Wheeler County

Wheeler County was formed by the legislature from parts of Grant, Gilliam and Crook Counties February 17, 1899 and was named after Henry H. Wheeler. The new county consisted of 1713 square miles with an estimated 46 townships, a population of 2,500 and taxable property of one million dollars. Wheeler County is as rugged and uneven as any Oregon county. The terrain varies widely from sagebrush, juniper and rimrock to stands of Ponderosa Pine and Douglas Fir. Two national forests lie within county boundaries with a large expanse of BLM all totaling in excess of 300,000 publicly owned acres, nearly a third of the total land mass. The area is probably best known as one of the most outstanding deposits of prehistoric fossils on the North American continent. Also, the John Day River bisects the county north and south and is fast becoming a destination for white water rafters and Bass and Steelhead fishermen. The river boasts of providing the state record Small Mouth Bass. The three towns: Fossil, the county seat, Pop. 500+/-; Spray, Pop. 160+/-; Mitchell, Pop. 150+/- are fairly evenly spaced apart at 30 to 50 miles and are each uniquely located geographically to the county. Fossil is the gateway to the county from the north. Spray sits at the 'east gate' and is the jumping off spot to the John Day River and Umatilla National Forest. Mitchell provides a strategic base to the Ochoco National Forest via Highway 26, including Painted Hills National Monument. Outside of the county's historic cattle industry, the only existing industry in the county pulled out in the late 70's thus cutting the county's population in half to around 1,500+/-. However, population is on the rise slightly. The quiet solitude and respect of privacy in the area has been the major draw while at the same time being within a two hour drive of Bend and Interstate 84 has increased demand for rural properties. Like Gilliam County to the north, we have seen some employment opportunities made available by the development of Columbia Ridge, seven miles south of Arlington. We have nearly a dozen individuals employed there. Government and schools provide the bulk of employment for the remainder of the working population. Fossil was founded in 1876 by Thomas B. Hoover, an early settler who operated the first post office. The town's name was chosen by Hoover due to the abundance of fossils found in the area. The community was an early center of commerce and today boasts a 100-year-old mercantile and several other historic buildings. Fossil is the Wheeler County seat and the community offers public fossil digging beds behind the high school right in town. Fossil is home to the historic Wheeler County Courthouse, the Fossil Museum with its pioneer and rock artifacts, the one room Pine Creek Schoolhouse Museum, the county fairgrounds, two city parks and several downtown businesses. For more information visit www.cityoffossil.com. The Ochoco Divide of the Ochoco Mountains is located 16 miles west of Mitchell, in the Ochoco National Forest. The Ochoco Mountains have towering evergreen forests and various snow parks offering great opportunities for cross-country skiing, sledding and snowmobiling. In early summer this region is great for morel mushroom hunting and hiking. For more information call (541) 462-3121 462-3121) . Spray is one of those out of the way, "don't blink, you'll miss it" kind of places. Spray is actually a beautiful little hamlet within earshot of the famed John Day River. One of the main features is the popular public boat launch in the middle of town and the Spray Pioneer Museum is also worth a stop for those into local history and points of interest. Spray is equidistant from all three units of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. When in Spray, you'll see a post office, a motel, two stores and other small business. There is a K-12 school with less than 100 students, a preschool and a dormitory (boarding house) that usually houses up to 6 exchan