Willamette Stone
State Heritage Site

Near Portland, Oregon, United States

With the exception of portions of the eastern United States and Texas, the United States is divided into a grid of six-mile squares called Townships and Ranges, commonly known as the rectangular survey system. The Willamette Meridian is one of 37 Principal Meridians in the United States, each of which is named, that define the rectangular survey system.


The Willamette Stone is the "Initial Point" or Point of Beginning of the Willamette Meridian. All land surveys and property descriptions in Oregon and Washington are referenced to this point. Established in 1851 under the direction of John B. Preston, the first Surveyor General of the Oregon Territory, the surveys completed from this location promoted settlement of the Northwest and began the transfer of land from government ownership to private ownership.

After a short walk down a hill in the park, you can see, touch and read about this important marker.

mdi-white-balance-sunny Open for day use year round mdi-cellphone Call for info: 800-551-6949
Call park: 503-636-9886
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Amenities & Features

History

This property was acquired in 1945 to preserve the origin point of the land survey system for Oregon and Washington. The park is a small forest tract surrounding the site of a stake in a concrete apron marking the point of intersection of the Willamette Meridian and Willamette Baseline as established June 4, 1851, by John B. Preston, the first Surveyor General of Oregon. It was from this fixed point that all lands in the public domain in Oregon and Washington were sectioned. There is a parking area and trail to the current monument, re-dedicated in 1988.

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