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The history of Beaverton
Beaverton is in Washington County in the Tualatin Valley. Explore its distinct neighborhoods, independent businesses and local cultural venues by their actual addresses.
People who shaped Beaverton
These milestones are an introduction, not a complete local history. Follow the linked city and museum sources to explore the people and places behind them.Read the local historical account.
Watch the city’s history
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Beaverton Veterans Memorial
A walk around Beaverton's Veterans Memorial Park and its memorials to different conflicts.
Watch on YouTube ↗
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Historic Properties of the Park District
The Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District's short tour of its historic properties, including the Fanno Farmhouse in Beaverton and the Jenkins Estate.
Watch on YouTube ↗Famous people born in Beaverton
See all 19 famous people
- Before incorporation
Atfalati homelands
Atfalati people, part of the Kalapuya cultural world, lived in the Tualatin Valley and called this place Chakeipi. Their descendants continue cultural life through the Grand Ronde and Siletz communities.
Oregon Historical Society: The Oregon Encyclopedia ↗ - 1847
The first recorded land claim
Lawrence and Lucy Hall, survivors of the Meek Cutoff route, took up the first recorded land claim of 640 acres in the eastern Tualatin Plains. They built a homestead and gristmill near today’s Walker Road and Murray Boulevard.
Oregon Historical Society: The Oregon Encyclopedia ↗ - 1855
Land cession and removal
The Willamette Valley treaty transferred Indigenous lands to the United States. Atfalati people were removed to the Grand Ronde Reservation, a profound disruption behind the later growth of settler communities.
Oregon Historical Society: The Oregon Encyclopedia ↗ - 1868
A railway town is platted
Joshua Welch, George Betts and William Watson laid out Beaverton as a railway stop. Transport connections helped agricultural produce and lumber reach the Portland market.
Oregon Historical Society: The Oregon Encyclopedia ↗ - 1893–1908
A city and an electric railway
Beaverton incorporated in 1893. Telephone service arrived in 1904, followed by Oregon Electric passenger service in 1908, connecting the growing community more closely with the valley.
Oregon Historical Society: The Oregon Encyclopedia ↗ - 1920s
Silent films and a local airfield
Premium Picture Productions made silent movies in Beaverton until it went out of business in 1925. The studio’s land became the site of Bernard Airport, often used by locals who built their own airplanes.
Oregon Historical Society: The Oregon Encyclopedia ↗ - 1950s–1960s
Manufacturing changes the landscape
View-Master manufacturing and the arrival of electronics firms helped shift the local economy beyond agriculture. Tektronix moved its operations to the area in 1959, followed by Electro Scientific Industries in 1962.
Oregon Historical Society: The Oregon Encyclopedia ↗ - 1955
A park district for Beaverton
The Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District was created in 1955. The special park district now covers all of Beaverton and many surrounding communities across an area of 50 square miles.
Wikipedia: Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District ↗ - 1998
MAX reaches Beaverton
TriMet’s Westside MAX Blue Line opened on September 12, 1998, connecting Hillsboro, Beaverton and downtown Portland. Construction from 1993 to 1998 included a tunnel under the West Hills.
TriMet: Westside MAX history ↗
See the history for yourself.
Check current opening hours and visitor information before you go: The Reser.
For local services and public information, the local government website is a starting point. For historical research, consult local libraries, archives and museums and check collection-specific image permissions.
Selected milestones from the linked historical sources. This is an introduction, not a complete account of the city’s history.