Praying for Oregon Counties: Wheeler

Painted Hills, Oregon

For who is God, except the Lord? And who is a rock, expect our God? Psalm 18:31

Known as a “Geologic Wonderland,” Wheeler County is the least populated county in the state with only about 1500 residents. Three hours from Portland, in North Central Oregon, it is a popular tourist destination famous for the John Day Fossil Bed National Monument, the John Day River and two National Forests: the Ochoco and the Umatilla. About one-third of the county is BLM land.

Wheeler County was created in 1899 from parts of Grant, Gilliam and Crook Counties. It’s three main communities are Mitchell, Spray, and Fossil, the county seat. The economy is based on tourism - which includes fossil digging, fishing, rafting, hiking, camping, photography and winter sports in the mountains - and ranching. From 1928 until 1978 the Kinzua Pine Mills Company which later became the Eastern Oregon Logging Company, was a major employer in the county. When it closed in 1978 the county population was cut in half, although it has begun a slight increase now. The logging company, to address a housing shortage for employees, built a company town called Kinzua that, at one time, was the largest town in the county. It has now been leveled and pine trees planted on the site.

Now that I’ve researched Wheeler County a little, I have a craving to go over and hunt fossils. In the town of Fossil they offer public fossil digging beds behind the high school. The town of Fossil is conveniently located to the John Day Fossil Bed National Monument which has three sites, the Clarno unit, the Painted Hills unit, and the Sheep Rock unit. These areas contain some of the most outstanding deposits of prehistoric plant and animal fossils in the world.

The town of Mitchell, population about 175, is also a gateway to the fossil beds, and also to the Ochoco National Forest. Spray, the third small community in the county, is the jumping-off point for the Umatilla National Forest, and near the John Day River, a Wild and Scenic River famous for its salmon runs and bass fishing. Mitchell was founded in the 1860’s as a stage stop.

John Day River

In addition to being a geologic wonderland, the county lays claim to being the most beautiful in the state. With the drama of the Painted Hills and the rugged pine-covered hills of the two national forests, I’m not going to argue.

Along with schools, post offices, motels and B & B’s, a few churches have been established near the three communities including Baptist, Methodist and Assembly of God congregations. Some of the schools include boarding houses. As a child I remember being told that students in some parts of eastern Oregon lived too far out on ranches to attend school daily and had to board at the schools.

The county has a judge-commissioner government with the County Judge being N. Lynn Morley. The two commissioners are Clinton Dyer and Rick Shaffer.

How do we pray for Wheeler County?

The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein. Psalm 24:1

·         Pray for the leadership of the county and the town councils

·         Pray for economic development and prosperity for the citizens. Business development in bordering counties helps Wheeler as well.

·         Pray for the church congregations and their ability to minister to the isolated, far-flung citizens of the area.