Wallowa County, Oregon

Wallowa County is a county located in the state of Oregon. According to Oregon Geographic Names, the origins of the name are uncertain, with the most likely explanation being that the name comes from the Nez Perce word to describe a structure of stakes (a weir) used in fishing. The journals of Lewis and Clark Expedition record the name of the Wallowa River as Wil-le-wah.

As of 2000, the population is 7226. Its county seat is Enterprise⁶.

Contents

1 Economy 2 Geography 2.1 Adjacent Counties 3 Demographics 4 History 5 Cities and towns

Economy

The principal industries in Wallowa County are agriculture, ranching, lumber, and tourism. Since 1985, three bronze foundries and a number of related businesses specializing in statue-making have opened in Joseph and Enterprise, helping to stablize the local economy. The Forest Service is the largest landlord in the county, owning 56% of the land.

Geography

Wallowa is the northeastern most county of Oregon. It has a total area of 8,163 km² (3,152 mi²). 8,146 km² (3,145 mi²) of it is land and 16 km² (6 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.20% water.

Adjacent Counties

• Umatilla County, Oregon - (west 1)
• Union County, Oregon - (west 2)
• Baker County, Oregon - (south)

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there are 7,226 people, 3,029 households, and 2,083 families residing in the county. The population density is 1/km² (2/mi²). There are 3,900 housing units at an average density of 0/km² (1/mi²). The racial makeup of the county is 96.50% White, 0.03% Black or African American, 0.71% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.95% from other races, and 1.54% from two or more races. 1.73% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 3,029 households out of which 28.50% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.70% are married couples living together, 6.90% have a female householder with no husband present, and 31.20% are non-families. 27.10% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.90% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.35 and the average family size is 2.85.

In the county, the population is spread out with 24.30% under the age of 18, 4.90% from 18 to 24, 21.90% from 25 to 44, 30.00% from 45 to 64, and 18.90% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 44 years. For every 100 females there are 100.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 96.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county is $32,129, and the median income for a family is $38,682. Males have a median income of $28,202 versus $21,558 for females. The per capita income for the county is $17,276. 14.00% of the population and 9.80% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 18.30% of those under the age of 18 and 11.40% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

History

In 1871, the first white settlers came to the area, crossing the mountains in search of livestock feed in the Wallowa Valley. The county was established on February 11, 1887, from the eastern portion of Union County. Boundary changes occurred with Union County in 1890, 1900, and in 1915.

In 1877, the younger Chief Joseph of the Nez Perces, incensed at the government's attempt to deprive his people of the Wallowa Valley, refused to be moved to an Idaho reservation. Several regiments of United States troops were dispatched to force him onto the reservation. After several battles and a march of almost two thousand miles towards sanctuary in Canada, Chief Joseph was forced to surrender in Montana, forty miles from the Canadian border. He and fellow survivors from his band were detained in Oklahoma, and later were relocated to Colville Reservation in Washington State.

Wallowa County was the scene of perhaps the worst incident of violence against Chinese in Oregon, when in May 1887 a gang of rustlers massacred 34 Chinese gold miners in Hells Canyon. Of the seven rustlers and schoolboys believed to have been responsible, only three were brought to trial in Enterprise, where a jury found them not guilty on September 1, 1888. A proposal to commemorate this event on official maps was defeated June, 2004; one reason given was the fact prominent local families are related to the killers.

United States Supreme Court Associate Justice William O. Douglas was one famous summer visitor to Wallowa county, building a vacation cabin on Lostine River Road in 1939.

In December, 2003, a developer announced a proposal to buy a 62-acre property near Lake Wallowa, and build 11 homes on it. This property includes the grave of Old Chief Joseph, father of the younger Chief Joseph. This proposal drew opposition from a local group, as well as from the Nez Perces, Colville, and Umatilla tribes. Prior offers by the National Park Service and the Trust for Public Lands to buy the land were rejected. The County commissioners gave conditional approval for the developers to complete a final plat of the land on February 13, 2004, but the attorney for the Nez Perces said the tribe would appeal the decision to the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals.

Cities and towns

• Enterprise
• Joseph
• Lostine
• Wallowa

State of Oregon
Regions Columbia River Gorge and Plateau | Eastern Oregon | Inland Empire | Mt. Hood Corridor | Oregon Coast | Western Oregon | Willamette Valley
Counties			Largest cities (full list)
Baker | Benton | Clackamas | Clatsop | Columbia | Coos | Crook | Curry | Deschutes | Douglas | Gilliam | Grant | Harney | Hood River | Jackson | Jefferson | Josephine | Klamath | Lake | Lane | Lincoln | Linn | Malheur | Marion | Morrow | Multnomah | Polk | Sherman | Tillamook | Umatilla | Union | Wallowa | Wasco | Washington | Wheeler | Yamhill			Albany | Beaverton | Bend | Corvallis | Eugene | Grants Pass | Gresham | Hillsboro | Keizer | Lake Oswego | McMinnville | Medford | Milwaukie | Oregon City | Portland | Salem | Springfield | Tigard | Tualatin | West Linn