Praying for Those in Authority: Crook County
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...