Heppner, Oregon
Encyclopedia
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 Morrow County
Morrow County, Oregon
Morrow County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon, on the south side of the Columbia River. It is included in the 8 county definition of Eastern Oregon. The county is named for one of its first white settlers, Jackson L. Morrow, who was a member of the state legislature when the county...
, 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 was originally called Standsbury Flat for George W. Standsbury, one of the first white settlers in the area. It was later renamed to honor Henry Heppner, a Jewish pioneer who opened the first general store there in 1873. The population was 1,395 at the 2000 census.
Heppner is part of the Pendleton
Pendleton, Oregon
Pendleton is a city in Umatilla County, Oregon, United States. Pendleton was named in 1868 by the county commissioners for George H. Pendleton, Democratic candidate for Vice-President in the 1864 presidential campaign. The population was 16,612 at the 2010 census...
–Hermiston
Hermiston, Oregon
As of the census of 2010, there were 16,745 people, 4,964 households, and 3,360 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,035.4 people per square mile . There were 5,383 housing units at an average density of 832.9 per square mile...
Micropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Heppner was designated the temporary county seat at the time Morrow County was created and narrowly defeated LexingtonLexington, Oregon
Lexington is a city in Morrow County, Oregon, United States. The population was 263 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Pendleton–Hermiston Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
in the election held in 1886 to determine the permanent county seat. It was incorporated the following year.
Heppner was almost destroyed by a flash flood
Heppner Flood of 1903
The Heppner Flood of 1903 was a major flash flood along Willow Creek responsible for destroying a large portion of Heppner, Oregon, United States, on June 14, 1903...
on June 14, 1903. The flood was precipitated by a sudden cloudburst and accompanying hail that caused a debris dam collapse and flash flooding, notably on Willow Creek. A wall of water and debris swept down the creeks and canyons and through the city. It has been estimated that 238 people (a quarter of the city's population) drowned, making it the deadliest natural disaster in Oregon's history. Property damage was reported at nearly $1,000,000. The nearby cities of Ione
Ione, Oregon
Ione is a city in Morrow County, Oregon, United States. The population was 321 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Pendleton–Hermiston Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Ione lies along Oregon Route 74, northwest of Heppner...
and Lexington also sustained significant damage. In 1983, the Willow Creek Dam
Willow Creek Dam
Willow Creek Dam is a dam in Morrow County of the U.S. state of Oregon, located just east of Heppner's city limits. It is the first major dam constructed of roller-compacted concrete.The dam's drainage basin is...
at the outskirts of the city was finished.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited 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 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²), all of it land.
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 were 1,395 people, 583 households, and 398 families residing in the city. 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...
was 1,138.5 people per square mile (437.9/km²). There were 660 housing units at an average density of 538.7 per square mile (207.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.70% White, 1.00% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 1.51% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.58% of the population.
There were 583 households out of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.6% were 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, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% were non-families. 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.5% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 20.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 100.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,421, and the median income for a family was $42,500. Males had a median income of $37,381 versus $20,714 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 city was $16,729. About 11.1% of families and 13.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.9% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over.
Annual cultural events
Heppner is well-known in the region for its annual "A Wee Bit O'Ireland" celebration around St. Patrick's Day.Education
Heppner is served by the Morrow School District, which includes Heppner Junior/Senior High SchoolHeppner Junior/Senior High School
Heppner Junior/Senior High School is a public high school in Heppner, Oregon, United States.-Academics:In 2008, 93% of the school's seniors received their high school diploma...
and Heppner Elementary.
Notable people
- John KilkennyJohn KilkennyJohn Francis Kilkenny was a United States federal judge in the District of Oregon and then on the Ninth Circuit.-Early life:...
, federal judge - Greg SmithGreg Smith (Oregon politician)Greg V. Smith is an American politician in the US state of Oregon. He is a member of the Oregon House of Representatives, serving District 57. He resides in Heppner with his wife Sherri and their five kids.- Educational background :...
, Oregon State Representative, District 57
Further reading
- "Disaster in June", by Stewart HolbrookStewart HolbrookStewart Hall Holbrook was an American lumberjack, writer, and popular historian. His writings focused on what he called the "Far Corner": Washington, Oregon, and Idaho...
in The Far Corner: A Personal View of the Pacific Northwest, The Macmillan Company, 1952 - Calamity, by Joann Green Byrd, 2009
External links
- Entry for Heppner 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...
- "Without a Second's Warning": The Heppner Flood of 1903 by Bob DenOuden, Oregon Historical Quarterly Spring 2004