Jefferson County
Lake Billy Chinook from Japanese Television Viewpoint. (Oregon State Archives Photo No. jefD0029-1)
Contact
County Seat: 66 SE D St., Madras 97741
Phone: 541-475-4451 (General); 541-475-3317 (Court Administrator)
Fax: 541-325-5018
Web: www.co.jefferson.or.us
About
Population: 22,030
Established: Dec. 12, 1914
Elev. at Madras: 2,242'
Area: 1,791 sq. mi.
Average Temp.: January 37.4° July 70.1°
Assessed Value: $1,344,354,858
Real Market Value: $2,978,015,608
Annual Precipitation: 10.2"
Economy: Agriculture, forest products and recreation
Related resources
History
Historical
Records Inventory
Scenic
Image
Economic
Information (from OECDD)
"County
Quick Facts" (from U.S.
Census Bureau)
County
Seat Map (from Yahoo!
Maps)
County
Map (from ODOT)
Incorporated cities
Culver | Madras | Metolius
Points of interest
Mt. Jefferson, Warm Springs Indian Reservation, Metolius River, Black Butte, Suttle Lake, Blue Lake, Santiam Summit, Lake Billy Chinook behind Round Butte Dam, Haystack Reservoir, Priday Agate Beds.
History and general information
Jefferson County was established in 1914 from a portion of Crook County and named for Mount Jefferson on its western boundary. The county owes much of its agricultural prosperity to the railroad, which arrived in 1911, and to the development of irrigation projects in the late 1930s. The railroad, which links Madras with the Columbia River, was completed after constant feuds and battles between two lines working on opposite sides of the Deschutes River.
Vegetable, grass and flower seeds, garlic, mint and sugar beets are cultivated on some 60,000 irrigated acres. Jefferson County also has vast acreages of rangelands and a healthy industrial base related to forest products. The Warm Springs Forest Products Industry, a multi-million dollar complex owned by the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation—partially located in the northwestern corner of the county—is the single biggest industry. With 300 days of sunshine and a low yearly rainfall, fishing, hunting, camping, boating, water-skiing and rock hunting are popular recreations.
County officials
Commissioners—Mike Ahern (D) 2011, Wayne Fording (R) 2013, John Hatfield (R) 2011; Dist. Atty. Steven Lariche (NP) 2013; Assess. Patsy Mault (NP) 2011; Clerk Kathleen Marston (R) 2011; Sheriff Jack Jones (NP) 2011; Surv. Gary L. DeJarnatt (NP) 2013; Treas. Deena Goss (R) 2013.