Elizabeth Davidson · · 4 min read

East Butte, Tigardville, Tigard: How Tigard Got Its Name

Tigard is one of those town names that's also a family name, and the story behind it is a good one. The area was once known as East Butte, picked up the name Tigardville from a post office tucked into a corner of a general store, and then got trimmed down to plain Tigard when the electric railway came through. Here's how it happened, and where you can still see that history around town.

White 1880 John Tigard House with red trim and a picket fence, now a museum of the Tigard Historical Association, in Tigard, Oregon

Photo: M.O. Stevens / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (source)

Quick facts

  • 1852: Wilson M. Tigard and his family arrived on the Oregon Trail and took a Donation Land Claim of 320 acres
  • Earlier community names: Butte, and later, in 1876, East Butte
  • 1884: Charles Tigard and his mother, Mary Ann Tigard, opened the area's first business, a general store
  • 1886: the first post office opened in a corner of that store, named Tigardville
  • Around 1907-08: Tigardville became Tigard as the Oregon Electric Railway was built through town
  • See it today: the John Tigard House Museum in East Butte Heritage Park

The Tigard family arrives

In 1852, Wilson McClendon Tigard, his wife Mary Ann and their young son John crossed the plains on the Oregon Trail, and the family took a Donation Land Claim of 320 acres. There's even a little twist in the family name itself: according to a Tigard Life article, the 1853 census and tax roll recorded the name as Tigard, changed from Tygart.

East Butte

Before there was a Tigard or a Tigardville, the community had other names. According to Tigard Life, the area was a community then known as Butte, and later, in 1876, East Butte. The name lives on today in East Butte Heritage Park, home of the John Tigard House.

Tigardville: a post office in the corner of a store

In 1884, Charles Tigard and his mother, Mary Ann Tigard, opened the area's first business, a general store at the southeast corner of today's McDonald Street and Pacific Highway. Before that, farmers made a day-long wagon trip to Portland or Oregon City for supplies.

Two years later, in 1886, the first post office opened in a corner of the Tigard store. Charles Tigard served as postmaster without pay for two years and named it Tigardville, after his father, Wilson M. Tigard. By 1892 the original store was too small, so a two-story building went up across McDonald Street.

Tigardville becomes Tigard

The name changed with the railroad. According to a Tigard Life article by the Tigard Historical Association's historian, Tigardville became Tigard around 1907-08, when the Oregon Electric Railway was built through town. Officials wanted to tell it apart from Wilsonville, since both stations received freight.

Passenger service on the Oregon Electric began January 1, 1908, shortly after the last spike was driven near downtown Tigard. The Tigard Public Library's Main Street History Tour says about a dozen trains a day ran through Tigard between Portland and Salem. That same year, Tigard's Main Street post office was established after the Tigardville Post Office was dissolved, and Germania Hall, built by Adolf Schamoni, is considered the first building put up on Main Street after the railway began service. Many years later, when Tigard incorporated in 1961, the 1919 First Bank of Tigard building at 12420 SW Main Street was converted into City Hall.

Where to see this history today

  • John Tigard House Museum, 10310 SW Canterbury Lane, in East Butte Heritage Park. Wilson Tigard had this Queen Anne Carpenter Gothic house built in 1880 for his son John as a wedding present. It was moved to its current spot in 1979, and the National Park Service's National Register record for the house was published July 20, 1979. The Tigard Historical Association operates it. The house opens on special occasions through the year, and group tours can be arranged in advance; the surrounding park is open daily from dawn to dusk, and there's street parking next to the park.
  • Tigard Heritage Trail and Outdoor Museum, a three-quarter-mile former railroad spur beside Tigard Street, now a bike and pedestrian path with a railroad-themed outdoor museum. Its south end is at Rotary Plaza on Main Street; the plaza is open daily from dawn to dusk.
  • Main Street itself, which the Tigard Public Library's Main Street History Tour covers address by address, including the 1919 First Bank of Tigard building at 12420 SW Main Street.

You'll find more of my posts about the city on my Tigard city guide page.

Tigard business of the week

Since so much of this story happened along Main Street, I'm picking a spot right there. A favorite of mine is Taqueria La Fuente, an unfussy venue for regional Mexican dishes from family recipes, with handmade tortillas and a happy hour. You'll find it at 12198 SW Main St, Tigard, OR 97223.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Tigard, Oregon named after? Pioneer Wilson M. Tigard, who arrived on the Oregon Trail in 1852. In 1886 his son Charles named the post office in his store Tigardville after him.

What was Tigard called before Tigardville? According to Tigard Life, the community was known as Butte, and later, in 1876, East Butte.

When did Tigardville become Tigard? Around 1907-08, when the Oregon Electric Railway was built through town, according to a Tigard Life article by the Tigard Historical Association's historian. Officials wanted to tell it apart from Wilsonville.

Can I visit the John Tigard House? The Tigard Historical Association opens the house on special occasions through the year, and group tours can be arranged in advance. East Butte Heritage Park around it is open daily from dawn to dusk.

I love how much history hides in plain sight here. If you're curious about living in Tigard, I'd be glad to hear from you and help you get to know it.

Sources

City Guides Tigard

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