Condon, Oregon
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Condon is a city in and the
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of Gilliam County, in the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...
. The population was 682 at the 2010 census. The city, with an historic main street along Oregon Route 19, is a farming and ranching community. The John Day River/Cottonwood Canyon State Park, the ghost town of Lonerock and the John Day Fossil Beds are all a short drive from Historic Condon.


History

Condon was the southern terminus of the Condon Branch of the
Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad is a Railroad classes, Class I freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pacific is the second largest railroad in the United Stat ...
. In 1883, a local homesteader named Potter
plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Survey System, Public Lands Surveys to ...
ted the land around a spring on his property. The spring, which emerged from a bed of black
basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...
, was known to pioneer ranchers in the area as ''Summit Springs''. Experiencing financial difficulty, Potter surrendered the site to the legal firm Condon and Cornish from Arlington. Harvey C. Condon, a member of the firm, was a nephew of Oregon geologist
Thomas Condon Thomas Condon (1822–1907) was an Irish Congregational church, Congregational minister, geologist, and paleontology, paleontologist who gained recognition for his work in the U.S. state of Oregon. Life and career Condon arrived in New York Cit ...
. Condon and Cornish sold lots in the
townsite A townsite is a legal subdivision of land for the development of a town or community. In the historical development of the United States, Canada, and other former British colonial nations, the filing of a townsite plat (United States) or plan ( ...
and in 1884, resident David B. Trimble applied for a post office and became its first postmaster. He named the post office Condon after Harvey C. Condon. Condon Air Force Station was a radar station near the city that operated from 1951 to 1970.


Condon Commercial Historic District

In 1998, Condon's historic downtown core along Main Street was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
as the Condon Commercial Historic District. The City of Condon has collaborated with business interests to restore buildings on Main Street. Most of the buildings on the Historic Main Street have been restored, new businesses have opened, and the Gilliam County Library moved to the remodeled Hollen and Sons Hardware Store, the City Park has been re-designed into a beautiful event space.


Geography and climate

Condon, in Gilliam County in north-central Oregon, is at the intersection of Oregon Route 19, running north–south through the city, and
Oregon Route 206 Oregon Route 206 is an Oregon state highway located in the north-central part of the state. It runs from Interstate 84 at Celilo Village to a junction with Oregon Route 74 and Oregon Route 207 in Heppner. Aside from Interstate 84, Oregon R ...
, which runs east–west at Condon. By highway, the city is south of Interstate 84 at Arlington, southeast of The Dalles, and east of
Portland Portland most commonly refers to: *Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon *Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine *Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel Portland may also r ...
. The city is above sea level. According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , all of it land. Condon has a borderline Mediterranean (
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
''Csb'')/ Continental Mediterranean (''Dsb'') climate, characterized by dry summers with cool mornings giving way to very warm afternoons, and cold though not usually severe winters. In some cases, very cold continental air from Canada will be driven into the Columbia Gorge, producing an average of two mornings at or below each winter. The coldest month has been January 1930 with 22 afternoons in succession not topping freezing, an average temperature of and an average minimum of . On the other hand, sixteen afternoons during the three-month winter typically top . Most of the limited precipitation falls during this period as a mixture of snow and rain. When maritime air interacts with a cold outbreak substantial snow can occur, with maximum monthly totals of in December 2008 and in January 1950; however, only a trace of snow fell between July 1963 and June 1964. Very powerful Pacific Northwest rainstorms – although depleted of most moisture by the Cascades – provide the heaviest precipitation: the wettest month has been December 1981 with and the wettest "rain year" from July 1947 to June 1948 with . The driest "rain year" was from July 1938 to June 1939 with only . Apart from occasional thunderstorms, the summers are very dry. When hot winds from the interior reach the Pacific Northwest, very hot "heatwave" conditions can occur. During a typical summer, will be reached on sixteen afternoons, although is extremely rare, occurring at all only in eight summers between 1981 and 2010 and never more than twice. The hottest afternoon was on July 24, 1928 – during an exception heatwave of seven century afternoons – which reached .


