Josephine County, Oregon
Encyclopedia
Josephine County is a county located in the U.S. state
of Oregon
. According to Oregon Geographic Names
, 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. In 2010, its population was 82,713. Grants Pass
is the county seat.
and Illinois valleys since 1851. By the late 1850s, however, gold mining was beginning to decline and population dwindled as well. In 1859, gold was discovered along the Fraser River
in British Columbia
and numerous people left Josephine County to search for valuable claims there.
Josephine County shares the Rogue Valley and Applegate Valley
wine appellations with Jackson County
. The U.S. government owns the majority of the land within the county boundaries, with the Bureau of Land Management
owning 28% of the lands within the county boundaries, most of which are Oregon and California Railroad
lands, and the Forest Service
owning 39%.
Grants Pass is now the departure point for most Rogue River scenic waterway guided fishing and boat trips. The Illinois River, one of the Rogue's tributaries, has also been designated a scenic waterway.
, the county has a total area of 1642 square miles (4,252.8 km²), of which 1640 square miles (4,247.6 km²) is land and 2 square miles (5.2 km²) (0.12%) is water.
of 2000, there were 75,726 people, 31,000 households, and 21,359 families residing in the county. The population density
was 46 people per square mile (18/km²). There were 33,239 housing units at an average density of 20 per square mile (8/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 93.90% White
, 0.27% Black
or African American
, 1.25% Native American
, 0.63% Asian
, 0.11% Pacific Islander
, 1.17% from other races
, and 2.68% from two or more races. 4.26% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race. 18.5% were of German, 14.3% English
, 10.4% Irish
and 9.3% American ancestry according to Census 2000. 95.6% spoke English
and 2.8% Spanish
as their first language.
There were 31,000 households, out of which 26.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.40% were married couples
living together, 10.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.10% were non-families. 25.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.85.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.10% under the age of 18, 6.50% from 18 to 24, 23.20% from 25 to 44, 27.20% from 45 to 64, and 20.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 94.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $31,229, and the median income for a family was $36,894. Males had a median income of $30,798 versus $22,734 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $17,234. About 11.30% of families and 15.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.10% of those under age 18 and 6.80% of those age 65 or over.
) 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 1883, the Oregon and California Railroad
first made it to Grants Pass, in Jackson County at the time.
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.
In the 1920s, the county improved its tourist facilities. In 1922, the Grants Pass Cavemen booster club was created, where members dressed in furs and wielded clubs at events. Events organized by the club ranged from simply blocking traffic, to bidding on the construction of the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge (at a cost of 23,756,000 deer hides), to initiating politicians into their club including Mark Hatfield
and Thomas E. Dewey during his 1948 presidential campaign. Russian newspapers used images of the Grants Pass Cavemen to show how 'how the rich "cavort" in America.'
Although bridges had been built across the Rogue River by the 1920s, ferries were still used to convey people and cars across. The first Grants Pass bridge was destroyed by a flood in 1890. The first newspaper in Josephine County was the Argus, which began publication on March 13, 1885. It lasted only a few months, but the Grants Pass Courier began three weeks later. In 1897, the first legal hanging took place in JC. L. W. Nelson confessed to the murder of Charles Perry while the noose was around his neck.
Initially, freight was brought into JC by pack train. As the trails improved, freight wagons were used. Stage coaches were the primary mode of transportation until 1914, when auto stages took over, halving the time from Crescent City
to Grants Pass from 24 to 12 hours.
The first through train from Portland, Oregon
arrived in Grants Pass on 1883's Christmas Eve. Due to delays in completing a railroad through the Siskiyou Mountains
, the first train from California didn't arrive until 1887. JC was served by the Oregon and California Railroad
. In 1923, commercial flight in Josephine County began when airplanes began taking off from the American Legion Air Field. The airfield has since been replaced by an industrial park.
s lived in the area from which Josephine County was created, most of their members had been moved to the reservation at Grand Ronde
by the end of the Rogue River Indian War. Soon afterwards all Indians in southwest Oregon, with the exception of a few tiny bands, were moved to the Coast reservation (later known as the Siletz Reservation
)
Josephine County was also the home to a large Chinese population. Most had come to the area to work gold claims purchased from whites no longer interested in working them. Even though they could not own land, they had to pay a tax to mine gold, and were relegated to inferior claims.
In September 2007, committed community members formed Josephine Community Libraries, Inc., a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization.
On December 20, 2008, the Grants Pass library opened again. On September 5, 2009, the Illinois Valley library was reopened. On November 7, 2009, the Williams library was reopened. With the reopening of the Wolf Creek branch on December 19, 2009, all four library branches in Josephine County were restored.
