Granite, Oregon
Encyclopedia
Granite is a city located in Grant County
, Oregon
, United States
. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 24, up from its population of 10 in 1990. It is the second-smallest (according to population) incorporated city in Oregon, after nearby Greenhorn
, which has a population of zero.
, the name Granite was chosen when its post office was established in 1878, the name "Independence
" already being used in Polk County, Oregon
. A. G. Tabor, who had staked the first mining claim on Granite Creek (the Independence) and was the only merchant in town at the time, served as the first postmaster. The city of Granite was incorporated in April 1900 with Grant Thornburg as mayor.
A 1939 interview "Occupational and Social Life of Granite" recorded by William "Bill" Haight as part of the Federal Writers' Project
, described the town and surroundings of Granite.
. Modern telephone service was extended to Granite in the year 2000.
, the town has a total area of 0.4 square miles (1 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 24 people, 15 households, and 9 families residing in the city. The population density
was 60.3 people per square mile (23.2/km²). There were 74 housing units at an average density of 185.8 per square mile (71.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 100% White. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.17% of the population.
There were 15 households out of which 0.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.0% were married couples
living together, 0.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% were non-families. 40.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.60 and the average family size was 2.00.
In the city the population was spread out with 20.8% from 25 to 44, 66.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 57 years. For every 100 females there were 118.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 118.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $15,625, and the median income for a family was $20,625. Males had a median income of $11,250 versus $6,250 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $8,024. About 20.0% of families and 36.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 100.0% of those 65 and older.
Grant County, Oregon
Grant County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is included in the 8 county definition of Eastern Oregon. In 2010, its population was 7,445. 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...
, 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...
. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 24, up from its population of 10 in 1990. It is the second-smallest (according to population) incorporated city in Oregon, after nearby Greenhorn
Greenhorn, Oregon
Greenhorn is a small city in Baker and Grant Counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. It straddles the Blue Mountain ridge, so that it is located in both Grant County and Baker County...
, which has a population of zero.
History
First established by miners after the discovery of gold July 4, 1862, the community was originally called Independence and was situated about a mile-and-half west-north-west of the present location. According to Oregon Geographic NamesOregon Geographic Names
Oregon Geographic Names is an authoritative compilation of the origin and meaning of place names in the U.S. state of Oregon. , the book is in its seventh edition and is compiled and edited by Lewis L. McArthur, who took over from his father, Lewis A. McArthur, as of the fourth edition...
, the name Granite was chosen when its post office was established in 1878, the name "Independence
Independence, Oregon
Independence is a city in Polk County, Oregon, United States, on the west bank of the Willamette River along Oregon Route 51, and east of nearby Monmouth. It is part of the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area...
" already being used in Polk County, Oregon
Polk County, Oregon
Polk County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county is named for James Knox Polk, the 11th president of the United States. In 2010, its population was 75,403. The seat of the county is Dallas....
. A. G. Tabor, who had staked the first mining claim on Granite Creek (the Independence) and was the only merchant in town at the time, served as the first postmaster. The city of Granite was incorporated in April 1900 with Grant Thornburg as mayor.
A 1939 interview "Occupational and Social Life of Granite" recorded by William "Bill" Haight as part of the Federal Writers' Project
Federal Writers' Project
The Federal Writers' Project was a United States federal government project to fund written work and support writers during the Great Depression. It was part of the Works Progress Administration, a New Deal program...
, described the town and surroundings of Granite.
Economy
With more than eighty percent of the men in the area directly employed in the mining industry, the viability of the area's economy practically collapsed when gold mining was made illegal in 1942 by Federal Public Law L-208, under the authority of the War Labor Act. The city had a population of 45 in 1930, 86 in 1940, 40 in 1950, and two in 1960. Although electrical service, provided by a local power plant on Clear Creek, and telegraph and later telephone lines were operational in the early days, they fell out of use and were abandoned after World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Modern telephone service was extended to Granite in the year 2000.
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 town has a total area of 0.4 square miles (1 km²), all of it land.
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 24 people, 15 households, and 9 families residing in the city. 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 60.3 people per square mile (23.2/km²). There were 74 housing units at an average density of 185.8 per square mile (71.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 100% White. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.17% of the population.
There were 15 households out of which 0.0% 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, 0.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% were non-families. 40.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.60 and the average family size was 2.00.
In the city the population was spread out with 20.8% from 25 to 44, 66.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 57 years. For every 100 females there were 118.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 118.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $15,625, and the median income for a family was $20,625. Males had a median income of $11,250 versus $6,250 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 city was $8,024. About 20.0% of families and 36.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 100.0% of those 65 and older.
External links
- Grant County Chamber of Commerce entry for Granite
- Entry for Granite in the Oregon Blue BookOregon Blue BookThe Oregon Blue Book is the official directory and fact book for the U.S. state of Oregon copyrighted by the Oregon Secretary of State and published by the Office of the Secretary's Archives Division. As Governor Ted Kulongoski notes in his introduction for the 2005–2006 edition, it "provides...