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Oregon State...
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Oregon Counties
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Oregon Counties
There are 36 counties in the state of Oregon. The Oregon Constitution does not explicitly
provide for county seats. |
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Wheeler County, Oregon
Wheeler County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education
County Seat: Fossil
Year Organized: 1899
Square Miles: 1,715
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Court House: 701 Adams Street
County Courthouse
Fossil, OR 97830-0447
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Etymology - Origin of County Name
The county was named for Henry Wheeler, who operated the first
stage line through the county.
Demographics:
County QuickFacts:
Census Bureau Quick Facts
History
Wheeler County was established on
February 17, 1899. Formed from parts of Grant, Gilliam, and Crook Counties,
there have been no boundary changes since its creation. The county shares
boundaries with Gilliam and Morrow Counties to the north, Wasco and Jefferson to
the west, Crook to the south, and Grant to the east. The county was named for
Henry Wheeler, who operated the first stage line through the county. The area of
the county is 1,713 square miles.
The county seat is located in the city of Fossil. The town's name was derived
from the first postmaster's discovery of fossil remains on his land in 1876.
Fossil was designated the temporary county seat when the county was created. In
1900 there was an election to determine the permanent county seat. Spray,
Twickenham and Fossil were the aspirants with Fossil winning the election. The
current courthouse was built in 1902.
Wheeler County's government consists of a county court made up of a county judge
and two commissioners. The county judge retains judicial authority for probate
and juvenile proceedings. Other county officers include assessor, district
attorney, justices of the peace, clerk, sheriff-emergency services director,
treasurer, and surveyor.
Wheeler County's 2000 population was 1547. This represented an increase of
10.82% over 1990. Still, it is considerably lower than the peak population of
3,313 occurring in 1950.
The terrain of the county varies widely from sagebrush, juniper, and rim rock to
thick stands of pine and fir. Portions of two national forests lie within its
boundaries with forest lands covering nearly one third of the county. The area
is known as an outstanding depository of prehistoric fossils. Principal
industries are agriculture, livestock, and lumber.
Neighboring Counties:
Cities and Towns:
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- Fossil
(County Seat) |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Mitchell |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Spray |
town |
Incorporated Area |
County Resources:
Enter County Resources and Information Here
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County Resource Guide
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The history of our nation can be seen as a prolonged struggle to define the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local. And the names we've given our counties, our most locally based jurisdictions, reflects the "characteristic
features of our country!"
But age, size and colorful names of our counties isn't the only reason to explore counties' role in American history, or the history of county government itself. In fact, the story of county government reflects the larger meanings of American history.
Today's counties are the most flexible, locally responsive and creative governments in the US. They are the most diverse, varying in size, population, geography, and governmental structure. In their politics and policies, they express a 1990's political slogan "Think globally,
act locally." |
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