Prairie City, Oregon

Last updated

Prairie City, Oregon
City
2017-07-13 Prairie City 07.jpg
Downtown Prairie City
Grant County Oregon Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Prairie City Highlighted.svg
Location in Oregon
Coordinates: 44°27′40″N118°42′34″W / 44.46111°N 118.70944°W / 44.46111; -118.70944
Country United States
State Oregon
County Grant
Incorporated 1891
Government
 •  Mayor Jim Hamsher[ citation needed ]
Area
[1]
 • Total0.99 sq mi (2.57 km2)
 • Land0.99 sq mi (2.57 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
[2]
3,537 ft (1,078 m)
Population
 (2020) [3]
 • Total841
 • Density847.78/sq mi (327.45/km2)
Time zone UTC-8 (Pacific)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-7 (Pacific)
ZIP code
97869
Area code 541
FIPS code 41-59650 [4]
GNIS feature ID2411484 [2]
Website www.prairiecityoregon.com

Prairie City is a city in Grant County, Oregon, United States. The population was 909 at the 2010 census. The community was incorporated by the Oregon Legislative Assembly on February 23, 1891. [5]

Contents

History

Prairie City grew out of the former mining camp of Dixie, established in 1862 about 3 miles (5 km) up Dixie Creek from the John Day River. Prairie City, at the mouth of the creek, was chosen after placer mining rendered Dixie unsuitable for a townsite. The new city's post office was established in 1870 with Jules Le Bret as postmaster. [6]

A narrow gauge line, the Sumpter Valley Railway (SVR), ran 80 miles (130 km) from Baker City west to Sumpter and on to its western terminus at Prairie City, which it reached in 1907. [7] It carried passengers as well as freight shipped by ranchers, mining interests, and timber companies until its piecemeal abandonment in the 1930s. [7] In the 21st century, a heritage railway operates on a segment of the original line between Sumpter and McEwen. [8]

Geography

Prairie City is in eastern Oregon at the upper end of the John Day River valley. It is about 50 miles (80 km) southwest of Baker City by highway and 13 miles (21 km) east of John Day along U.S. Route 26 in Grant County. Strawberry Mountain in the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness of the Malheur National Forest is directly south of the city. [9]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.99 square miles (2.56 km2), all land. [10]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1870 100—
1880 235135.0%
1890 222−5.5%
1900 213−4.1%
1910 34863.4%
1920 64384.8%
1930 438−31.9%
1940 64747.7%
1950 82227.0%
1960 801−2.6%
1970 8678.2%
1980 1,10627.6%
1990 1,1171.0%
2000 1,080−3.3%
2010 909−15.8%
2020 841−7.5%
source: [4] [11] [3]

As of the census of 2010, there were 909 people, 402 households, and 257 families residing in the city. The population density was 918.2 inhabitants per square mile (354.5/km2). There were 476 housing units at an average density of 480.8 per square mile (185.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.6% White, 0.1% African American, 1.3% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 0.3% from other races, and 3.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.1% of the population. [4]

There were 402 households, of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.7% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.1% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.69. [4]

The Riverside Schoolhouse Bed & Breakfast in Prairie City Riverside Schoolhouse, Prairie City, OR.jpg
The Riverside Schoolhouse Bed & Breakfast in Prairie City

The median age in the city was 49.8 years. 20.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18.9% were from 25 to 44; 30.2% were from 45 to 64; and 25.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.3% male and 50.7% female. [4]

At the census of 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $31,354, and the median income for a family was $35,893. Males had a median income of $31,771 versus $24,500 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,278. About 10.6% of families and 14.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.4% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over. [4]

Economy

The economy includes ranching, retail stores, a wood-fueled power plant, and public services. [12] Prairie Wood Products, a mill that produces fine-grained studs from timber from nearby forests, is in Prairie City. [13]

Education and culture

Former railway depot DeWittMuseum.jpg
Former railway depot

Prairie City School in Prairie City serves children from kindergarten through 12th grade. [14]

