Sherman County is one of the 36 counties 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 ...

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 ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,870, making it the second-least populous county in Oregon after nearby Wheeler. 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 ...

is Moro, and the largest city is Wasco. The county is named for

William Tecumseh Sherman William Tecumseh Sherman ( ; February 8, 1820February 14, 1891) was an American soldier, businessman, educator, and author. He served as a General officer, general in the Union Army during the American Civil War (1861–1865), earning recognit ...

, a Union general in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

History

As the pioneers felt crowded in the new settlements of western Oregon, they turned east to the Columbia Plateau for new opportunities. The county's first white settler was William Graham, who located at the mouth of the

Deschutes River The Deschutes River ( ) in central Oregon is a major tributary of the Columbia River. The river provides much of the drainage on the eastern side of the Cascade Range in Oregon, gathering many of the tributaries that descend from the drier, easte ...

in 1858.In the beginning
Sherman County Historical Society and Museum Homesteaders, eager for land, arrived in the 1880s by steamboat, stagecoach and wagon. Soon farmers received government patents. As the population grew, so did the sentiment for independence from Wasco County. Sherman County was created on February 25, 1889, out of the northeast corner of Wasco County. The county's borders have been changed only once, in 1891, when the Legislative Assembly moved the county line farther south into Wasco County. The town of Wasco was designated the county seat by the Legislative Assembly although this designation was contested between Wasco and Moro. Following the addition of a portion of Wasco County, Moro became the eventual winner.

Geography

Sherman County is located in the central northern part of

, east of the

Cascade Range The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington (state), Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as m ...

. It lies between the John Day River to the east and the

to the west, which defines the borders of the county. On the northern border of the county is the

Columbia River The Columbia River (Upper Chinook language, Upper Chinook: ' or '; Sahaptin language, Sahaptin: ''Nch’i-Wàna'' or ''Nchi wana''; Sinixt dialect'' '') is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river headwater ...

. Sherman County is mostly flat, being part of the

Columbia Plateau The Columbia Plateau is an important geology, geologic and geography, geographic region that lies across parts of the U.S. states of Washington (state), Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. It is a wide flood basalt plateau between the Cascade Range a ...

; its highest point is at an unknown location at 3,004 feet (916m). 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 county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.9%) is water.

Adjacent counties

* Klickitat County, Washington - north * Gilliam County - east * Wasco County - southwest Sherman County

Demographics

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 1,765 people, 777 households, and 492 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 918 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 93.4% white, 1.6% American Indian, 0.2% black or African American, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 2.7% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 5.6% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 22.6% were

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

, 16.5% were English, 13.0% were Irish, and 4.9% were American. Of the 777 households, 23.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.2% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 36.7% were non-families, and 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.84. The median age was 48.2 years. The median income for a household in the county was $41,354 and the median income for a family was $52,361. Males had a median income of $42,768 versus $32,386 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,688. About 13.9% of families and 20.0% 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 38.2% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 1,934 people, 797 households, and 545 families living in the county. 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 2 (2,3) people per square mile (1/km²). There were 935 housing units at an average density of 1 per square mile (0/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 93.59%

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 ...

, 0.21%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

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 ...

, 1.40% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 2.79% from other races, and 1.55% from two or more races. 4.86% of the population were

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. 20.5% were of

, 17.3% American, 11.7% English, 8.7% Irish and 5.3% Norwegian ancestry. There were 797 households, out of which 29.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.50% 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, 6.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.50% were non-families. 28.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.97. In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.40% under the age of 18, 5.80% from 18 to 24, 23.40% from 25 to 44, 26.10% from 45 to 64, and 18.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 102.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.00 males. The median income for a household in the county was $35,142, and the median income for a family was $42,563. Males had a median income of $31,207 versus $21,579 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 county was $17,448. About 12.30% of families and 14.60% of the population were below the

, including 20.20% of those under age 18 and 7.70% of those age 65 or over.

Government and infrastructure

The Northern Oregon Regional Corrections Facility (Norcor), a short-term jail, serves Sherman, Gilliam, Hood River, and Wasco counties. Although Sherman County is located in Central Oregon, its politics are more-aligned with the eastern parts of the state with most of its voters being affiliated with the Republican Party. No Democrat has carried this county in a presidential election since

Lyndon Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after assassination of John F. Kennedy, the assassination of John F. Ken ...

in 1964. The last time a Democrat had won over 400 votes here was in 1996 with

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...

, who lost the county to

Bob Dole Robert Joseph Dole (July 22, 1923 – December 5, 2021) was an American politician and attorney who represented Kansas in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1996. He was the Party leaders of the United States Senate, Republican Leader of th ...

by a margin of 32 votes.

Economy

Sherman County is predominantly an agricultural county, its economy receiving some aid from ranching and tourism. Its farms primarily produce wheat and barley. It is also home to the Biglow Canyon Wind Farm, the largest project of its kind in Oregon. Press reports indicate the county workforce is fewer than one thousand. Of these, 143 are employed by the federal government, the highest proportion of any county in the state.

Communities

Cities

* Grass Valley * Moro (county seat) *

Rufus Rufus is a masculine given name, a surname, an Ancient Roman cognomen and a nickname (from Latin ''wikt:rufus, rufus'', "red"). Notable people with the name include: Given name Politicians * Marcus Caelius Rufus, (28 May 82 BC – after 48 ...

* Wasco

Census-designated place

* Biggs Junction

Unincorporated communities

* De Moss Springs * Erskine *

Harmony In music, harmony is the concept of combining different sounds in order to create new, distinct musical ideas. Theories of harmony seek to describe or explain the effects created by distinct pitches or tones coinciding with one another; harm ...

* Hay Canyon *

Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...

* Klondike * Locust Grove * Rutledge * McDonald * Monkland

Former communities

* Early * Boardman * Biglow * Emigrant Springs * Lone Rock * Webfoot

Footnotes

Newspapers

* Current - The Times-Journal ''Moro Bulletin.'' * ''Moro Leader.'' (1898— ) * ''Moro Observer''/''Sherman County Observer.'' (1897—1931) * ''Sherman County Journal.'' (1931— ) * ''Sherman County News.'' (1927— ) {{authority control 1889 establishments in Oregon Populated places established in 1889 Columbia River Gorge