John Day, Oregon
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John Day is a town located about a mile north of Canyon City in Grant County, Oregon, at the intersection of U.S. Highways 26 and 395. The town is named for the nearby John Day River, which had been named for a Virginian member of the 1811 Astor-Hunt party. It was incorporated in 1888.
As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 1821, making it the largest town in the county.
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Geography
ORMap-doton-John_Day.png
Location of John Day, Oregon
History
In the 1880s John Day was home to nearly 1000 Chinese immigrants, attracted to the area by a gold rush twenty years earlier. A trading post built in the area in the 1860s along the Dalles Military Road was purchased in 1887 by two of the immigrants, Lung On and Ing Hay. They converted the trading post into a clinic, general store, and social center for the local community. In the 1970s that building was converted into a museum and state heritage site now called the Kam Wah Chung & Co. Museum.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 1821 people in the town, organized into 734 households and 472 families. The population density is 374.0/km² (969.5/mi²). There are 846 housing units at an average density of 173.7/km² (450.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 96.92% White, 1.15% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 0% African American, 0.55% from other races, and 0.82% from two or more races. 2.42% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 734 households out of which 32.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% are married couples living together, 10.2% have a female householder with no husband present, and 35.6% are non-families. 31.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 12.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.40 and the average family size is 3.01.
In the town the population is spread out with 27.0% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 40 years. For every 100 females there are 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 88.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $31,953, and the median income for a family is $34,327. Males have a median income of $31,908 versus $22,067 for females. The per capita income for the town is $15,488. 17.5% of the population and 13% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 21% of those under the age of 18 and 22.4% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
External links
- John Day Chamber of Commerce web page (http://grantcounty.cc/communities/johnday/)
- Kam Wah Chung & Co. Museum (http://www.grantcounty.cc/events/kamwahchung.htm)
- Kam Wah Chung State Heritage Site (http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_8.php)