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Burns, Oregon
History:
Burns, which was named after Scottish poet Robert Burns.
Harney County is located where U.S. Highways 395 and
30 converge. Burns and neighboring Hines are a transportation
hub.
Harney
County boasts 10,228 square miles of land with approximately
7,600 friendly, hospitable citizens, who invite you
to spend a few days, a month, or a lifetime enjoying
the wonders of this vast land. Harney County is the
largest county in Oregon and the ninth largest in the
United States.
Established in 1889, the county seat is Burns, which
was named after Scottish poet Robert Burns. Harney County
is located where U.S. Highways 395 and 20 converge.
Burns and neighboring Hines are a transportation hub
for the region and business centers for Oregon's largest
county. With its sprawling size, Harney County is Oregon's
"Big Country." Vast rangelands, an immense wildlife
refuge, and the 9,670 foot high, 30 mile long specter
of Steens Mountain support the claim. Cattle are still
big business on the century-old ranches south of Burns.
Although modern machinery is part of today's scene,
you can still see traditional old west cattle drives
in the Blitzen Valley.
Geography:
Burns is located approximately 130 miles east of Bend
in eastern Oregon. It is the 9th largest county in the
United States, larger than many eastern states. Known
for its vast high desert and majestic Steens Mountains,
Harney County is a unique and independent corner of
Oregon. As its motto suggests, The weekly Burns Times-Herald
"covers Harney County like the sagebrush," with a focus
on the communities and the proud people who live in
them.
Probably the finest and most spectacular fossils found
in Harney County occur in a deposit of snow-white diatomaceous
earth in the Trout Creek area southeast of Fields. A
number of species of Miocene flora have been obtained
by commercial collectors. The leaf imprint, nearly black,
stands out in clear contrast against the snow-white
matrix. Harney County is also known to be a great place
for rock hounds. An official rock hounding map is available
from the Highland Rock and Gift Shop in Burns. At Glass
Butte, located about 50 miles west of Burns, off the
highway at milepost 77, you can find obsidian, sheens
(silver, gold and rainbow), red, mahogany, flame, fire,
lace and more. Buchanan thunder eggs can be found at
Oard's Service Station, which is 23 miles east of Burns
on Highway 20. The petrified forest areas in the Stinking
Water Creek Basin offer the best opportunities for the
collector of petrified trees and have been posted by
the Federal government to preserve this unusual forest.
The remainder of the basin area contains float material
of petrified wood pieces. Leaf and fish fossils are
also found in the basin located south, off Highway 20,
past milepost 167 east of Buchanan.
Population:
Click
here to see population numbers from the latest census
for Burns and other Oregon cities.
Climate and Temperature:
Elevation: 4,140
Lowest Monthly Average: 12 degrees F
Highest Monthly Average: 84 degrees F
Hottest Month: July
Coldest Month: December
Driest Month: July
Wettest Month: November
Precipitation:
Average annual precipitation: 9.96 "
The Burns Times-Herald:
The area's weekly newspaper. The Burns Times-Herald
will launch its new website in late 2001.
Top
Industries:
Manufacturing
Livestock
Hays and Forage
Major Employers:
Harney County Coach Works
Tecton Laminates Laminated Wood Products
Composite Technologies Fiberglass Components
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