| |
Hood River County, OR
|
|
|
 Established:
June 23, 1908
Population: 20,500 (2003)
Elev. at Hood River: 154'
Area: 533 sq. mi.
Average Temp.: January 33.6°, July 72°
Assessed Value: $1,289,640,193
Real Market Value: $2,434,873,797
Annual Precipitation: 30.85"
Economy: Agriculture, food processing, forest products and
recreation.
Incorporated Cities: Cascade Locks | Hood River
Points of Interest: Bridge of the Gods, Cloud Cap Inn, Mt. Hood
Recreation Area, Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort, Lost Lake,
Panorama Point, Hood River Valley at blossom time.
General Information: The first white settlers in Hood River
County filed a donation land claim in 1854. The first school was
built in 1863 and a road from The Dalles was completed in 1867.
By 1880 there were 17 families living in the valley. Hood River
County was created in 1908 from Wasco County.
Agriculture, timber, lumber and recreation are the major sources
of revenue and industry. Fruit grown in the fertile valley is of
such exceptional quality the county leads the world in Anjou
pear production. There are more than 14,000 acres of commercial
orchards growing pears, apples, cherries and peaches. Hood River
County also has two ports and two boat basins, with one serving
local barge traffic, a steel boat manufacturing firm and
Mid-Columbia yachting interests. Windsurfing on the Columbia
River is a popular sport and attracts windsurfers from all over
the world.
County Officials: Commissioners—Maui Meyers (NP) 2009, Les
Perkins (NP) 2009, Rodger Schock, chair, (NP) 2009, Chuck
Thomsen (NP) 2009, Carol York (NP) 2007; Dist. Atty. John Sewell
(NP) 2009; Assess./Clerk Sandra Berry; Justice of the Peace
Roberta K. Lee (NP) 2009; Sheriff Joe Wampler (NP) 2009; Surv.
Randy Johnston; Treas. Sandra Borowy; Co. Admin. David
Meriwether.
|
|
|
|
County History |
At the turn of the twentieth century, the people of the
Hood River region in the northwest portion of Wasco County
expressed a desire for political separation from the parent
county. The passage of a statewide initiative established Hood
River as the thirty-fourth county of the state. It was made
official by a governor's proclamation on June 23, 1908. Hood
River County was named after Hood River and Mt. Hood which are
both located within its boundaries. Mt. Hood was named in 1792
after Lord Hood (Samuel) who, among other things, served in the
British Navy during the American Revolutionary War.
The county's boundaries have remained unchanged throughout its
existence. It is bordered by Wasco County to the east, by
Clackamas and Multnomah Counties to the west, and by the
Columbia River to the north. Hood River County is the second
smallest county in terms of size in the state, outranking only
Multnomah County, with a total area of 533 square miles.
The City of Hood River, first platted in 1881, has been the
county seat since the county's creation. The first county
courthouse was an old primary school building. In 1937, after
failing to approve a new courthouse, the county was forced to
purchase the Butler Bank Building, which housed the county
government until 1954 when the present courthouse was
constructed.
Initially, county officials included the county judge, two
county commissioners, sheriff, clerk, treasurer, assessor,
school superintendent, surveyor, and coroner. In 1964, Hood
River County adopted the home rule form of government. A
five-member elected board of commissioners creates ordinances
and resolutions to govern the county. The commission appoints a
county administrator to oversee operations of county services.
Except for an elected sheriff, all county department heads are
selected by and responsible to the commission. Several
specialized advisory boards, committees, and commissions give
the board advice and recommendations concerning various county
services.
The 2000 population of Hood River County was 20,411. This
represented a 20.75% increase from 1990.
The first permanent settlers in Hood River County filed a
donation land claim in 1854; by 1880 seventeen families lived in
the region. By the latter part of the nineteenth century farmers
of Japanese, Finnish, German, and French ethnicity had settled
in the valley. The Columbia River Highway was completed in 1922
from Portland to The Dalles, making the towns of Hood River
County more accessible to people and commerce from throughout
the Columbia River Gorge and the state.
The principal industries of Hood River include agriculture,
timber, hydroelectric production, and recreation. The fertile
Hood River Valley has an ideal climate for the production of
apples, cherries, peaches, and pears. It also offers
recreational activities such as snow skiing, yachting, and
fishing which bring both people and capital to compensate for
the decline in logging and hydroelectric production. The
Columbia River near Hood River is a premier windsurfing area and
attracts windsurfers from throughout the United States and
around the world. |
|
|
|
