A Deeper Look: Jefferson County
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| Church on Warm Springs Reservation |
Those who go out weeping, carry seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them. Psalm 126:6 NIV
In my own subjective and personal division of Oregon
into regions, I placed Jefferson, Wheeler, Deschutes, and Crook Counties in the
Central Region of Oregon. There is some debate on what area constitutes Central
Oregon, but most agree Jefferson, Deschutes and Crook make up the core. Some
add neighboring counties as well, as I have with Wheeler.
This is high, dry, pine tree country, a semi-arid area
sitting in the rain shadow of the Cascade Mountains to the west; the smaller
Ochoco Mountains bounding it on the east. Central Oregon has become a tourist
destination for those wanting to camp, ride horseback, rockhound or just fish,
hike, and picnic. Lumber and ranching
are other major economic sources.
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| Central Oregon Region |
We are focusing on Jefferson County this week.
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| Jefferson County |
Jefferson County was settled after the best land in
the Willamette Valley was taken, in what is sometimes called “reverse
immigration.” Settlers moved east over the Cascades trying to find good farming
and ranching land after finding the Willamette Valley too crowded for their
taste. The early 1900’s saw the largest influx of settlers into the area.
The First Christian Church of Madras was established
around the time Madras and the surrounding areas were settled. In the early 1900’s
a circuit rider, Charles Arba Sias, a graduate of Cotner University in Lincoln,
Nebraska, moved with his wife Grace to a ranch near Madras. For a couple of
years, he had pastored the Christian Church at Athena, Oregon, a little town
north of Pendleton. Charles Sias established the Madras congregation, serving
as pastor from 1903 - 05, and as circuit rider to Lamonta, Grizzly Butte, Haystack
and Prineville communities. Most of the circuit meetings were held in schoolhouses,
while baptisms were held in Willow Creek. After several years of holding
meetings and setting the stage, by 1909 the Madras congregation was ready to formally
organize and build a building. The lumber was purchased from a sawmill near Grizzly
Mountain and the church erected in Madras on 7th street.
In the century since Jefferson County was settled, the
population has come to be culturally and ethnically diverse, including Anglo,
Native American, and Hispanic populations. One large employer is the Confederate
Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation. While the reservation lands are spread
over four counties, 236,082 acres are in the northwest corner of Jefferson County.
Agriculture in the county is primarily seed, potatoes,
hay and mint with the eastern portion known for dryland wheat farming and
cattle.
How do we pray for Jefferson County?
For the one in authority is God’s servant
for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword
for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on
the wrongdoer. Romans 13:4 NIV
Pray for the elected officials: The County
Commissioners are Mae Huston, Wayne Fording, Kelly Simmelink. Katherine Zemke
is the County Clerk, and Steven Lericke is the District Attorney.
The Mission Statement for Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office
is Safeguard all people and their property, serving all equally, with
empathy, dignity, and respect. The Sheriff is Jason Pollock. Currently the
Patrol Division has at times only one deputy on duty for 22,000 people spread
over 1,781 square miles. They are working to add enough officers to always keep
a minimum of two on duty.
Pray for the Clarion Call Event on the Warm Springs
Reservation this weekend, July 22 -24. Speaker is Genevieve Skidmore.
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