Praying for Oregon Counties: Polk

Ritner Creek Bridge, Polk County, OR

And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in. Isaiah 58:12

 

 Of the counties that make up the Willamette Valley, Polk county has the smallest population. My personal impression of Polk County is that it is the beautiful stretch we drive through to reach the ocean beaches. We’ve stopped to eat in charming places like Dallas along the way, but have not spent much time sight-seeing, although there is actually a lot to explore in Polk County. 

 

First, huge Yamhill County was created, then in 1845 they partitioned off Polk County, named after President James K. Polk. Originally Polk County went all the way to the California border. As the southern portion of the state was settled, additional counties were created until Polk became the size and shape it is today. The county seat is Dallas, which was named after President Polk’s vice-president, George M. Dallas. 

 

Much of the county is forest, and forest products play a big role in the economy, as does agriculture, especially wine making. Polk County has the second-largest amount of land planted to vineyards in the state. Western Oregon University in Monmouth is a major employer in the county as well. 

 

The largest employer in Polk County, however, is the Spirit Mountain Casino and the associated Spirit Mountain Lodge, owned and operated by The Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community. 

 

The story of the Grand Ronde tribes is yet another chapter resulting from the removal of the Pacific Northwest Native Americans in the 1850’s to reservations. The Grand Ronde tribes include about 30 different tribes and bands from Oregon, Washington and northern California. They, too, made the infamous Rogue River Trail of Tears trek to settle in a section of the coast range. The tribal headquarters and the casino are in Polk County, but the 11,500 acre reservation is just north in Yamhill County.

 

Their story follows the familiar pattern. Their original reservation was 61,000 acres, which was reduced substantially by policies in the late 1800’s. In 1954 their tribal status was terminated, leaving them landless and without support for their members. They then began the hard work of regaining restoration and recognition as a tribe, which was accomplished under the Reagan Administration, and they were able to reclaim some of their acreage. Since then the tribe has worked to build economic opportunities for the tribal members and establish services such as health care. 

 

Willamette Falls had long had great cultural and spiritual significance to many of Oregon’s tribes. In 2019 the Grand Ronde tribe was able to purchase 23 acres at Willamette Falls, the site of the Blue Heron paper mill. They have plans to refurbish the area and to resume their role as caretakers of the falls. My favorite walk currently is along the Promenade that overlooks the old paper mill and Willamette Falls. It will be interesting to see how the Tribe develops the area.

Willamette Falls, OR

Polk County has a three-member Board of Commissioners. Currently those offices are held by Craig Pope, Mike Ainsworth and Lyle Mordhorst.

 

How do we pray for Polk County?

 

Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. Psalms 122:7

 

Pray for peace and prosperity.

Pray for the Commissioners and other county leaders.

Pray for the Grand Ronde leaders as they continue to grow and build for the future. The tribe is governed by a nine-member Tribal Council.  

Margaret