Demographics


2010 census

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2010, there were 682 people, 357 households, and 184 families residing in the city. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
was . There were 455 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.2%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.1%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.9% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.9% from other races, and 0.7% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 2.1% of the population. There were 357 households, of which 16.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.3% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 48.5% were not families. 45.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 24.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.85 and the average family size was 2.54. The median age in the city was 54.5 years. 14.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 3.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 15.4% were from 25 to 44; 34.7% were from 45 to 64; and 31.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.6% male and 53.4% female.


2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 759 people, 343 households, and 215 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 413 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.50% White, 0.40% African American, 0.79% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.13% from other races, and 0.92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.53% of the population. There were 343 households, out of which 22.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.9% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.3% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.72. In the city, the population was spread out, with 19.6% under the age of 18, 4.0% from 18 to 24, 21.9% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 27.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $32,667, and the median income for a family was $40,000. Males had a median income of $30,500 versus $21,042 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $18,481. About 3.6% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 5.1% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.


Arts and culture

Condon hosts special events throughout the year including Robert Burns Day in January, the Tumbleweed Basketball Tournament in March, the Fabulous 4 July, and the Fall Festival in November. The Gilliam County Historical Museum complex at Burns Park along Route 19 includes several restored buildings, including a train depot, caboose, church, barber shop, jail, school house, and the Silas A. Rice Log House, which is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
. Condon is also a haven for local artists with periodic art shows occurring in the community. Condon has a 9-hole golf course and swimming pool operated by the City of Condon. A movie theater that was recently purchased by the Condon Arts Council and will be restored into an event space. The Oregon Frontier Chamber of Commerce hosts a Summer Concert series in the City Park and upper Main Street. There is also a game-bird reserve, recreational ranches, and hunting lodges nearby.


Education and economy

Condon students are served by the Condon School District 25J, which includes Condon Elementary School and Condon High School. The five largest employers in Condon as of 2002 were the Gilliam County government, the Condon School District, the North-Central Education Service District, the Hotel Condon, and Summit Springs Village, an assisted living center.


Media

''The Times-Journal'' is a weekly newspaper published in Condon.


Transportation

The state airport in Condon is named Pauling Field after former resident
Linus Pauling Linus Carl Pauling ( ; February 28, 1901August 19, 1994) was an American chemist and peace activist. He published more than 1,200 papers and books, of which about 850 dealt with scientific topics. ''New Scientist'' called him one of the 20 gre ...
, and sits at the north end of town.


Notable people

* Jay Bowerman, 13th governor of Oregon *
John Burns John Elliot Burns (20 October 1858 – 24 January 1943) was an English trade unionist and politician, particularly associated with London politics and Battersea. He was a socialist and then a Liberal Member of Parliament and Minister. He was ...
, Oregon Senate President from 1971 to 1973 * Robert R. Butler, U.S. representative from Oregon * Terry Cooney,
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
umpire * William Parry Murphy, Nobel laureate (1934 Medicine) *
Linus Pauling Linus Carl Pauling ( ; February 28, 1901August 19, 1994) was an American chemist and peace activist. He published more than 1,200 papers and books, of which about 850 dealt with scientific topics. ''New Scientist'' called him one of the 20 gre ...
, Nobel laureate (1954 Chemistry and 1962 Peace) * Earl Snell, 23rd governor of Oregon


References


External links


Condon Chamber of Commerce

Entry for Condon
in the ''
Oregon Blue Book The ''Oregon Blue Book'' is the official directory and fact book for the U.S. state of Oregon prepared by the Oregon Secretary of State and published by the Office of the Secretary's Archives Division. The ''Blue Book'' comes in both print and o ...
'' {{authority control Cities in Oregon County seats in Oregon Cities in Gilliam County, Oregon 1883 establishments in Oregon Populated places established in 1883