Canyon City, Oregon
Encyclopedia
Canyon City is a city in Grant County
, Oregon
, United States
. It is the county seat
of Grant County, and is about a mile south of John Day
on U.S. Highway 395. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 703.
could yield several ounces in each pan of sediment. At the peak of the local gold rush
, it is claimed that 10,000 people lived in Canyon City, making it larger than Portland
at the time.
The preeminent geologist, Waldemar Lindgren
, during his 1900 visit to the gold belt of the Blue Mountains, estimated that no more than $16 million in gold had been recovered from Canyon Creek by then. At the fixed value of $20.67 per troy ounce, this would correspond to roughly 800000 troy ounces (24,882.8 kg), worth today (at $1,000 an ounce) about $800-million.
The town was platted
in 1862 and was chosen as the county seat two years later, when Grant County was split from Wasco County
. It was incorporated in 1891.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 1.4 square miles (3.6 km²); none of the area is covered with water.
of 2000, there are 669 people in the town, organized into 257 households and 180 families. The population density
is 480.3 people per square mile (185.8/km²). There are 294 housing units at an average density of 211.1 per square mile (81.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town is 90.58% White, 2.84% Native American, 0.15% Black or African American, 2.09% from other races, and 4.33% from two or more races. No one identified himself as Asia
n or Pacific Islander. 4.63% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 257 households out of which 37.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.1% are married couples
living together, 11.7% have a female householder with no husband present, and 29.6% are non-families. 24.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.6% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.46 and the average family size is 2.94.
In the town the population is spread out with 28.7% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 35 years. For every 100 females there are 99.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 107.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $29,940, and the median income for a family is $41,458. Males have a median income of $31,167 versus $23,438 for females. The per capita income
for the town is $14,404. 7.8% of the population and 5.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 9.2% of those under the age of 18 and 0.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
44.390829°N 118.94899°W
Grant County, Oregon
Grant County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is included in the 8 county definition of Eastern Oregon. In 2010, its population was 7,445. It is named for President Ulysses S. Grant, who served as an army officer in the Oregon Territory, and at the time of the county's creation...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Grant County, and is about a mile south of John Day
John Day, Oregon
John Day is a city located about north of Canyon City in Grant County, Oregon, at the intersection of U.S. Routes 26 and 395. The city was named for the nearby John Day River, which had been named for a Virginian member of the 1811 Astor Expedition, John Day...
on U.S. Highway 395. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 703.
History
Canyon City was established in June 1862 as a result of the discovery of gold in Canyon Creek, which flows through the town. The discovery led to land between Canyon City and John Day being worth $500 per square yard ($598/m²). Panning for goldPlacer mining
Placer mining is the mining of alluvial deposits for minerals. This may be done by open-pit or by various surface excavating equipment or tunneling equipment....
could yield several ounces in each pan of sediment. At the peak of the local gold rush
Gold rush
A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
, it is claimed that 10,000 people lived in Canyon City, making it larger than Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
at the time.
The preeminent geologist, Waldemar Lindgren
Waldemar Lindgren
Waldemar Lindgren was a Swedish-American geologist. Lindgren was one of the founders of modern Economic geology.-Biography:...
, during his 1900 visit to the gold belt of the Blue Mountains, estimated that no more than $16 million in gold had been recovered from Canyon Creek by then. At the fixed value of $20.67 per troy ounce, this would correspond to roughly 800000 troy ounces (24,882.8 kg), worth today (at $1,000 an ounce) about $800-million.
The town was platted
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
in 1862 and was chosen as the county seat two years later, when Grant County was split from Wasco County
Wasco County, Oregon
Wasco County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county is named for a local tribe of Native Americans, the Wasco, a Chinook tribe who lived on the south side of the Columbia River. In 2010, its population was 25,213...
. It was incorporated in 1891.
Geography
Canyon City is located a few miles northwest of Canyon Mountain, at an altitude of over 3100 feet (940 m).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 1.4 square miles (3.6 km²); none of the area is covered with water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there are 669 people in the town, organized into 257 households and 180 families. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
is 480.3 people per square mile (185.8/km²). There are 294 housing units at an average density of 211.1 per square mile (81.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town is 90.58% White, 2.84% Native American, 0.15% Black or African American, 2.09% from other races, and 4.33% from two or more races. No one identified himself as Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n or Pacific Islander. 4.63% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 257 households out of which 37.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.1% are married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 11.7% have a female householder with no husband present, and 29.6% are non-families. 24.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.6% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.46 and the average family size is 2.94.
In the town the population is spread out with 28.7% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 35 years. For every 100 females there are 99.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 107.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $29,940, and the median income for a family is $41,458. Males have a median income of $31,167 versus $23,438 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town is $14,404. 7.8% of the population and 5.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 9.2% of those under the age of 18 and 0.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
External links
- Canyon City by the Grant County Chamber of CommerceChamber of commerceA chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
- Listing for Canyon City in the Oregon Blue BookOregon Blue BookThe Oregon Blue Book is the official directory and fact book for the U.S. state of Oregon copyrighted by the Oregon Secretary of State and published by the Office of the Secretary's Archives Division. As Governor Ted Kulongoski notes in his introduction for the 2005–2006 edition, it "provides...
44.390829°N 118.94899°W