Grant County, Oregon
| Grant County, Oregon | |
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Grant County Courthouse in Canyon City
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 Location in the U.S. state of Oregon |
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 Oregon's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | October 14, 1864 |
| Seat | Canyon City |
| Largest city | John Day |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4,529 sq mi (11,730 km2) |
| • Land | 4,529 sq mi (11,730 km2) |
| • Water | 0.7 sq mi (2 km2), 0.02% |
| Population (est.) | |
| • (2015) | 7,185 |
| • Density | 1.6/sq mi (1/km²) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
| Time zone | Pacific: UTC-8/-7 |
| Website | www |
Grant County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 census, the population was 7,445. The county seat is Canyon City. 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 was a Union general in the American Civil War.
Grant County is included in the 8 county definition of Eastern Oregon.
Grant County was established on October 14, 1864, from parts of old Wasco and old Umatilla counties. Prior to its creation, cases brought to court were tried in The Dalles, county seat of the vast Wasco County. The great distance to The Dalles made law enforcement a difficult problem, and imposed a heavy burden on citizens who had a need to transact business at the courthouse. In 1889, more than half of the southern part of the original Grant County was taken to form Harney County. Also in 1899, a small part of northwestern Grant County was taken (along with parts of Crook and Gilliam counties) to form Wheeler County.
After gold was discovered in 1862 on Whiskey Flat, it has been estimated that within ten days 1,000 miners were camped along Canyon Creek. This increased population created a need for county government. Grant County’s government operates in accordance with the Oregon Constitution which was ratified by the People of Oregon in November 1857, and the revised Statutes of Oregon. It employs the old-western county government system: the County Court, with a County Judge and two Commissioners. While the County Court no longer exercises much judicial authority, it serves as the executive branch of county government. There are no parishes or villages in Grant County, and while the term “town” is often used locally to describe one of the incorporated cities, surveyed townships have nothing to do with political divisions or organization in Oregon.
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