Wallowa County, Oregon

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Wallowa County, Oregon
County
Wallowa County Courthouse in Enterprise
Wallowa County Courthouse in Enterprise
Map of Oregon highlighting Wallowa County
Location within the U.S. state of Oregon
Coordinates: 45°35′N 117°10′W / 45.58°N 117.17°W / 45.58; -117.17
Country United States
State Oregon
FoundedOctober 14, 1887
Named afterWallowa River
SeatEnterprise
Largest cityEnterprise
Area
 • Total
3,152 sq mi (8,160 km2)
 • Land3,146 sq mi (8,150 km2)
 • Water5.5 sq mi (14 km2)  0.2%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
7,391
 • Estimate 
(2025)
7,595 Increase
 • Density2.2/sq mi (0.85/km2)
Time zoneUTC−8 (Pacific)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−7 (PDT)
Congressional district2nd
Websiteco.wallowa.or.us

Wallowa County (/wəˈlaʊwə/) is the northeasternmost county in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, its population was 7,391,[1] making it Oregon's fifth-least populous county. Its county seat is Enterprise.[2] According to Oregon Geographic Names, the origins of the county's name are uncertain, with the most likely explanation being it is derived from the Nez Perce term for a structure of stakes (a weir) used in fishing. An alternative explanation is that Wallowa is derived from a Nez Perce word for "winding water". The journals of Lewis and Clark Expedition record the name of the Wallowa River as Wil-le-wah.

Wallowa County is part of the eight-county definition of Eastern Oregon.

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,[3] from the eastern portion of Union County. Boundary changes occurred with Union County in 1890, 1900, and 1915.

Chief Joseph, 1877

In 1877, the younger Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce, incensed at the government's attempt to remove his people from the Wallowa Valley, refused to relocate to the reservation in north-central Idaho. Several regiments of U.S. Army cavalry troops were dispatched to force them onto the reservation. After numerous battles and a journey of almost 2,000 mi (3,200 km), the Nez Perce fought their last battle at Bear Paw, just shy of the Canadian border, when Joseph and the other chiefs decided to stop fighting. Some of the surviving Nez Perce and he were held in prison camps in Kansas and Oklahoma, and those who survived that were relocated to Colville Reservation in northeast Washington.[4] About half of the survivors moved to the Nez Perce Reservation in Idaho. Chief Joseph last visited Wallowa County in 1902,[3] and died two years later.

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 10-34 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 as Chinese Massacre Cove was approved in 2005 and encompasses a five-acre site.[5]

In 1896, the Joseph town bank was robbed and a shootout took place in the streets. The town has occasionally had re-enactments of that event.[6]

Wallowa County Courthouse was built in 1909–1910, using locally quarried Bowlby stone, a type of volcanic tuff. It is a Romanesque Revival-style building with Queen Anne architectural elements in some exterior features. The courthouse was listed on National Register of Historic Places in 2000. Today, it still houses Wallowa County government offices and faces west toward South River Street and is surrounded by Courthouse Square, which encompasses one city block, around 1.3 acres (1 ha). The square is landscaped with oak, pine, maple, linden, juniper, and flowering crabapple trees. Roses are planted on the north, west, and south sides of the courthouse. The square also has several veteran memorials along with a 20-by-24-foot (6.1 by 7.3 m) wood-framed gazebo in the northeast corner of the square.[7][8][9]

Wallowa mountains and lake

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. The noted, award-winning character actor Walter A. Brennan was another famous part-time resident, with a ranch in the Imnaha River canyon complex and properties in Joseph.

In December 2003, a developer announced a proposal to buy a 62-acre (0.25 km2) property near Wallowa Lake to build 11 homes on it. This property is adjacent to the property that is home to 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 Perce, Colville, and Umatilla tribes. Prior offers by the National Park Service and the Trust for Public Land 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 Perce said the tribe would appeal the decision to the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals. As of 2016, the controversy was still active.[10]

Geography

Map of Wallowa County
Map of Wallowa County

Wallowa is the northeasternmost county of Oregon. According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,152 square miles (8,160 km2), of which 5.5 sq mi (14 km2) (0.2%) are covered by water.[11]

Geographic features

Wallowa Lake and the Wallowa Mountains attract tourists to this region. The lake is a natural glacial formation, held in on three sides by prominent moraines. The microclimate is somewhat different from the surrounding areas and provides a cool retreat during the summer. Other geographic features include:

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18903,661—
19005,53851.3%
19108,36451.0%
19209,77816.9%
19307,814−20.1%
19407,623−2.4%
19507,264−4.7%
19607,102−2.2%
19706,247−12.0%
19807,27316.4%
19906,911−5.0%
20007,2264.6%
20107,008−3.0%
20207,3915.5%
2025 (est.)7,595[12] Increase2.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[13]
1790–1960[14] 1900–1990[15]
1990–2000[16] 2010–2020[1]

