Standing in the Gap for Oregon

Crook County, Oregon Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Matthew 5:9 Crook County, the geographical heart of Oregon, is seeing a jump in population . While the western counties, like Multnomah and Washington, are losing people, Crook County, from 2020 to 2023, grew 9% in population. Some of this was due to the Pandemic as the central part of the state – Deschutes, Crook, and Jefferson Counties – was considered a haven for remote work in Oregon. There has also been an increase due to the newly built data centers. The downside is that this influx of people has brought a huge jump in real estate prices with the average home in Bend or Prineville increasing as much as $100,000.   Prineville is the county seat of Crook County. Read more about Crook County here , here , and here . Crook County, Oregon The Crook County government, like several in eastern Oregon, has been of the old County Judge type with one judge and two Commissioners. The County Jud...

Crook County, Oregon Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Matthew 5:9 We are moving south from Wheeler into Crook County, which, while still part of the North Central Region of Oregon, is also the state's geographical center. The county was named after General George Crook, a U.S. Army officer, and was formed in 1882. It includes the foothills to the Blue Mountains and was an area hard to reach for settlers until the 1860s when the Santiam Pass was found and developed. Cattle ranchers were the first settlers in the area. Later in the 19 th century, farming was developed, and logging in the Ochoco Mountains. The first mention of a sawmill in county history was of the Swartz mill on Mill Creek around 1867. The current population of the county is 24,738. Prineville is the county seat, and pretty much always has been. The location was settled early in the county’s history, established by Monroe Hodges on his section of land in 1870. He named it after an...

Crooked River Rocks, Crook County, OR Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.  Psalm 126:6 NIV Crook County is the final county we will look at in the Central Oregon Region. Geographically, it is the center of the state, although less populated than Deschutes, it has played a crucial role in the development of this region of Oregon. We explored some of the early history here. Prineville is the county seat, and the economy has been given a boost by companies, including Facebook and Apple, building data storage facilities in the area. Crook County, OR The present Prineville Christian Church dates from October, 1953, and has been at the present location, on SE Lynn Blvd, since 1954. However, various forms of the Christian Church have been in existence since the 1880’s or earlier. According to their website, the church has variously been known as Prineville Church of Christ, Christian Church, and Prineville Commun...