John Day, OR
| John Day, Oregon | |
|---|---|
| City | |
 |
|
 Location in Oregon |
|
| Coordinates: 44°25′5″N 118°57′18″W / 44.41806°N 118.95500°WCoordinates: 44°25′5″N 118°57′18″W / 44.41806°N 118.95500°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| County | Grant |
| Incorporated | 1901 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Ron Lundbom |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.87 sq mi (4.84 km2) |
| • Land | 1.87 sq mi (4.84 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) |
| Elevation | 3,087 ft (941 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 1,744 |
| • Estimate (2012) | 1,713 |
| • Density | 932.6/sq mi (360.1/km2) |
| Time zone | Pacific (UTC-8) |
| • Summer (DST) | Pacific (UTC-7) |
| ZIP code | 97845 |
| Area code(s) | 458 and 541 |
| FIPS code | 41-37550 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1144303 |
| Website | www.cityofjohnday.com |
John Day is a city located about 2 miles (3.2 km) 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. The city was incorporated in 1901.
As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 1,744, making it the largest city in the county.
The first homestead staked in Grant County (what was then Wasco County), in 1862 by B. C. Trowbridge, was within the limits of the present city of John Day. The Eastern Oregon community was not as quick to grow as neighboring Canyon City, which was the county seat and center of the bustling mining industry in the area. Incrementally, local merchants and residents began relocating to John Day—primarily each time after severe fires in Canyon City: the Grant County Courthouse burned in 1870, Chinatown burned in 1885, and fires in 1898 and 1937 devastated Canyon City's downtown.
The first post office at "John Day City" was established in 1865, but was discontinued in 1871. It was reestablished in 1879 with the name John Day. In April 1900, a local committee was elected, and the Oregon Legislature approved an Act incorporating the city of John Day on February 23, 1901. The largest part of early John Day was composed of the Chinese community, commonly called Tiger Town. In 1882, the Advent Christian Church in John Day had 547 members, 382 of whom were Chinese (and a number of Chinese residents were interred in the Seventh Day Adventist Cemetery). By 1887, John Day was home to nearly 1,000 Chinese immigrants, who had been attracted to the area by a gold rush 20 years earlier, many of whom were displaced by the 1885 fire in Canyon City.
...
Wikipedia