then for settlers and immigrants. Local tribes did not originally use written documents to record how they used and owned the land. When Oregon became a U.S. territory and then a state, the government created a system of property ownership documents. These documents helped solidify the newcomers’ claims to own and control the land. This is why written property records go back to the 1850s, but no earlier.
Out-of-date addresses
If your house was in an unincorporated area when it was built, but it’s in a city now, it’s possible that it has had a couple of different addresses over time. Contact a librarian for help researching old addresses.
Ask us!
If you have more questions, or find yourself in a research puzzle, the library can help. Contact us by email, chat, or telephone and explain where you’re stuck. We’ll do our best to help you find the answers you need.