Josephine Community Libraries, Inc. (JCLI) is a nonprofit, nongovernmental library system serving the 82,000 residents of Josephine County. It is a privately-run, public library that relies on membership contributions for funding and a large and varied volunteer force to staff operations and support functions.
. The last Democratic candidate to win the county was Franklin D. Roosevelt
in 1936. Although shifting Democratic in the last 12 years John McCain
received 55.2% of the county's vote in the 2008 U.S. presidential election
. In 2004 Democrat Dennis Kucinich
became the first (and so far the only) Presidential candidate of either major political party to speak publicly while campaigning in Josephine County, making appearances in both Grants Pass and Cave Junction. Robert Kennedy made a campaign stop in Merlin in 1968, but only addressed members of the local Democratic committee.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of 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...
. According to Oregon Geographic Names
Oregon 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 county is probably named after a stream in the area called Josephine Creek, which in turn is probably named after Virginia Josephine Rollins Ort. In 2010, its population was 82,713. Grants Pass
Grants Pass, Oregon
-Rogue River:The Rogue River runs through Grants Pass.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 23,003 people, 9,376 households, and 5,925 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 9,885 housing units at an average density of 1,303.3 per square mile . By 2008,...
is the county seat.
Economy
Most of the commercial activity during the territorial period centered on gold mining and the supply of provisions to miners. Miners had been active in the RogueRogue River (Oregon)
The Rogue River in southwestern Oregon in the United States flows about in a generally westward direction from the Cascade Range to the Pacific Ocean. Known for its salmon runs, whitewater rafting, and rugged scenery, it was one of the original eight rivers named in the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act...
and Illinois valleys since 1851. By the late 1850s, however, gold mining was beginning to decline and population dwindled as well. In 1859, gold was discovered along the Fraser River
Fraser River
The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Mount Robson in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia at the city of Vancouver. It is the tenth longest river in Canada...
in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
and numerous people left Josephine County to search for valuable claims there.
Josephine County shares the Rogue Valley and Applegate Valley
Applegate Valley
Applegate Valley is the valley of the Applegate River in Southern Oregon, United States and extending slightly into Northern California. It encompasses the area between Applegate and Grants Pass, generally west of Medford...
wine appellations with Jackson County
Jackson County, Oregon
-National protected areas:* Cascade–Siskiyou National Monument* Crater Lake National Park * Klamath National Forest * Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest * Umpqua National Forest -Demographics:...
. The U.S. government owns the majority of the land within the county boundaries, with the Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers America's public lands, totaling approximately , or one-eighth of the landmass of the country. The BLM also manages of subsurface mineral estate underlying federal, state and private...
owning 28% of the lands within the county boundaries, most of which are Oregon and California Railroad
Oregon and California Railroad
The Oregon and California Railroad was formed from the Oregon Central Railroad when it was the first to operate a stretch south of Portland in 1869. This qualified the Railroad for land grants in California, whereupon the name of the railroad soon changed to Oregon & California Rail Road Company...
lands, and the Forest Service
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
owning 39%.
Grants Pass is now the departure point for most Rogue River scenic waterway guided fishing and boat trips. The Illinois River, one of the Rogue's tributaries, has also been designated a scenic waterway.
Geography
According to the U.S. 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 county has a total area of 1642 square miles (4,252.8 km²), of which 1640 square miles (4,247.6 km²) is land and 2 square miles (5.2 km²) (0.12%) is water.
Adjacent counties
- Curry County, OregonCurry County, OregonCurry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. In 2010, its population was 22,364. The county is named for George Law Curry, a governor of the Oregon Territory. The seat of the county is Gold Beach.-Economy:...
- (west) - Jackson County, OregonJackson County, Oregon-National protected areas:* Cascade–Siskiyou National Monument* Crater Lake National Park * Klamath National Forest * Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest * Umpqua National Forest -Demographics:...
- (east) - Douglas County, OregonDouglas County, Oregon-National protected areas:* Crater Lake National Park * Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest * Siuslaw National Forest * Umpqua National Forest * Willamette National Forest -Adjacent counties:* Lane County, Oregon -...
- (north) - Del Norte County, CaliforniaDel Norte County, CaliforniaDel Norte County is a county located at the far northwest corner of the U.S. state of California on the Pacific adjacent to the Oregon border. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 28,610. The county seat is Crescent City, the county's only incorporated city. Del Norte is the abbreviated...
