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Territorial Legislature creates Pierce County on December 22,
1852. HistoryLink.org Essay 7981 : Printer-Friendly Format On
December 22, 1852, the Oregon Territorial legislature in Salem
creates Pierce County. It does so by partitioning off a portion
of Thurston County. Pierce County, along with Island, Jefferson,
King, Thurston, Pacific, Lewis, and Clark, becomes one of
Washington Territory's original counties when Washington
Territory is separated from Oregon Territory on March 2, 1853.
Thurston County, Oregon Territory, had existed as such for
exactly one year before Pierce County was divided from it.
Thurston County, Oregon Territory, encompassed the future King,
Island, Jefferson, Chehalis, Mason, and Pierce counties, as well
as (smaller) Thurston County, Washington. When Thurston County,
Oregon Territory, was created it was divided into five
precincts. Of these, Steilacoom precinct roughly corresponded
with the boundaries of what would become Pi