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Grant County, OR
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 Established:
Oct. 14, 1864
Population: 7,650 (2003)
Elev. at Canyon City: 3,194'
Area: 4,528 sq. mi.
Average Temp.: January 30.7°, July 68.4°
Assessed Value: $353,513,120
Real Market Value: $720,423,920
Annual Precipitation: 14.28"
Economy: Forest products, agriculture, hunting, livestock and
recreation.
Incorporated Cities: Canyon City | Dayville | Granite | John Day
| Long Creek | Monument | Mt. Vernon | Prairie City | Seneca
Points of Interest: John Day Fossil Beds National Monument,
Veteran’s Memorial, Kam Wah Chung Museum, Joaquin Miller Cabin,
Grant County Historical Museum, Sacred Totem Pole, Grant County
Historical Mural, Dewitt Museum, Depot Park, Sumpter Valley
Railroad, Strawberry Mountain Wilderness and North Fork John Day
River Wilderness.
General Information: Grant County was created in 1864 from Wasco
and Umatilla Counties and was named for Gen. Ulysses S. Grant.
It shares boundaries with more counties (eight) than any other
county in Oregon.
Grant County contains the headwaters of the John Day River,
which has more miles of Wild and Scenic designation than any
other river in the United States. More than 60 percent of the
land in the county is in public ownership.
County Officials: Commissioners—Boyd Britton (R) 2007, Scott
Myers (R) 2009, Judge Dennis Reynolds, chair (R) 2006; Dist.
Atty. Christie Timko (NP) 2007; Assess. Lane Burton (D) 2009;
Clerk Kathy McKinnon (R) 2009; Justice of the Peace Terrance
Ferrell (NP) 2006; Sheriff Glenn Palmer (NP) 2009; Surv. Robert
Bagett (D) 2009; Treas. Kathy Smith (R) 2009. |
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County History |
Grant County was established on October 14, 1864, and
named for General Ulysses S. Grant, commander of the Union Army
during the Civil War. Earlier in his military career Grant had
been stationed at Fort Vancouver and assigned to protect the
increasing number of emigrants traveling the Oregon Trail. Grant
County is located in eastern Oregon and was created out of Wasco
and Umatilla Counties. At that time Grant County was the largest
county in the state. Its size was later reduced by the transfer
of land to Lake County and the creation of Harney and Wheeler
Counties. Grant County shares boundaries with eight counties:
Morrow, Umatilla, and Union to the north; Harney to the south;
Malheur and Baker to the east; and Crook and Wheeler to the
west. It has an area of 4,528 square miles.
Prior to 1864 cases brought to court were tried in The Dalles,
county seat of the vast Wasco County. The great distance from
the John Day country to The Dalles made law enforcement a
difficult problem and imposed a heavy burden on citizens who had
a need to transact business at the courthouse. The settlers,
feeling an urgent need for a more centralized county government,
successfully petitioned the Legislative Assembly.
The first county court session was convened at Canyon City, the
county seat, on November 7, 1864. Five officials composed the
administration of the county: a judge, sheriff, clerk, and two
commissioners. A month later the court appointed a treasurer,
surveyor, superintendent of schools, and coroner. The first
county election held in June 1866, resulted in the election of a
county judge, clerk, and sheriff. The first courthouse was known
as "Dunker's Hall," and the present courthouse was built in
1952. Grant County government consists of a county court made up
of a county judge and two commissioners. The county judge
retains judicial authority only over probate matters.
The first census was taken in 1870 and counted 2,251 persons.
The population of Grant County in 2000 was 7,935. This
represented a 1.04% increase from 1990.
After gold was discovered on Whiskey Flat in 1862 the increased
population created a need for county government. It is estimated
that within ten days of the original discovery of gold 1,000
miners were camped along Canyon Creek. Over $20 million in gold
was mined from the Canyon City and Susanville areas. Following
the decline of gold and placer mining, stock raising and
agriculture became the main work of county residents.
Grant County contains the headwaters of the John Day River,
which has more miles of wild and scenic designation than any
other river in the United States. More than sixty percent of the
county's land area is under public ownership, and the county
contains parts of four national forests. Principal industries
are forestry, agriculture, livestock, and recreation. |
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