- (southwest) - Siskiyou County, CaliforniaSiskiyou County, CaliforniaSiskiyou County is a county located in the far northernmost part of the U.S. state of California, in the Shasta Cascade region on the Oregon border. Yreka is the county seat. Because of its substantial natural beauty, outdoor recreation opportunities, and Gold Rush era history, it is an important...
- (south)
National protected areas
- Oregon Caves National MonumentOregon Caves National MonumentOregon Caves National Monument is a national monument in the northern Siskiyou Mountains of southwestern Oregon in the United States. The main part of the park, including the marble cave and a visitor center, is located east of Cave Junction, on Oregon Route 46. A separate visitor center in Cave...
- Rogue River-Siskiyou National ForestRogue River-Siskiyou National ForestThe Rogue River – Siskiyou National Forest is a United States National Forest located on both sides of the border between the states of Oregon and California. The formerly separate Rogue River and Siskiyou National Forests were administratively combined in 2004...
(part)
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 75,726 people, 31,000 households, and 21,359 families residing in the county. 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 46 people per square mile (18/km²). There were 33,239 housing units at an average density of 20 per square mile (8/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 93.90% White
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...
, 0.27% Black
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...
or African American
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...
, 1.25% Native American
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...
, 0.63% Asian
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...
, 0.11% Pacific Islander
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...
, 1.17% 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...
, and 2.68% from two or more races. 4.26% of the population were Hispanic
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...
or Latino
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...
of any race. 18.5% were of German, 14.3% English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
, 10.4% Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
and 9.3% American ancestry according to Census 2000. 95.6% spoke English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and 2.8% Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
as their first language.
There were 31,000 households, out of which 26.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.40% 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, 10.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.10% were non-families. 25.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.85.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.10% under the age of 18, 6.50% from 18 to 24, 23.20% from 25 to 44, 27.20% from 45 to 64, and 20.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 94.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $31,229, and the median income for a family was $36,894. Males had a median income of $30,798 versus $22,734 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 county was $17,234. About 11.30% of families and 15.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.10% of those under age 18 and 6.80% of those age 65 or over.
History
The discovery of rich placers at Sailor Diggings (later known as WaldoWaldo, Oregon
Waldo is a ghost town located in Josephine County, Oregon, United States, about three miles from the California border. It was settled in 1852 as a gold mining camp called Sailor's Diggings....
) 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
Illinois River (Oregon)
The Illinois River is a tributary, about long, of the Rogue River in the U.S. state of Oregon. It drains part of the Klamath Mountains in northern California and southwestern Oregon. The river's main stem begins at the confluence of its east and west forks near Cave Junction in southern Josephine...
and made the first discovery of gold in Southern Oregon
Southern Oregon
Southern Oregon is a region of the U.S. state of Oregon south of Lane County and generally west of the Cascade Range, excluding the southern Oregon Coast. Counties include Douglas, Jackson, Klamath, and Josephine. It includes the Southern Oregon American Viticultural Area, which consists of the...
. 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
Jackson County, Oregon
-National protected areas:* Cascade–Siskiyou National Monument* Crater Lake National Park * Klamath National Forest * Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest * Umpqua National Forest -Demographics:...
. The bill made Sailor Diggings (later known as Waldo
Waldo, Oregon
Waldo is a ghost town located in Josephine County, Oregon, United States, about three miles from the California border. It was settled in 1852 as a gold mining camp called Sailor's Diggings....
) the county seat. It was the nineteenth, and last, county created before statehood.
In 1883, the Oregon and California Railroad
Oregon and California Railroad
The Oregon and California Railroad was formed from the Oregon Central Railroad when it was the first to operate a stretch south of Portland in 1869. This qualified the Railroad for land grants in California, whereupon the name of the railroad soon changed to Oregon & California Rail Road Company...
first made it to Grants Pass, in Jackson County at the time.
In 1885, the county seat was relocated to Kerby
Kerby, Oregon
Kerby is an unincorporated community in Josephine County, Oregon, United States, north of Cave Junction on U.S. Route 199, Zip code 97531. Although the current population of...
, where the county's first jail was built In 1885, the Oregon Legislature adjusted the boundary between Jackson and Josephine County, making Grants Pass
Grants Pass, Oregon
-Rogue River:The Rogue River runs through Grants Pass.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 23,003 people, 9,376 households, and 5,925 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 9,885 housing units at an average density of 1,303.3 per square mile . By 2008,...
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.
