 Harney
County was created from the southern two-thirds
of Grant County on February 25, 1889. It is located in the high desert
country in the southeast portion of the state and is the largest county
in Oregon comprising 10,228 square miles. Counties with contiguous
borders include Malheur to the east; Lake, Deschutes, and Crook to
the west; Grant to the north; and the State of Nevada to the south.
The county was named after the lake that lies within its territory,
which was named in honor of General William S. Harney, commander of
the Department of Oregon of the U.S. Army in 1858-1859.
The
county's principal city and its administrative seat, Burns, was
officially established in 1884 and incorporated upon the county's
creation in 1889. It was named for the Scottish poet Robert Burns
by an early settler and County Commissioner George McGowan. The
original county courthouse was constructed in 1890 as the Smith
and Young building. The building was purchased by citizens of Burns
and donated to the county as an inducement to voters during the
struggle that took place between Burns and Harney over the designation
of the county seat. The current courthouse was constructed in 1942.
Established
by state legislation, elected officials have included a judge, county
commissioners, clerk, auditor, recorder, sheriff, treasurer, assessor,
surveyor, coroner, and school superintendent.
Three
industries, cattle raising, sheep raising, and timber, have traditionally
provided the county's economic base. The railroad, which extended
into the area in 1883, served as a catalyst to the cattle industry
but later contributed to its decline by bringing farmers and sheep
men to the area thus creating increased competition for productive
land. Harvesting and breeding of wild horses was lucrative for a
period. Tourism based on sports and recreation is on the rise.
Harney
County's population is primarily concentrated in a small urbanized
sector of Burns-Hines with the remainder mostly in the Harney Basin.
The county's population was recorded as 2,559 during the 1890 census
and rose steadily until the decade of 1930-40, and then resumed
an upward curve until the 1980s. The county experienced a net out
migration of nearly fifteen percent in the 1980s primarily due to
the closure of the lumber mill in Burns. The 2000 population of
7,609 represented a 7.78% increase over 1990.
Although
Harney County lands were open to homesteading from 1862 to 1934,
the federal Bureau of Land Management still owns more than three
million acres. Facilitated on the national level by the Carey Act
of 1894, arid land in Harney County was donated to the state for
irrigation and settlement, but all water development efforts failed.
Eventually all land claims under the reclamation legislation were
abandoned or nullified. Malheur Wildlife Refuge was established
in 1908 and expanded in 1936. The refuge now includes 159,872 acres.
Not the least significant of federal government lands associated
with Harney County is the Malheur River Indian Reservation.
In
addition to Malheur and Harney Lakes, other geographic landmarks
of the county include the 10,000-ft high Steens Mountain known for
its lava formations. Borax has been mined in the Steens area, and
uranium has been found on its south side.
|
|
 |
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.
|
 |
Tapadera
Inn
105
SE Court Avenue
Pendleton, Oregon
541-276- 3231
877-722-8277
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 The
small community of Drewsey in northeastern Harney County
had a more colorful original name. Storeowner Abner
Robbins named the place Gouge Eye in 1883, probably
as a reference to the frontier method of dispute resolution.
Postal authorities took a dim view of the name and it
later changed.
Robbins
was typical of many of the white men in eastern Oregon
at the time. He left Massachusetts for the gold fields
of California, working as a miner and starting a store.
He later was one of the early settlers in the Prineville
area where he set up a ranch. But still restless, he
ran cattle to the mining areas in the Blue Mountains,
mined again, and later opened the store in Gouge Eye.
His wife, Kate, "tolerated" his long absences.
|
|
|
