Elizabeth Davidson · · 4 min read
Smockville: The Town Before Sherwood, Oregon
Here's a fun one to bring up the next time you're strolling through Old Town Sherwood: the streets you're walking were laid out around the railroad tracks on one man's land, and for a while the town carried his name. It was called Smockville, after J.C. Smock, before it was renamed Sherwood. Once you know the story, the nine blocks of Old Town start to look a little different.
Photo: dreid1987 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (source)
Quick facts
- Earliest roots: the City of Sherwood traces its start to A.Z. Hall's 1853 donation land claim
- 1868: J.C. Smock bought the site of what was then known as Smockville and built the Smock House, which the city calls the oldest structure in Sherwood
- 1885: Smock gave the railroad a right-of-way through his property
- Streets: J.C. Smock and his wife, Mary Ellen Sebastion, planned and named the streets around the railroad tracks
- Incorporated: 1893, as Sherwood
- See it today: the Smock House is part of the Sherwood Heritage Center in Old Town
A farming settlement first
According to the city's 2003 downtown plan, Sherwood traces its start to A.Z. Hall's 1853 donation land claim, and the town began as a farming settlement with a small sawmill and gristmill. The city's history page adds that by 1853 farmers were settling the area, building houses from logs cut from the forest that once covered it.
Enter J.C. Smock
In 1868, J.C. Smock bought the site of what was then known as Smockville from his stepfather, according to the city's 2003 plan. That same year he built the Smock House, which the city describes as the oldest structure in Sherwood.
The big turning point came with the railroad. In 1885, Smock gave the railroad a right-of-way through his property. Around those tracks, he and his wife, Mary Ellen Sebastion, planned and named the streets (the city's history page dates this to 1889), and the town that grew up there was known as Smockville.
The sources don't quite agree on when the streets were drawn. The city's 2003 streetscape plan says Smock platted the first nine blocks of Sherwood in 1885, while the city's history page dates the street plan to 1889. Either way, the city's history page today describes Old Town as a nine-block area.
The house that kept moving
The Smock House has had an adventurous life for a building. In 1889 it was moved to 1st Street between Main and Washington streets. In 2003 the city reported it was being moved one block west, beside the Morback House in Veterans Park. Today it's one of the two historic houses that make up the Sherwood Heritage Center.
Its neighbor, the Morback House, is a Queen Anne house that the Sherwood Historical Society's museum page dates to 1892. It was originally the J. E. Morback Residence, later served as City Hall, the library and the police station, and now houses the Sherwood Historical Museum.
From Smockville to Sherwood
Smockville, renamed Sherwood, was incorporated in 1893. The city's history page says most of Sherwood's commercial buildings, including the nine-block Old Town, went up in the early 1890s, when a local brickyard supplied building bricks for most of Portland's growth. In 1911 the city limits covered one square mile and the population was 350; the city's history page says Sherwood now covers over four and a half square miles.
Visiting the Heritage Center
The Sherwood Heritage Center is open Wednesday and Saturday, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., or by special arrangement, according to the Sherwood Historical Society. It sits at Main and First, on the same block as Veterans Park, so it's easy to make an afternoon of it in Old Town.
For more about the city, see my Sherwood city guide page.
Sherwood business of the week
All that history works up an appetite, and an easy bite is a nice way to finish the day. A favorite is Taste Teriyaki, an understated spot for a variety of sushi rolls and hot Japanese entrees like stir-fries. You'll find it at 20649 SW Roy Rogers Rd #307, Sherwood, OR 97140.
Frequently asked questions
What was Sherwood, Oregon called before it was Sherwood? The town that grew up around the railroad tracks on J.C. Smock's land was known as Smockville, after J.C. Smock. It was later renamed Sherwood.
When was Sherwood incorporated? Smockville, renamed Sherwood, was incorporated in 1893.
What is the oldest structure in Sherwood? The city calls the Smock House, built by J.C. Smock in 1868, the oldest structure in Sherwood. It's now part of the Sherwood Heritage Center.
When is the Sherwood Heritage Center open? Wednesday and Saturday from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., or by special arrangement.
I always enjoy digging into the stories behind our local towns. If you're thinking about living in Sherwood, I'd love to hear from you and help you get to know it.
Sources
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