 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.
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 Wheeler
County is internationally known for its fossils. With
even the name of the county seat (Fossil) getting into
the act, its history is rich with geology and archaeology.
The John Day Fossil Beds National Monument preserves
the best sites within Wheeler County at the Clarno and
Painted Hills units.
The
cliffs of the Palisades at the Clarno Unit, now part
of a near desert environment, were formed by volcanic
mud flows 44 million years ago that preserved countless
plant and animal fossils. At that time, the near tropical
environment got about 100 inches of rain a year and
was home to crocodile- and rhinoceros-like creatures.
Visitors can hike along an interpretive trail and see
numerous examples of fossils embedded in the rocks at
the base of the Palisades.
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