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Douglas County, OR
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 Established:
Jan. 7, 1852
Population: 101,800 (2003)
Elev. at Roseburg: 479'
Area: 5,071 sq. mi.
Average Temp.: January 41.2°, July 68.4°
Assessed Value: $5,764,637,627
Real Market Value: $10,007,803,131
Annual Precipitation: 33.35"
Economy: Forest products, mining, agriculture, fishing and
recreation.
Incorporated Cities: Canyonville | Drain | Elkton | Glendale |
Myrtle Creek | Oakland | Reedsport | Riddle | Roseburg |
Sutherlin | Winston | Yoncalla
Points of Interest: Winchester Bay and Salmon Harbor, Oregon
Dunes National Recreation Area, North Umpqua River, Diamond
Lake, historic Oakland, Wildlife Safari, Douglas County Museum,
wineries.
General Information: Douglas County was named for U.S. Senator
Stephen A. Douglas, Abraham Lincoln’s opponent in the
presidential election of 1860 and an ardent congressional
advocate for Oregon. Douglas County was created in 1852 from the
portion of Umpqua County which lay east of the Coast Range
summit. In 1862, Douglas County absorbed what remained of Umpqua
County.
Douglas County extends from sea level at the Pacific Ocean to
9,182-foot Mt. Thielsen in the Cascade Range. The Umpqua River
marks the dividing line between northern and southern Oregon,
and its entire watershed lies within the county’s boundaries.
The county contains nearly 2.8 million acres of commercial
forest lands and the largest stand of old growth timber in the
world, which still provides the region’s main livelihood.
Approximately 25% of the labor force is employed in the forest
products industry. Agriculture includes field crops, orchards
and livestock. Over 50% of the land area of the county is owned
by the federal government.
County Officials: Commissioners—Marilyn Kittelman (R) 2009, Doug
Robertson (R) 2009, Dan Van Slyke (R) 2007; Dist. Atty. Jack
Banta (NP) 2006; Assess. Ron Northcraft (NP) 2007; Clerk Barbara
Nielsen (NP) 2009; Justices of the Peace Candi Hissong (NP)
2008, Stephen H. Miller (NP) 2008, Carol Roberts (NP) 2008,
Russell Trump (NP) 2010; Sheriff Chris Brown (NP) 2009; Surv.
Romey Ware (NP) 2009; Treas. Sam Huff (NP) 2009.
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County History |
The early history of Douglas County was closely tied to
that of Umpqua County. Umpqua County, created in 1851, was
located along the Umpqua River in southwestern Oregon. Gold had
been discovered in the Umpqua region resulting in the rapid
increase in settlement of the new county. The first meeting of
the Umpqua County Court was in Elkton in 1852; later the county
government was moved to Green Valley and Yoncalla.
Because the population of Umpqua County had rapidly increased
and met the population requirements for a new county, a new
county was created on January 7, 1852, out of that portion of
Umpqua County lying east of the Coast Range. It was named
Douglas County to honor U. S. Senator Stephen A. Douglas of
Illinois who was a congressional advocate for Oregon statehood.
Meanwhile, in Umpqua County the gold mining boom played out, and
the population of Umpqua County decreased until finally in 1862
it was absorbed into Douglas County and ceased to exist. In 1856
the Camas Valley was annexed to Douglas County from Coos County
and further boundary adjustments were made with Jackson and Lane
Counties in 1915. Today, Douglas County covers 5,071 square
miles and is bounded by Curry, Jackson, and Josephine Counties
to the south; Klamath County to the east; Lane County to the
north; and Coos County and the Pacific Ocean to the west.
In the county seat of Roseburg, courthouses were built in 1855,
1870, 1891, and 1929. The 1929 courthouse is still in use.
Umpqua County never had a courthouse.
The first meeting of the Douglas County Commission was held at
Winchester on April 4, 1853, with the three elected
commissioners and sheriff in attendance. Winchester remained the
county seat until 1854 when Deer Creek (renamed Roseburg in
1855) was made the seat by popular election. Douglas County had
a county court form of government until 1965 when a board of
commissioners was formed. Current elected officials include
three commissioners, assessor, clerk, district attorney,
sheriff, surveyor, and treasurer.
The county's population has increased steadily from 3,203 in
1860 to 100,399 in 2000, a rise of 6.08% over 1990.
The entire watershed of the Umpqua River lies within the
boundaries of Douglas County. The heavily timbered county
contains nearly 1.8 million acres of commercial forest lands and
one of the oldest stands of old growth timber in the world.
Approximately 25-30% of the labor force is employed in the
forest products industry. Agriculture, mainly field crops,
orchards, and livestock, is also important to the economy of the
county. Nickel has been refined at Riddle since 1954. There is a
significant federal presence in the region; the U.S. Forest
Service and Bureau of Land Management administer more than 50%
of the county's land.
The Umpqua Indians of the Umpqua Valley belonged to the Chinook
tribe. Following the Rogue River Indian War in 1856, all
remaining natives were moved by the government to the Siletz and
Grande Ronde Indian Reservations. |
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