Architectural features in Prairie City include historic stone buildings and the former railway depot. [12] The ground floor of the depot consists of a waiting room, railway station agent's office, baggage room, and freight office. [15] The second floor, once the home of the station agent and his family, houses the Dewitt Museum, with pioneer artifacts, tools, furniture, and memorabilia, as well as rocks and minerals from the surrounding area. [15] The depot was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. [15]

Bates State Park, built on the site of a former lumber mill, is northeast of Prairie City at Bates, near Austin Junction at the intersection of U.S. Route 26 and Oregon Route 7. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baker County, Oregon</span> County in Oregon, United States

Baker County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,668. The county seat and largest city is Baker City. The county was organized on September 22, 1862, when a portion of Wasco County was partitioned off. The new county's area was reduced in 1864 when Union County was partitioned off, and again in 1887 when Malheur County was partitioned off. The county's lines were last adjusted in 1901 when a parcel was added to the county.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camas County, Idaho</span> County in Idaho, United States

Camas County is a county in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Idaho. The county seat and largest city is Fairfield. The county was established 106 years ago in 1917 by the Idaho Legislature with a partition of Blaine County on February 6. It is named for the camas root, or Camassia, a lily-like plant with an edible bulb found in the region, that Native Americans and settlers used as a food source. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,077, making it the second-least populous county in the state, after Clark County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashford, Alabama</span> Town in Alabama, United States

Ashford is a town in Houston County, Alabama, United States. It is part of the Dothan, Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town was incorporated in June 1891. For most of its history, it was a center for naval stores production, pulpwood harvesting, and cotton agriculture. The population was 2,148 at the 2010 census, up from 1,853 at the 2000 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wellman, Iowa</span> City in Iowa, United States

Wellman is a city in Washington County, Iowa, United States. It is part of the Iowa City, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,524 at the time of the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corydon, Iowa</span> City in Iowa, United States

Corydon is a city in Wayne County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,526 in the 2020 census, a decline from 1,591 in 2000. It is the county seat of Wayne County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baldwin City, Kansas</span> City in Kansas, United States

Baldwin City is a city in Douglas County, Kansas, United States, about 12 miles (19 km) south of Lawrence. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 4,826. The city is home to Baker University, the state's oldest four-year university.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sumpter, Oregon</span> City in Oregon, United States

Sumpter is a city in Baker County, Oregon, United States. The population was 204 at the 2010 census. Sumpter is named after Fort Sumter by its founders. The name was inspired by a rock as smooth and round as a cannonball, which reminded a local resident of the American Civil War and Fort Sumter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canby, Oregon</span> City in Oregon, United States

Canby is a city in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. The population was 18,171 at the 2020 census. It is along Oregon Route 99E, 2 miles (3 km) northeast of Barlow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Granite, Oregon</span> City in Oregon, United States

Granite is a city in Grant County, in the U.S. state of Oregon. The city had a population of 38 in 2010, up from 24 in 2000. In 2010, it was the fourth-smallest incorporated city by population in Oregon. The smaller cities were Shaniko, Lonerock (21), and nearby Greenhorn (0).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rogue River, Oregon</span> City in Oregon, United States

Rogue River is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2020 census the population was 2,407.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Depoe Bay, Oregon</span> City in Oregon, United States

Depoe Bay is a city in Lincoln County, Oregon, United States, located on U.S. Route 101 on the Pacific Ocean. The population was 1,398 at the 2010 census. The bay of the same name is a 6-acre (2.4 ha) harbor that the city promotes as the world's smallest navigable harbor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irrigon, Oregon</span> City in Morrow County, Oregon, United States

Irrigon is a city in Morrow County, Oregon, United States, on the Columbia River and U.S. Route 730. The city is part of the Pendleton–Hermiston Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,826 at the 2010 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Troutdale, Oregon</span> City in Oregon, United States

Troutdale is a city in Multnomah County, Oregon, United States, immediately north of Gresham and east of Wood Village. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 16,300. The city serves as the western gateway to the Historic Columbia River Highway, the Mount Hood Scenic Byway, and the Columbia River Gorge. It is approximately 12 miles (19 km) east of Portland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Ronde, Oregon</span> Census-designated place in Oregon, United States