2020 census

Wallowa County, Oregon – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 1980[17] Pop 1990[18] Pop 2000[19] Pop 2010[20] Pop 2020[21] % 1980 % 1990 % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 7,184 6,738 6,918 6,625 6,598 98.78% 97.50% 95.74% 94.53% 89.27%
Black or African American alone (NH) 5 6 2 26 9 0.07% 0.09% 0.03% 0.37% 0.12%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 24 31 48 38 50 0.33% 0.45% 0.66% 0.54% 0.68%
Asian alone (NH) 8 23 17 24 31 0.11% 0.33% 0.24% 0.34% 0.42%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) x [22] x [23] 3 6 4 x x 0.04% 0.09% 0.05%
Other race alone (NH) 5 0 10 7 54 0.07% 0.00% 0.14% 0.10% 0.73%
Multiracial (NH) x [24] x [25] 103 126 388 x x 1.43% 1.80% 5.25%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 47 113 125 156 257 0.65% 1.64% 1.73% 2.23% 3.48%
Total 7,273 6,911 7,226 7,008 7,391 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 7,391. Of the residents, 18.6% were under 18 and 31.3% were 65 or older; the median age was 52.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.7 males, and for every 100 females 18 and over, there were 94.1 males.None of the residents lived in urban areas and 100.0% lived in rural areas.[26][27][28]

The racial makeup of the county was 90.3% White, 0.1% Black or African American, 0.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 2.0% from some other race, and 6.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.5% of the population.[28]

Of the 3,376 households in the county, 23.0% had children under 18 living with them, 24.2% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present, about 30.8% were made up of individuals, and 16.6% had someone living alone who was 65 or older.[27]

The county had 4,326 housing units, of which 22.0% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 73.4% were owner-occupied and 26.6% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 3.3%.[27]

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, 7,008 people, 3,133 households, and 2,024 families resided in the county.[29] The population density was 2.2 inhabitants per square mile (0.85/km2). The 4,108 housing units had an average density of 1.3 units per square mile (0.50 units/km2).[30] The racial makeup of the county was 96.0% White, 0.6% American Indian, 0.4% Black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.5% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos made up 2.2% of the population.[29] In terms of ancestry, 28.4% were German, 16.7% were English, 14.6% were Irish, 7.3% were American, and 5.4% were Scotch-Irish.[31]

Of the 3,133 households, 22.3% had children under 18 living with them, 54.3% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 35.4% were not families, and 30.0% were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.20, and the average family size was 2.70. The median age was 50.5 years.[29]

The median income in the county for a household was $41,116 and for a family was $49,961. Males had a median income of $35,963 versus $29,395 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,023. About 9.6% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.4% of those under 18 and 10.6% of those 65 or over.[32]

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, 7,226 people, 3,029 households, and 2,083 families were residing in the county. The population density was 2 people per square mile (0.77 people/km2). The 3,900 housing units had an average density of 1 units per square mile (0.39/km2). The racial makup of the county was 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.[33] About 1.73% were Hispanic or Latino of any race; 21.8% were of German, 15.7% American, 12.3% English, and 11.8% Irish ancestry.

Of the 3,029 households, 28.5% had children under 18 living with them, 58.7% were married couples living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.2% were not families. About 27.1% of households were one person and 11.9% were one person 65 or older. The average household size was 2.35, and the average family size was 2.85.

The age distribution was 24.30% under 18, 4.90% from 18 to 24, 21.90% from 25 to 44, 30.00% from 45 to 64, and 18.90% were 65 or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.1 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 96.1 males.

The median household income was $32,129 and the median family income was $38,682. Males had a median income of $28,202 versus $21,558 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,276. About 9.80% of families and 14.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.30% of those under 18 and 11.40% of those 65 or over.

Communities

Incorporated cities

Census-designated place

Unincorporated communities

Politics

State legislature

Wallowa County is located in Oregon State House District 58 which is currently represented by Bobby Levy. It is also located in Oregon State Senate District 29, represented by Bill Hansell. Both Levy and Hansell are registered Republicans.[34]

Board of commissioners

Wallowa County is represented and governed by three county commissioners. The Wallowa County Board of Commissioners is currently made up of Susan Roberts, Todd Nash, and John Hillock.[35] Susan Roberts is a former mayor of Enterprise and was elected onto the board in 2008.[36] Todd Nash was elected in 2016. John Hillock was elected in 2019. The seats are nonpartisan, although all three commissioners are registered Republicans.[36][37]

Make-up of voters

Like most counties in eastern Oregon, the majority of registered voters who are part of a political party in Wallowa County are members of the Republican Party. In the 2008 presidential election, 63.52% of Wallowa County voters voted for Republican John McCain, while 33.42% voted for Democrat Barack Obama and 3.06% of voters either voted for a third-party candidate or wrote in a candidate.[38] These numbers have changed slightly from the 2004 presidential election, in which 69.3% voted for George W. Bush, while 28.1% voted for John Kerry, and 2.6% of voters either voted for a Third Party candidate or wrote in a candidate.[39]

