Praying for Oregon Counties: Wallowa
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| Eagle Cap Wilderness, Wallowa County Oregon |
Wallowa County, in the northeast corner of Oregon, is one of those places on my Wish List, along with Crater Lake. Nope, never been there, but hope to visit someday. The geology is fascinating, and unusual, like a little piece of the Swiss Alps stuck up in the corner of the state. The Snake River and Hells Canyon run along the eastern edge between parts of Idaho and Washington. To the west is Union and Umatilla Counties with Baker County to the south.
It was established in 1887, carved out of the eastern section of Union County. This is Nez Perce country, the home of Chief Joseph, one of our most well-known Native Americans. The Nez Perce were forced to leave their homeland, the Wallowa Valley, in 1877. Instead of going to the reservation in Idaho, where they were being required to relocate, Chief Joseph and his people made a run for freedom in Canada and were stopped just forty miles from the border. They eventually settled on the Colville Reservation in eastern Washington State. I am familiar with their history from that end of their journey as we lived near the reservation when I was a teenager. Would love to see the Wallowa Valley where it all began.
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| Chief Joseph |
Enterprise is the county seat with a population of around 2,000. The town of Joseph, just a bit smaller, is a popular tourist site and home to numerous artists and writers. The Annual Festival of Arts in Joseph sounds amazing.
Wallowa County is one of the least populated counties in Oregon with even less (2.2) people per square mile than Malheur County (3). The population is mostly ranchers and farmers with timber and tourism making up the rest of the economic base. It is home to Hells Canyon, the deepest river gorge in North America, as well as Eagle Gap Wilderness Area, Wallowa Lake and the dramatic Wallowa Mountains.
Even a beautiful, serene place like Wallowa County can have some darkness lurking in the past. Besides the Chief Joseph story, another sad note from Wallowa’s history is the 1887 massacre of 34 Chinese immigrant miners in what is now the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest at the edge of Hells Canyon. They were murdered, it was later discovered, by a gang of seven horse thieves. Eventually some were arrested but never punished for the crime. There is now a five-acre memorial at the site of the killings, Chinese Massacre Cove.
And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. Genesis 4:10
Woe to those who deeply hide their plans from the Lord, And whose deeds are done in a dark place, And they say, “Who sees us?” or “Who knows us? Isaiah 29:15
So, far, in exploring the counties of Oregon, the theme of repentance keeps emerging. While not all of Oregon's history is dark - there are many stories of generosity, self-sacrifice and nobility - there are still instances of land grabs, shanghaiing, theft, murder. Daniel’s prayer of intercession and repentance in Daniel 9 includes mention of “the iniquities of our fathers.” It seems the first step in standing in the gap for Oregon is to repent, even for the deeds of others or for things that happened long ago. Once again, repenting like Daniel seems to be in order.
If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. II Chronicles 7:14
How to pray for Wallowa County?
Elected officials include the three commissioners of Wallowa County Board of Commissioners.
The county is in State House District 58 and State Senate District 29.
Pray for wisdom and sensitivity to God’s direction in the county leadership as well as the leadership of Enterprise and Joseph and other small towns. Pray for blessings and strength on those who step up to serve in leadership in their communities.
Margaret
Margaret
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