A Deeper Look: Wheeler County

 

Painted hills, Wheeler County, OR

The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; Isaiah 35:1

Wheeler has the distinction of being the least populated county in the state. We’ve written about the fascinating geography and outdoor activities here.

In most of the United States, the median age is 38.2, which points to the fact that Americans are living longer. In the 70’s the median age was less than 30. In Wheeler County, however, the median age is 56.9 with 34% of the residents over the age of 65. There is a real shortage of young people or young families with children. Meaning? It does not bode well for the economic future of the county, or the succession of the farms and ranches that make up a large part of the economic base. Young people grow up and leave for more populated areas with a wider variety of jobs.

Wheeler County, Oregon

The county was named for Henry H. Wheeler, a pioneer who was born in Pennsylvania in 1826 and came west to California, Idaho and finally Oregon to engage in mining, sawmilling, and similar pursuits as a young man. By 1866 he was living near the town of Mitchell in what would become Wheeler County, operating a stage line that ran from The Dalles to Canyon City. It carried passengers (for $40), and the U.S. Mail. On September 7, 1866, (which appears to also have been his 40^th birthday) he was walking beside the stage on the road a couple miles east of Mitchell. The stage was carrying one passenger – Henry Paige, the Wells Fargo manager - and, the mail, jewelry, gold dust, and $10,000 in cash.

It sounds like a scene from a western movie, but according to a marker that has been near the site since the 1920’s, they were attacked by a band of 15 – 20 Indians who wounded both men. He and the manager, Paige, escaped on horseback while the Indians took the jewelry, but not the mail or money, and destroyed the coach.

It was the Tenino and Wasco tribes who originally lived in this area, but since the Warm Springs reservation was created in 1855 by treaty, and the Tenino and Wasco peoples relocated there in 1858-59, it seems unlikely they were the attackers. The Northern Paiute, however, were still around, and were, according to some accounts, the perpetrators.

About ten years later, in 1875, Henry Wheeler married Dorcas Monroe, who was 35 at the time. He was 49. Henry died in 1915 at the age of 88.

The descendants of those early pioneers in Wheeler County have a little less excitement and a bit more fun. One popular event is the Wheeler County Bluegrass Festival held the week of July 4^th on the grass in front of the courthouse in Fossil, the county seat. One traditional feature of the Festival is a Gospel Show on the Sunday morning of the event.

Wheeler County has about 1, 425 residents spread over 1,715 square miles. The first County Sheriff, in 1899, was Lew Keeton. Now the county has one Sheriff, Mike Smith, and three deputies as well as numerous reserve and volunteer supporters.

How do we pray for Wheeler County?

There is hope in your future, says the Lord, that your children shall come back to their own border. Jeremiah 31:17  

Pray for the future of Wheeler County. With a median age of 56.9, an influx of young families is needed. Pray for economic growth in the county, and the ability of ranchers and farmers to pass their businesses on to the next generation.

Hardship, violence, and trauma are in the foundation of Oregon history and the pioneer days. While it makes for good storytelling, events left a mark. Pray for healing of the trauma that has been passed down, and to heal any bitterness between the native tribes and the descendants of settlers.

Pray for the leadership. The county operates under the County Court system with Wheeler County Judge N. Lynn Morley and Commissioners Clinton Dyer and Rick Shaffer. Pray also for County Sheriff Mike Smith.