Josephine County, Oregon
| Josephine County, Oregon | |
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Josephine County Courthouse in Grants Pass
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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 | January 22, 1856 |
| Seat | Grants Pass |
| Largest city | Grants Pass |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1,642 sq mi (4,253 km2) |
| • Land | 1,640 sq mi (4,248 km2) |
| • Water | 2.2 sq mi (6 km2), 0.1% |
| Population (est.) | |
| • (2015) | 84,745 |
| • Density | 50/sq mi (19/km²) |
| Congressional districts | 2nd, 4th |
| Time zone | Pacific: UTC-8/-7 |
| Website | www |
Josephine County is a county in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 census, the population was 82,713. The county seat is Grants Pass. The county is probably named after a stream in the area called Josephine Creek, which in turn is probably named after Virginia Josephine Rollins Ort. Josephine County comprises the Grants Pass, OR Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Medford-Grants Pass, OR Combined Statistical Area.
The discovery of rich placers at Sailor Diggings (later known as Waldo) in 1852 and the resulting gold rush brought the first settlers to this region. Several U.S. Army forts were maintained in the county and many engagements during the Rogue River Indian War (1855–1858) took place within its boundaries. In 1851, a group of prospectors moved to the Illinois Valley and made the first discovery of gold in Southern Oregon. In this group was Floyd Rollins and his daughter, Josephine Rollins Ort, after whom the county is named. On January 22, 1856, a bill was passed by the territorial legislature separating what is now Josephine County from Jackson County. The bill made Sailor Diggings (later known as Waldo) the county seat. It was the nineteenth, and last, county created before statehood.
In 1885, the county seat was relocated to Kerby, where the county's first jail was built In 1885, the Oregon Legislature adjusted the boundary between Jackson and Josephine County, making Grants Pass a part of Josephine County. This was done primarily to have a railroad head within the new county. In June 1886 the voters of Josephine County considered three towns for the new county seat. These were: Kerby, Wilderville and Grants Pass. Grants Pass won with 116 votes out of the 716 ballots cast.
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