Prairie City, Oregon | |
|---|---|
 Downtown Prairie City | |
 Location inOregon | |
| Coordinates:44°27′40″N118°42′34″W / 44.46111°N 118.70944°W /44.46111; -118.70944 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| County | Grant |
| Incorporated | 1891 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Jim Hamsher[citation needed] |
| Area | |
• Total | 0.99 sq mi (2.57 km2) |
| • Land | 0.99 sq mi (2.57 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 3,537 ft (1,078 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 841 |
| • Density | 848.1/sq mi (327.45/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (Pacific) |
| ZIP code | 97869 |
| Area code | 541 |
| FIPS code | 41-59650[4] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2411484[2] |
| Website | www.prairiecityoregon.com |
Prairie City is a city inGrant County,Oregon, United States. The population was 909 at the2010 census. The community was incorporated by theOregon Legislative Assembly on February 23, 1891.[5]
Prairie City grew out of the former mining camp ofDixie, established in 1862 about 3 miles (5 km) up Dixie Creek from theJohn Day River. Prairie City, at themouth of the creek, was chosen afterplacer mining rendered Dixie unsuitable for a townsite. The new city's post office was established in 1870 with Jules Le Bret as postmaster.[6]
Anarrow gauge line, theSumpter Valley Railway (SVR), ran 80 miles (130 km) fromBaker City west toSumpter and on to its western terminus at Prairie City, which it reached in 1907.[7] It carried passengers as well as freight shipped by ranchers, mining interests, and timber companies until its piecemeal abandonment in the 1930s.[7] In the 21st century, a heritage railway operates on a segment of the original line between Sumpter andMcEwen.[8]
Prairie City is in eastern Oregon at the upper end of the John Day River valley. It is about 50 miles (80 km) southwest of Baker City by highway and 13 miles (21 km) east ofJohn Day alongU.S. Route 26 inGrant County.Strawberry Mountain in theStrawberry Mountain Wilderness of theMalheur National Forest is directly south of the city.[9]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.99 square miles (2.56 km2), all land.[10]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 100 | — | |
| 1880 | 235 | 135.0% | |
| 1890 | 222 | −5.5% | |
| 1900 | 213 | −4.1% | |
| 1910 | 348 | 63.4% | |
| 1920 | 643 | 84.8% | |
| 1930 | 438 | −31.9% | |
| 1940 | 647 | 47.7% | |
| 1950 | 822 | 27.0% | |
| 1960 | 801 | −2.6% | |
| 1970 | 867 | 8.2% | |
| 1980 | 1,106 | 27.6% | |
| 1990 | 1,117 | 1.0% | |
| 2000 | 1,080 | −3.3% | |
| 2010 | 909 | −15.8% | |
| 2020 | 841 | −7.5% | |
| source:[4][11][3] | |||
As of thecensus of 2010, there were 909 people, 402 households, and 257 families residing in the city. Thepopulation density was 918.2 inhabitants per square mile (354.5/km2). There were 476 housing units at an average density of 480.8 per square mile (185.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.6%White, 0.1%African American, 1.3%Native American, 0.1%Asian, 0.2%Pacific Islander, 0.3% fromother races, and 3.3% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 3.1% of the population.[4]
There were 402 households, of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.7% weremarried couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.1% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.69.[4]
The median age in the city was 49.8 years. 20.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18.9% were from 25 to 44; 30.2% were from 45 to 64; and 25.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.3% male and 50.7% female.[4]
At the census of 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $31,354, and the median income for a family was $35,893. Males had a median income of $31,771 versus $24,500 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $16,278. About 10.6% of families and 14.7% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 17.4% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.[4]
The economy includes ranching, retail stores, a wood-fueled power plant, and public services.[12] Prairie Wood Products, a mill that produces fine-grained studs from timber from nearby forests, is in Prairie City.[13]
Prairie City School in Prairie City serves children from kindergarten through 12th grade.[14]
Architectural features in Prairie City include historic stone buildings and the former railway depot.[12] The ground floor of the depot consists of a waiting room, railway station agent's office, baggage room, and freight office.[15] The second floor, once the home of the station agent and his family, houses the Dewitt Museum, with pioneer artifacts, tools, furniture, and memorabilia, as well as rocks and minerals from the surrounding area.[15] The depot was listed on theNational Register of Historic Places in 1976.[15]
Bates State Park, built on the site of a former lumber mill, is northeast of Prairie City atBates, nearAustin Junction at the intersection of U.S. Route 26 andOregon Route 7.[16]
Municipalities and communities ofGrant County, Oregon,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