In the 1920s, the county improved its tourist facilities. In 1922, the Grants Pass Cavemen booster club was created, where members dressed in furs and wielded clubs at events. Events organized by the club ranged from simply blocking traffic, to bidding on the construction of the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge (at a cost of 23,756,000 deer hides), to initiating politicians into their club including Mark Hatfield
Mark Hatfield
Mark Odom Hatfield was an American politician and educator from the state of Oregon. A Republican, he served for 30 years as a United States Senator from Oregon, and also as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee...
and Thomas E. Dewey during his 1948 presidential campaign. Russian newspapers used images of the Grants Pass Cavemen to show how 'how the rich "cavort" in America.'
Although bridges had been built across the Rogue River by the 1920s, ferries were still used to convey people and cars across. The first Grants Pass bridge was destroyed by a flood in 1890. The first newspaper in Josephine County was the Argus, which began publication on March 13, 1885. It lasted only a few months, but the Grants Pass Courier began three weeks later. In 1897, the first legal hanging took place in JC. L. W. Nelson confessed to the murder of Charles Perry while the noose was around his neck.
Initially, freight was brought into JC by pack train. As the trails improved, freight wagons were used. Stage coaches were the primary mode of transportation until 1914, when auto stages took over, halving the time from Crescent City
Crescent City, California
Crescent City is the county seat and only incorporated city in Del Norte County, California. Named for the crescent-shaped stretch of sandy beach south of the city, Crescent City had a total population of 7,643 in the 2010 census, up from 4,006 in the 2000 census...
to Grants Pass from 24 to 12 hours.
The first through train from Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
arrived in Grants Pass on 1883's Christmas Eve. Due to delays in completing a railroad through the Siskiyou Mountains
Siskiyou Mountains
The Siskiyou Mountains are a coastal mountain range in the northern Klamath Mountains in northwestern California and southwestern Oregon in the United States. They extend in an arc for approximately from east of Crescent City, California northeast along the north side of the Klamath River into...
, the first train from California didn't arrive until 1887. JC was served by the Oregon and California Railroad
Oregon and California Railroad
The Oregon and California Railroad was formed from the Oregon Central Railroad when it was the first to operate a stretch south of Portland in 1869. This qualified the Railroad for land grants in California, whereupon the name of the railroad soon changed to Oregon & California Rail Road Company...
. In 1923, commercial flight in Josephine County began when airplanes began taking off from the American Legion Air Field. The airfield has since been replaced by an industrial park.
Minorities
Although several tribes of Native AmericanNative 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...
s lived in the area from which Josephine County was created, most of their members had been moved to the reservation at Grand Ronde
Grand Ronde, Oregon
Grand Ronde is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Polk County, Oregon, United States. Originally named "Grand Ronde Agency", the name of this city is a variation of the French Grande Ronde or "fine large valley", a description given to the area by the employees of the...
by the end of the Rogue River Indian War. Soon afterwards all Indians in southwest Oregon, with the exception of a few tiny bands, were moved to the Coast reservation (later known as the Siletz Reservation
Siletz Reservation
The Siletz Reservation is a 5.852 sq mi Indian reservation in Oregon, United States, owned by the Confederated Tribes of Siletz...
)
Josephine County was also the home to a large Chinese population. Most had come to the area to work gold claims purchased from whites no longer interested in working them. Even though they could not own land, they had to pay a tax to mine gold, and were relegated to inferior claims.
Libraries
In May 2007, all libraries in Josephine County were closed due to lack of county government funding.In September 2007, committed community members formed Josephine Community Libraries, Inc., a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization.
On December 20, 2008, the Grants Pass library opened again. On September 5, 2009, the Illinois Valley library was reopened. On November 7, 2009, the Williams library was reopened. With the reopening of the Wolf Creek branch on December 19, 2009, all four library branches in Josephine County were restored.
Josephine Community Libraries, Inc. (JCLI) is a nonprofit, nongovernmental library system serving the 82,000 residents of Josephine County. It is a privately-run, public library that relies on membership contributions for funding and a large and varied volunteer force to staff operations and support functions.
Presidential elections
Josephine County has been among the most consistently Republican counties in Oregon with regard to Presidential elections. In 1964, it was one of two Oregon counties to give a majority to Barry GoldwaterBarry Goldwater
Barry Morris Goldwater was a five-term United States Senator from Arizona and the Republican Party's nominee for President in the 1964 election. An articulate and charismatic figure during the first half of the 1960s, he was known as "Mr...
