Biggs Junction, Oregon
Encyclopedia
Biggs Junction is an unincorporated
community in Sherman County
, Oregon
, United States
. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau
has defined Biggs Junction as a census-designated place
(CDP). The census definition of the area may not precisely correspond to local understanding of the area with the same name.
Biggs Junction is located on the south side of the Columbia River
at the junction of Interstate 84/U.S. 30 and U.S. 97 where it crosses the Sam Hill Memorial Bridge
over the river from Washington. The population was 22 at the 2010 census.
(UP) at what was once a junction with the UP's Grass Valley
line to Kent
that has since been abandoned. Biggs was named for a nearby landowner, W. H. Biggs, who settled in Sherman County in 1880. W. H. Biggs was born on May 12, 1831; he was from Ohio. The rail line was originally owned by the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company (OR&N). In 1885 the OR&N station at Biggs was called Spanish Hollow, after the canyon that opens on the river there. The canyon was said to be named because a Spanish ox died there in the days of the Oregon Trail
, which runs parallel to U.S. 97. Biggs is where travelers on the Oregon Trail would first see the Columbia River after their overland journey. The current community of Biggs Junction was named for the station, which is less than a mile west of the current junction, and its location at the intersection
of I-84 and U.S. 97. Biggs post office was established in 1884 and closed in 1954.
, the CDP has a total area of 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²), all land.
Biggs Junction is across the Columbia River from Maryhill, Washington.
of 2000, there were 50 people, 20 households, and 12 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 59.6 people per square mile (23.0/km²). There were 22 housing units at an average density of 26.2 per square mile (10.1/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 68.00% White, 6.00% Asian, 26.00% from other races
. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 26.00% of the population.
There were 20 households out of which 25.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.0% were married couples
living together, and 40.0% were non-families. 40.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.50.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 24.0% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 30.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 85.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.0 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $19,167, and the median income for a family was $66,250. Males had a median income of $40,750 versus $18,750 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $19,532. Some 21.4% of families and 22.5% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no one under eighteen and none of those over 64.
The community's major business is that of a rest and refueling stop for traffic along the two major highways. It is one of the largest truck stop
s on the Oregon section of I-84.
Biggs Junction is an important wheat
shipping point, with grain storage elevators
and facilities for shipping wheat by river barge and rail.
The Biggs Junction area is well known among rockhounds for being the source of Biggs picture jasper
, a semi-precious gemstone
. The jasper was originally used by the local Native Americans
and was rediscovered in 1964 during the building of I-84 by road crews who were helping rebuild local bridges after the Christmas flood
of that year.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
community in Sherman County
Sherman County, Oregon
Sherman County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county is named for William Tecumseh Sherman, a Union general in the American Civil War. In 2010, its population was 1,765. The seat of the county is Moro. The largest city is Wasco....
, 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...
. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau
United 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...
has defined Biggs Junction as a census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP). The census definition of the area may not precisely correspond to local understanding of the area with the same name.
Biggs Junction is located on the south side of the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
at the junction of Interstate 84/U.S. 30 and U.S. 97 where it crosses the Sam Hill Memorial Bridge
Sam Hill Memorial Bridge
The Sam Hill Memorial Bridge, also known as the Biggs Rapids Bridge, is a steel truss bridge that carries U.S. Highway 97 across the Columbia River between Biggs Junction, Oregon in Sherman County and Maryhill, Washington in Klickitat County...
over the river from Washington. The population was 22 at the 2010 census.
History
Biggs is a station on the Union Pacific RailroadUnion Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
(UP) at what was once a junction with the UP's Grass Valley
Grass Valley, Oregon
Grass Valley is a city in Sherman County, Oregon, United States. The population was 171 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.-Demographics:...
line to Kent
Kent, Oregon
Kent is an unincorporated community in Sherman County, Oregon, United States. Although it is unincorporated, Kent has a post office with a ZIP code of 97033. Kent lies at the intersection of U.S. Route 97 and Dobie Point Road.-References:...
that has since been abandoned. Biggs was named for a nearby landowner, W. H. Biggs, who settled in Sherman County in 1880. W. H. Biggs was born on May 12, 1831; he was from Ohio. The rail line was originally owned by the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company (OR&N). In 1885 the OR&N station at Biggs was called Spanish Hollow, after the canyon that opens on the river there. The canyon was said to be named because a Spanish ox died there in the days of the Oregon Trail
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail is a historic east-west wagon route that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon and locations in between.After 1840 steam-powered riverboats and steamboats traversing up and down the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers sped settlement and development in the flat...
, which runs parallel to U.S. 97. Biggs is where travelers on the Oregon Trail would first see the Columbia River after their overland journey. The current community of Biggs Junction was named for the station, which is less than a mile west of the current junction, and its location at the intersection
Intersection (road)
An intersection is a road junction where two or more roads either meet or cross at grade . An intersection may be 3-way - a T junction or fork, 4-way - a crossroads, or 5-way or more...
of I-84 and U.S. 97. Biggs post office was established in 1884 and closed in 1954.
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 CDP has a total area of 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²), all land.
Biggs Junction is across the Columbia River from Maryhill, Washington.
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 50 people, 20 households, and 12 families residing in the CDP. 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 59.6 people per square mile (23.0/km²). There were 22 housing units at an average density of 26.2 per square mile (10.1/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 68.00% White, 6.00% Asian, 26.00% 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...
. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 26.00% of the population.
There were 20 households out of which 25.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.0% 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, and 40.0% were non-families. 40.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.50.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 24.0% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 30.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 85.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.0 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $19,167, and the median income for a family was $66,250. Males had a median income of $40,750 versus $18,750 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 CDP was $19,532. Some 21.4% of families and 22.5% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no one under eighteen and none of those over 64.
Economy
Truck stop
A truck stop is a commercial facility predicated on providing fuel, parking, and often food and other services to motorists and truck drivers...
s on the Oregon section of I-84.
Biggs Junction is an important wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
shipping point, with grain storage elevators
Grain elevator
A grain elevator is a tower containing a bucket elevator, which scoops up, elevates, and then uses gravity to deposit grain in a silo or other storage facility...
and facilities for shipping wheat by river barge and rail.
The Biggs Junction area is well known among rockhounds for being the source of Biggs picture jasper
Jasper
Jasper, a form of chalcedony, is an opaque, impure variety of silica, usually red, yellow, brown or green in color; and rarely blue. This mineral breaks with a smooth surface, and is used for ornamentation or as a gemstone. It can be highly polished and is used for vases, seals, and at one time for...
, a semi-precious gemstone
Gemstone
A gemstone or gem is a piece of mineral, which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments...
. The jasper was originally used by the local Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
and was rediscovered in 1964 during the building of I-84 by road crews who were helping rebuild local bridges after the Christmas flood
Christmas flood of 1964
The Christmas flood of 1964 was a major flood that took place in the Pacific Northwest of the United States between December 18, 1964 and January 7, 1965, spanning the Christmas holiday.Considered a 100-year flood,...
of that year.
External links
- Historic images of Biggs Junction from the Salem Public Library
- Images of Biggs Junction from Flickr
- Biggs Junction to Madras Corridor Plan from the Oregon Department of TransportationOregon Department of TransportationThe Oregon Department of Transportation is a department of the state government of the U.S. state of Oregon responsible for systems of transportation. It was first established in 1969. It had been preceded by the Oregon State Highway Department which, along with the Oregon State Highway...