 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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Bar
M Ranch -
in Adams
The ultimate destination for a fun, relaxing and
memorable western vacation. The peace, quiet,
and beauty of the ranch makes it an ideal location
for weddings, corporate retreats and group events.
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Tapadera
Inn
105
SE Court Avenue
Pendleton, Oregon
541-276- 3231
877-722-8277
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 The
Kam Wah Chung State Heritage Site in John Day explores
the legacy of the Chinese workforce in Oregon. The site
is based in a rustic building that was constructed as
a trading post along the Dalles Military Road in the
mid-1860s. Here Chinese herbal doctor Ing Hay administered
traditional Chinese remedies to the Chinese gold-mine
workers, pioneers, and others from a wide area.
The
museum contains thousands of artifacts and relics that
illustrate the many uses of the site until the 1940s,
including service as a general store, pharmacy, doctor's
office, Chinese temple, and home.
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