. The last Democratic candidate to win the county was Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
in 1936. Although shifting Democratic in the last 12 years John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
received 55.2% of the county's vote in the 2008 U.S. presidential election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
. In 2004 Democrat Dennis Kucinich
Dennis Kucinich
Dennis John Kucinich is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997. He was furthermore a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in the 2004 and 2008 presidential elections....
became the first (and so far the only) Presidential candidate of either major political party to speak publicly while campaigning in Josephine County, making appearances in both Grants Pass and Cave Junction. Robert Kennedy made a campaign stop in Merlin in 1968, but only addressed members of the local Democratic committee.
Incorporated cities
- Cave JunctionCave Junction, OregonCave Junction, incorporated in 1948, is a city in Josephine County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,883. Its motto is the "Gateway to the Oregon Caves," and the city got its name by virtue of its location at the junction of Redwood Highway and Caves Highway...
- Grants PassGrants Pass, Oregon-Rogue River:The Rogue River runs through Grants Pass.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 23,003 people, 9,376 households, and 5,925 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 9,885 housing units at an average density of 1,303.3 per square mile . By 2008,...
Unincorporated communities and CDPs
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Holland, Oregon Holland is an unincorporated community in Josephine County, Oregon, United States. It is about eight miles southeast of Cave Junction, in the Illinois Valley south of Oregon Route 46.... Hugo, Oregon Hugo is an unincorporated area north of Grants Pass, Oregon, United States.-History:Hugo was formerly named "Gravel Pit" and was established in 1883 as a flag station for the railroad. Prior to the railroad, Charles U. Sexton homesteaded what is now the Hugo townsite.The post office was applied for... Kerby, Oregon Kerby is an unincorporated community in Josephine County, Oregon, United States, north of Cave Junction on U.S. Route 199, Zip code 97531. Although the current population of... Merlin, Oregon Merlin is an unincorporated community in Josephine County, Oregon, United States. The area is known for sport fishing and whitewater rafting on the Rogue River. Merlin's ZIP code is 97532.... |
Murphy, Oregon Murphy is an unincorporated community in Josephine County, Oregon, United States. The Three Rivers School District is located there.Although Murphy is unincorporated, it has a post office with ZIP code 97533.-References:... O'Brien, Oregon O'Brien is an unincorporated community in Josephine County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2000 census, O'Brien had a total population of 546. The community was named after John O'Brien, who was one of the first settlers to arrive at the locality.... Placer, Oregon Placer is an unincorporated community in Josephine County, Oregon, United States on Grave Creek a few miles east of Interstate 5. Established during the local gold mining boom, it is considered a ghost town.-History:... Pleasant Valley, Josephine County, Oregon Pleasant Valley is an unincorporated community in Josephine County, Oregon, United States. It is located about eleven miles north of Grants Pass, just west of Interstate 5. The community, which is located along the route of the Applegate Trail, is the site of a pioneer cemetery, and at one time it... |
Redwood, Oregon Redwood is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Josephine County, Oregon, United States. The population was 5,844 at the 2000 census.-Geography:... Selma, Oregon Selma is an unincorporated community in Josephine County, Oregon, United States. It had a population of 1,934 as of 2000. It is located in the ZIP code of 97538.-Notable residents:... Sunny Valley, Oregon Sunny Valley is an unincorporated community in Josephine County, Oregon, United States. Sunny Valley lies at just east of exit number 71, the Sunny Valley exit, on Interstate 5.... Takilma, Oregon Takilma is an unincorporated community in Josephine County, Oregon, United States, south of Cave Junction. It is located on the East Fork Illinois River, about a mile southeast of Waldo.... |
Waldo, Oregon Waldo is a ghost town located in Josephine County, Oregon, United States, about three miles from the California border. It was settled in 1852 as a gold mining camp called Sailor's Diggings.... Wilderville, Oregon Wilderville is an unincorporated community in Josephine County, Oregon, United States. Wilderville is located along U.S. Route 199 southwest of Grants Pass. Wilderville has a post office with ZIP code 97543.... Williams, Oregon Williams is an unincorporated community in Josephine County, Oregon, United States.There were three different post offices in the area named for their proximity to Williams Creek: Williams, Williamsburg and Williams Creek... Wolf Creek, Oregon Wolf Creek is an unincorporated community in Josephine County, Oregon, United States, just off Interstate 5. Its ZIP code is 97497.There are a number of creeks in Oregon named Wolf Creek, after the wolves that were once abundant in the state. Wolf Creek post office was established 1882, while a... |
Wonder, Oregon Wonder is an unincorporated community in Josephine County, Oregon, United States, on U.S. Route 199 about 13 miles west of Grants Pass and 8 miles east of Selma. It is within the Siskiyou National Forest.The town apparently got its name in 1902 after John T... |
External links
- Josephine County (official website)