Praying for Those in Authority: Union County

Victorian house, Union, Oregon

Give to the Lord the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. I Chronicles 16:29

We are in the heart of the six-county Northeast Region of Oregon. Union County is in the middle, west of Baker and Wallowa, and east of Umatilla, Grant, and Morrow. Once again, this is an area of beautiful country that attracts a lot of tourists and outdoor enthusiasts.

La Grande is the county seat. The county has a population of 26,196 as of 2020.

The town of Union, 15 miles southeast of LaGrande, was an early settlement and the first county seat, although that was later moved to LaGrande in the early twentieth century. It was built due to the mining boom in the mid-1800s and has retained much of its late-nineteenth-century charm, including a main street lined with ornate Victorian homes, many on the National Register of Historic Places. It is known as the “City of Victorian Heritage.” Union now has a population of about 2,000.

Union County, Oregon

During the 1880s the women of the United States, primarily in the West and South, began participating in a new organization, the Broom Brigade. The women would don uniforms and meet to drill in military fashion with a broom in place of a musket. The town of Union organized a Broom Brigade just before the town’s 4^th of July celebration in 1889.  These groups were born out of a commitment to patriotism, a desire to elevate domesticity, as well as an acknowledgment of women’s changing role in society.

There were several early ministers who were instrumental in establishing churches in Union County in the 1880s and 90s. We wrote about John W. Jenkins here. Another dedicated minister who, like Jenkins, also spent time in the Walla Walla/Athena/Weston area while preaching in Union County, was Michael Boli. He was born in Jefferson County, Missouri about 1817 and became a preacher like his father before him. At first, he was Baptist, but later followed the Campbellite beliefs. The family moved to Illinois, then Colorado, Washington, and over into Oregon and Union County. This was a hardy pioneer, as were most of the early preachers, judging by some of the accounts of those who heard him preach. He traveled on horseback with only a Bible, a stack of hymn books, and a worse-for-wear change of underwear. He was described as having a long beard and hair in need of a trim, but the local settlers did not hold that against him and gathered to hear him preach in the local school or whatever accommodations could be made. Many of the settlers had not had a chance to hear preaching since they’d come as pioneers to Oregon and missed not being part of a church, so his services were a welcome break in routine. He and his wife, Jemima, are believed to be buried east of Elgin in Union County.

The County Commissioners are Paul Anderes, Donna Beverage, and Matt Scarfo. The Board of Commissioners oversees the policy, legislative, and administrative duties. Only the Board can pass an ordinance, adopt a budget, or a county comprehensive plan, so keep the leaders in prayer.

The Union County Sheriff is Cody Bowen. The office recently implemented a school drug-free program. The program, called BEST, is taught to 5^th graders twice a week for seven weeks and addresses alcohol, smoking/vaping, marijuana, and illegal/legal drugs. Topics covered include dealing with peer pressure and decision-making skills. The class includes a graduation ceremony and the opportunity to sign a pledge.

Also pray for County Clerk Lisa Feik, and Treasurer Camee Jensen.