| Union County, Oregon | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Oregon |
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 Oregon's location in the U.S. |
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| Statistics | |
| Founded | October 14, 1864 |
|---|---|
| Seat | La Grande |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
2,039 sq mi (5,281 km²) 2,037 sq mi (5,276 km²) 2 sq mi (5 km²), 0.10% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
24,530 13/sq mi (5/km²) |
| Website: www.union-county.org | |
Union County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is included in the 8 county definition of Eastern Oregon. The county is named for the town of Union, which is located within its boundaries; in 2000, the county population was 24,530. The county seat is La Grande.
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History
Population growth in eastern Oregon during the early 1860s prompted the State Legislature to split Umatilla and Baker Counties from Wasco County in 1862. Further settlement in the Grande Ronde Valley led to the creation of Union County from Baker County on October 14, 1864.
The establishment of a county seat resulted in competition, based on geography and on economic and population growth, between La Grande and the city of Union. The county seat alternated between Union and La Grande until it permanently came to rest at La Grande in 1905. Between 1875 and 1913, adjustments were made between Union County's borders and the borders of Baker, Umatilla, and Wallowa Counties.
Economy
The initial economic interest in the area was mining, but most of the mines were in the portion Baker County annexed in 1901. Farming (wheat, fruit, vegetables, mint, and grass seed), cattle, sheep raising, and timber have replaced mining as the primary economic forces in the county. Nearby mountains and streams offer hunting, fishing, skiing, and camping, which attract vacationers. The Forest Service owns 47% of the lands inside the county boundaries.
Politics
State Legislature
Union County is located in Oregon State House District 57 which is currently represented by Greg Smith. It is also located in Oregon State Senate District 29, represented by David Nelson. Both Smith and Nelson are registered Republicans.[1]
Board of Commissioners
Union County is represented and governed by three County Commissioners. The Union County Board of Commissioners is currently made up of Steve McClure, R. Nellie Bogue Hibbert, and Mark Davidson. Steve McClure was selected to fill a vacant term then elected to his first full term in 1990. He is currently serving his third term. R. Nellie Bogue Hibbert was elected for her first term in 2006[2] and Mark Davidson was elected for his first term in 2008. All three current Union County Commissioners are members of the Republican Party.[3]
Make-up of Union County voters
Like all counties in eastern Oregon, the majority of registered voters who are part of a political party in Union County are members of the Republican Party.[4] In the 2008 presidential election, 60.2 percent of Union County voters voted for Republican John McCain, while 38.63 percent voted for Democrat Barack Obama and 3.22 percent of voters either voted for a Third Party candidate or wrote in a candidate.[5] These numbers show a slight shift towards the Democratic candidate when compared to the 2004 presidential election, in which 65.7% of Union Country voters voted for George W. Bush, while 32.8% voted for John Kerry, and 1.5% of voters either voted for a Third Party candidate or wrote in a candidate.[6]
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,039 square miles (5,280 km²), of which, 2,037 square miles (5,275 km²) of it is land and 2 square miles (5 km²) of it (0.10%) is water.
Adjacent counties
- Umatila County - (west)
- Wallowa County - (east)
- Baker County - (south)
- Grant County - (southwest)
National protected areas
- Umatilla National Forest (part)
- Wallowa National Forest (part)
- Whitman National Forest (part)
Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 16,070 |
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| 1910 | 16,191 | 0.8% | |
| 1920 | 16,636 | 2.7% | |
| 1930 | 17,492 | 5.1% | |
| 1940 | 17,399 | −0.5% | |
| 1950 | 17,962 | 3.2% | |
| 1960 | 18,180 | 1.2% | |
| 1970 | 19,377 | 6.6% | |
| 1980 | 23,921 | 23.5% | |
| 1990 | 23,598 | −1.4% | |
| 2000 | 24,530 | 3.9% | |
| Est. 2007 | 24,753 | 0.9% | |
| sources:[7][8] | |||
As of the census[9] of 2000, there were 24,530 people, 9,740 households, and 6,516 families residing in the county. The population density was 12 people per square mile (5/km²). There were 10,603 housing units at an average density of 5 per square mile (2/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 94.29% White, 0.51% Black or African American, 0.85% Native American, 0.85% Asian, 0.62% Pacific Islander, 1.22% from other races, and 1.67% from two or more races. 2.45% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 20.2% were of German, 15.5% American, 12.2% English and 10.5% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 9,740 households out of which 30.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.10% were married couples living together, 8.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.10% were non-families. 26.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the county, the population was spread out with 24.60% under the age of 18, 12.10% from 18 to 24, 23.50% from 25 to 44, 25.00% from 45 to 64, and 14.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $33,738, and the median income for a family was $40,520. Males had a median income of $33,028 versus $21,740 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,907. About 8.50% of families and 13.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.60% of those under age 18 and 9.50% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
Incorporated cities
Unincorporated communities
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References
- ^ http://www.votesmart.org/search.php?search=97850&submit_lastname-zip.x=0&submit_lastname-zip.y=12 Retrieved 10/22/09
- ^ http://www.lagrandeobserver.com/Opinion/Editorials/TIME-FOR-A-CHANGE-VOTE-BOGUE-HIBBERT Retrieved 8/25/2009
- ^ http://www.union-county.org/ Retrieved on 8/25/2009
- ^ a b http://www.sos.state.or.us/elections/votreg/mar09.pdf Retrieved 4/20/09
- ^ http://www.union-county.org/ Retrieved 4/20/09
- ^ http://www.city-data.com/county/Union_County-OR.html Retrieved on 4/21/09
- ^ census.gov Oregon population by county, 1900-90 - accessed 2009-05-02
- ^ quickfacts.census.gov - Union County - accessed 2009-05-02
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
External links
- Union County Government Official Web Site
- Union County graveyards from Oregon Tombstone Transcription Project
Coordinates: 45°19′38″N 118°05′36″W / 45.327188°N 118.093239°W
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