Jefferson’s post office opened in 1861, and 13% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 55% of U.S. towns · #43 of 142 in Oregon. What drives it
Its Register listings are the Jacob Conser House, the Jefferson Methodist Church and the Witten, T.M., and Emma, Drug Store-House. Below: 3 old photos and papers, maps from 1890 on, and the census since 1890.
Founding year: the first Jefferson post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1870.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Jefferson’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Jefferson is more historic than 55% of U.S. towns, #43 of 142 in Oregon. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Jefferson’s overall grade.
Oregon towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Oregon town has 2.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Jefferson’s 9.1 sits above most of its state (68% of Oregon towns have fewer) while its 3 listings outnumber those of 65% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to B+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±6.7 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata’s 1870 falls in the same era, so the grade doesn’t depend on which one is used.
Founding year: the first post office (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Jefferson’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
1890Sheet 1 of 1
Edition
Sheets
BrickWoodStone
Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
On the map
Jefferson on the map, 1912 to 1970
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Jefferson. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1912Jefferson sheet · 1:31,680
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Jefferson.
The first name for this locality was Conser's Ferry, for Jacob S. Conser, an Oregon Trail pioneer of 1848 who ran a ferry across the Santiam River. Conser was also involved in the communities of Syracuse and Santiam City, which were about 2 miles (3 km) downstream of Jefferson. He established the ferry in 1851, and also served as the postmaster of Santiam City. When the Jefferson Institute was established in the vicinity (not the same as the Jefferson Institute in Polk County), the name Jefferson was eventually adopted by the community. Jefferson post office was established in 1861, with a name change from Syracuse, and previously, Santiam City.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
The Jefferson post office opened in 1861, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1870.
How does Jefferson rank for history?
Jefferson is more historic than 55% of U.S. towns, #43 of 142 in Oregon. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Jefferson?
Three places: the Jacob Conser House (listed 1974), the Jefferson Methodist Church (1980) and the Witten, T.M., and Emma, Drug Store-House (1999).
How old are the homes in Jefferson?
13% of Jefferson’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.7 points), against a typical 5.3% for an Oregon town; the median home was built in 1985.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (2), the Library of Congress (2), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (3), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
Date?
Date?
2004
