When Oregon pioneers settled in the Pacific Northwest, they brought their own remedies to treat sickness and disease. Their medicine ranged from cobwebs for cuts to spirit-soaked sunflowe...
Two centuries ago, land that is now Multnomah County was home to thriving communities of Native Americans.
By 1854, local government was established in the Portland area with the purpose of conducting elections, collecting taxes, building roads and bridges, trying court cases, and providing care for the...
By 1890, local government was just starting to embrace public health. City officials were combating contaminated drinking water, food-borne diseases and sickness among children.
When the Great Depression struck, the health department faced a growing demand for services with less money to provide them. With declining tax revenue, the county struggled to meet the need. Then,...
In 1968, a long-discussed merger finally took place between the county and the City of Portland, making the Multnomah County the sole public health authority in the area.
To address the inefficiencies in the county’s services, the county developed a long-range plan to re-distribute the indigent sick to private, community hospitals. By 1973, the county contracted wit...
The county continued to expand its services to serve emerging needs in the community. Pre-natal and family care and treatment for sexually-transmitted diseases topped the list. As demand for county...
The Health Department’s 160-year history has been marked by employees’ abilities to identify emerging issues. In the county’s earliest years, sanitation and care for the indigent sick was a key con...
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