Standing in the Gap for Oregon

  Linn County, OR Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” Matthew 23:34 We are dropping down from the north coast counties for a bit this week and looking at Linn County. This is because the 82 nd Oregon Legislative Assembly began January 17 th   and there  is a great story about "praying for those in authority" I came across, and it has its roots in Linn County. But first…Linn County was established in 1847 by the Provisional Government. At first what is now Brownsville (originally Calapooia) was the county seat, but in 1851 it was moved to Albany.   The county is 2,290 square miles with a population of 128,610. Some of the eastern portion of the county, including the town of Gates, was involved in the 2020 wildfires that came down Santiam Canyon. While much of Linn County is the southern portion of the Willamette Valley and home to larger communities like Albany, the eleventh largest city in the state, the eastern portion of the county leads...

Flavel House, Astoria, OR Let them give glory to the Lord, and declare His praise in the coastlands. Isaiah 42:12 Clatsop County is in the top northwestern corner of the state, bordered by the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean.  It is home to the oldest American settlement in the Northwest, Astoria, founded by trappers sent out by John Jacob Astor in 1811. Before that, just a bit south, the Lewis can Clark Expedition spent the winter of 1905-6 at Fort Clatsop. You can still visit a replica on the site. Astoria is the county seat, and the county was created in 1844 from a portion of one of the original four districts, Twality. Clatsop County, OR An early settler in Astoria, and one credited with creating modern Astoria, was Captain George Flavel. Born, it is believed, in Ireland, he first caught sight of the little village of Astoria in 1849 when he was shipping supplies during the gold rush. He had sailed around the Horn as a young man from New Jersey to make his fortune in th...

Rainier Church, Columbia County, OR When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him. Isaiah 59:19 Columbia County was created in 1854. Being in the upper western part of the state, it lies along the Columbia River so saw explorers early in its history, including Captain Grey and his ship in 1792, and Lewis and Clark who camped along the river in Columbia County. The town of St. Helens is the county seat, and the county has a population of around 50,000. At 657 square miles it is the third smallest county in the state. It’s a very rural place, home to farmers and loggers, and with some lovely scenery. The county seat, St. Helens, is on the Columbia River. Roughly thirty miles due west, in the south-west section of the county, is the small town of Vernonia. Before 1924 it was a farming community in the Nehalem River Valley with around 150 people. The Nehalem River bisects the town and Highway 47, known as the Nehalem Highway along th...

Capital in Salem, Marion County, OR Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable  life in all godliness and reverence. I Timothy 2:1-2 Named after Francis Marion, the South Carolina Revolutionary War hero also known as The Swamp Fox, Marion County has been in existence since 1843 when it was known as the Champooick District. As one of the original four districts in Oregon, it was huge. It didn’t reach it present smaller size (1,194 square miles) until 1856. Marion County is now the 5 th largest in the state by population. The county seat is Salem, which is, of course, also the state capital. Pray for the government leaders in Salem, both on the state and the county level. For this [praying for all men] is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth...

Elliot Prairie Community Church Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications,  prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior...           I Timothy 2:1-4 Starting with the new year, we hope to take Standing in the Gap for Oregon in a slightly different direction. We’ve covered all 36 counties in Oregon and several of the cities more than once. This year, post-2022 election, we want to focus on our elected officials and some of the citizens, past and present, of each county. Clackamas County We are beginning with Clackamas County for no particular reason. While Oregon City is the county seat and a center of history for the entire state, there are interesting places all a...