Grand Ronde is a census-designated place (CDP) and unincorporated community in Polk and Yamhill counties, Oregon, United States. Historically noted as a village in Polk County, the sphere of influence and community is in both Polk and Yamhill counties. The name of the community is a variation of the French Grande Ronde or "Grand Round" which could be about the large round-up of Native American peoples in the area who were settled on what was known as the Grand Ronde Indian Reservation, or possibly referencing the shape of the valley in which the community is located. As of the census of 2010, there were 1,661 people in 658 households residing in Grand Ronde. It is part of the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bay City, Oregon</span> City in Oregon, United States

Bay City is a city in Tillamook County, Oregon, United States. The population was 1,286 at the 2010 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garden Home–Whitford, Oregon</span> CDP in Oregon, United States

Garden Home-Whitford is a census-designated place (CDP) consisting of the neighborhoods of Garden Home and the smaller Whitford area in Washington County, Oregon, United States. They are located in the southwest hills of Portland, near Beaverton. As of the 2020 census, the CDP population was 7,081.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Plains, Oregon</span> City in Oregon, United States

North Plains is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States, off U.S. 26 on the northwest outskirts of the Portland metropolitan area. The population was 3,441 at the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ilwaco, Washington</span> City in Washington, United States

Ilwaco is a city in Pacific County, Washington, United States. The population was 936 at the 2010 census. Founded in 1890, the city was home to the Ilwaco Railway and Navigation Company along the Long Beach Peninsula, with its core economy based on logging and timber rafting. The city is located on the southern edge of the Long Beach Peninsula, on Baker Bay on the north side of the Columbia River where it meets the Pacific Ocean. It is near the city of Astoria, Oregon, which lies to the southeast on the southern bank of the Columbia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buckley, Washington</span> City in Washington, United States

Buckley is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States, founded in 1882. The population was 5,114 at the 2020 census. Buckley sits below Mount Rainier and is well known for hosting the annual Log Show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Motley, Minnesota</span> City in Minnesota, United States

Motley is a city in Cass and Morrison counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 680 at the 2020 census. The main part of Motley is located within Morrison County; only a minor part of the city extends into Cass County

References

  1. ↑ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  2. 1 2 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Prairie City, Oregon
  3. 1 2 "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  5. ↑ Whitney, J. R. (1905). The Special Laws of the State of Oregon Enacted by The Twenty-third Legislative Assembly Regular Session. Salem, Oregon: State Printer. p. 453.
  6. ↑ McArthur, Lewis A.; Lewis L. McArthur (2003) [1928]. Oregon Geographic Names (7th ed.). Portland: Oregon Historical Society Press. p. 782. ISBN   0-87595-277-1.
  7. 1 2 Culp, Edwin D. (1978). Stations West: The Story of the Oregon Railways. New York: Bonanza Books. pp. 91–95. ISBN   0-517-243431.
  8. ↑ "All Aboard for a Trip Back in Time". Sumpter Valley Railroad. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  9. ↑ The 2013 Road Atlas. Chicago, Illinois: Rand McNally. 2013. p. 85. ISBN   978-052-80062-2-7.
  10. ↑ "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 25, 2012. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  11. ↑ Moffatt, Riley Moore (1996). Population History of Western U.S. Cities and Towns, 1850–1990. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. p. 214. ISBN   978-0-8108-3033-2.
  12. 1 2 "About Prairie City". Grant County Chamber of Commerce. Archived from the original on March 11, 2009. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
  13. ↑ "Prairie Wood Products". City of Prairie City. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
  14. ↑ "Oregon School Directory 2012–13" (PDF). Oregon Department of Education. p. 32. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 27, 2013. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
  15. 1 2 3 "Dewitt Museum". City of Prairie City. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
  16. ↑ "Opening Near for Bates State Park". Oregon Public Broadcasting. September 14, 2011. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.