United States presidential election results for Wallowa County, Oregon[41]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No. %No. %No. %
1904 714 64.32% 255 22.97% 141 12.70%
1908 905 58.69% 506 32.81% 131 8.50%
1912 353 19.27% 610 33.30% 869 47.43%
1916 1,198 35.75% 1,960 58.49% 193 5.76%
1920 1,612 60.28% 896 33.51% 166 6.21%
1924 1,253 46.29% 973 35.94% 481 17.77%
1928 1,326 56.86% 935 40.09% 71 3.04%
1932 772 29.11% 1,790 67.50% 90 3.39%
1936 811 25.89% 2,000 63.86% 321 10.25%
1940 1,319 39.84% 1,974 59.62% 18 0.54%
1944 1,152 42.34% 1,544 56.74% 25 0.92%
1948 1,196 44.71% 1,408 52.64% 71 2.65%
1952 1,891 59.41% 1,271 39.93% 21 0.66%
1956 1,604 48.21% 1,723 51.79% 0 0.00%
1960 1,440 46.08% 1,682 53.82% 3 0.10%
1964 1,055 37.04% 1,790 62.85% 3 0.11%
1968 1,527 55.69% 1,006 36.69% 209 7.62%
1972 1,909 62.28% 899 29.33% 257 8.38%
1976 1,693 53.76% 1,310 41.60% 146 4.64%
1980 2,485 65.53% 995 26.24% 312 8.23%
1984 2,619 68.36% 1,204 31.43% 8 0.21%
1988 1,993 56.89% 1,425 40.68% 85 2.43%
1992 1,630 40.01% 1,203 29.53% 1,241 30.46%
1996 2,379 55.36% 1,321 30.74% 597 13.89%
2000 3,279 76.36% 836 19.47% 179 4.17%
2004 3,132 69.28% 1,269 28.07% 120 2.65%
2008 2,836 63.52% 1,492 33.42% 137 3.07%
2012 2,804 66.68% 1,253 29.80% 148 3.52%
2016 2,848 65.23% 1,116 25.56% 402 9.21%
2020 3,404 66.11% 1,625 31.56% 120 2.33%
2024 3,366 65.90% 1,573 30.79% 169 3.31%

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 stabilize the local economy. The Forest Service is the largest landlord in the county, owning 56% of the land.

Transportation

Major highways

Railroads

Education

School districts:[42]

Notable people

See also

References

  1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. Bailey, Barbara Ruth (1982). Main Street: Northeastern Oregon. Oregon Historical Society. pp. 5, 28. ISBN 0-87595-073-6.
  4. "Chief Joseph". Online Highways LLC. 2010. Retrieved March 5, 2010.
  5. Nokes, R. Gregory. 2009. Massacred for Gold. Corvallis, Oregon: Oregon State University Press.
  6. "Taste of Joseph". Wallowa County Chieftain. Retrieved February 15, 2018.
  7. Wallowa County Courthouse, National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form, National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C., May 18, 2000.
  8. Historic Wallowa County Courthouse Archived October 29, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, Wallowa County, www.co.wallowa.or.us, Enterprise, Oregon, 2009.
  9. The Wallowa County Courthouse, City of Enterprise, enterpriseoregon.org, Enterprise Oregon, July 29, 2012.
  10. "Kriegers won't sell land to government". La Grande observer. Retrieved February 15, 2018.
  11. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
  12. "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2025". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
  13. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
  14. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
  15. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 19, 2015. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
  16. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 26, 2015. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
  17. "1980 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Oregon - Table 58 - Persons by Race and Table 59 - Total Persons and Spanish Origin Persons by Type of Spanish Origin and Race (p. 39/24-39/32)" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
  18. "1990 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Oregon - Table 5 - Race and Hispanic Origin" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. p. 9-30.
  19. "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Wallowa County, Oregon". United States Census Bureau.
  20. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Wallowa County, Oregon". United States Census Bureau.
  21. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Wallowa County, Oregon". United States Census Bureau.
  22. included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
  23. included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
  24. not an option in the 1980 Census
  25. not an option in the 1990 Census
  26. "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  27. "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  28. "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  29. "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 23, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  30. "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 23, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  31. "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 23, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  32. "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 23, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  33. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  34. "The Voter's Self Defense System".
  35. "Board of Commissioners". Archived from the original on February 7, 2012. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  36. "Hayward, Roberts win Wallowa County Commission positions". lagrandeobserver.com. November 5, 2008. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
  37. "Races set in Wallowa County". The Observer. September 7, 2010. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
  38. "2008 Presidential General Election Results - Wallowa County, OR". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 21, 2009.
  39. "Wallowa County, Oregon detailed profile - houses, real estate, cost of living, wages, work, agriculture, ancestries, and more".
  40. "Oregon Elections Division Voter Registration by County". Archived from the original on July 23, 2019. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  41. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  42. Geography Division (December 18, 2020). 2020 Census - School District Reference Map: Wallowa County, OR (PDF) (Map). Suitland, Maryland: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved June 23, 2026. - Text list
  43. Finn, Robin (October 25, 2012). "Margaret Osborne duPont, Tennis Champion, Dies at 94". The New York Times. Retrieved April 28, 2014.

45°35′N 117°10′W / 45.58°N 117.17°W / 45.58; -117.17