Editing Clatsop County, Oregon (section)

==History==
The [[Lewis and Clark Expedition]] stayed for the winter of 1805–06 in the area, establishing [[Fort Clatsop]] as one of the earliest American structures on the west coast of North America. [[Astoria, Oregon|Astoria]], Oregon's oldest settlement, was established as a fur trading post in 1811 and named after [[John Jacob Astor]].

Clatsop County was created from the northern and western portions of the original [[Twality District]] on June 22, 1844. Until the creation of [[Vancouver District]] five days later, Clatsop County extended north across the Columbia into present-day [[Washington (state)|Washington]]. The Provisional and Territorial Legislatures further altered Clatsop County's boundaries in 1845 and 1853.

Before 1850 most of Clatsop County's government activity occurred in Lexington, a community located where [[Warrenton, Oregon|Warrenton]] is now. However, commercial and social activities came to center on Astoria as that city grew, and an election in 1854 chose Astoria to be the new county seat.

[[Fort Stevens (Oregon)|Fort Stevens]], located near the peninsula formed by the south shore of the Columbia river and the Pacific Ocean, became the only continental US military installation attacked in [[World War II]], when submarine I-25 of the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]] [[Bombardment of Fort Stevens|fired 17 rounds]] at the base on June 21, 1942. The submarine escaped when the order was given not to return fire with the {{convert|10|in|mm|adj=on}} shore guns. While the damage caused was slight (reportedly only a baseball backstop was damaged and a powerline severed), the presence of the enemy ship sowed panic along the Pacific coast of the United States, and other minor attacks occurred elsewhere in the region, including [[Vancouver Island]].

In 1975, Clatsop County commissioners considered seceding from Oregon and becoming a part of [[Washington (state)|Washington]].<ref name="plans">{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=tN0PAAAAIBAJ&pg=3926,4897605&dq=clatsop+county&hl=en |title=Clatsop County changes plans |date=March 23, 1975 |agency=Associated Press |publisher=Ellensburg Daily Record |access-date=March 21, 2010 }}{{Dead link|date=February 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The movement was based on disagreements residents of the county had with Governor [[Bob Straub]].<ref name="welcome">{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AXghAAAAIBAJ&pg=3191,6974479&dq=clatsop+county+secede&hl=en |title=Clatson 'not welcome' |date=March 23, 1975 |agency=Associated Press |publisher=Tri City Herald |access-date=March 21, 2010 }}{{Dead link|date=February 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The movement was created after [[Alumax Corporation]] canceled their plans to build a plant in the county.<ref name="want out">{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=rN0PAAAAIBAJ&pg=5864,4105324&dq=clatsop+county+secede&hl=en |title=They want out |date=March 18, 1975 |work=Ellensburg Daily Record |access-date=March 21, 2010 }}{{Dead link|date=February 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Some residents, including two county commissioners, blamed the Oregon Governor for the relocation of the plant.<ref name="want out"/> The [[State of Washington]]'s [[List of Governors of Washington|Governor]], [[Daniel J. Evans]], said the county was not welcome in the state<ref name="welcome"/> and Clatsop County commissioners later abandoned the idea.<ref name="plans"/>