John Day, Oregon

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Coordinates: 44°25′5″N, 118°57′18″W
John Day, Oregon
Location in Oregon
County	Grant County
Incorporated	1901
Mayor	Bob Quinton
Area
- City	4.9 km² (1.9 sq mi)
- Land	4.9 km² (1.9 sq mi)
- Water	0 km² (0 sq mi)
Elevation	950.98 m (3,120 ft)
Population
- City (2000)	1,821
- Density	374.0/km² (969.5/sq mi)
Time zone	Pacific (UTC-8)
- Summer (DST)	Pacific (UTC-7)
Website: http://www.cityofjohnday.com

John Day is a city located about a mile north of Canyon City in Grant County, Oregon, at the intersection of U.S. Highways 26 and 395. The city was named for the nearby John Day River, which had been named for a Virginian member of the 1811 Astor Expedition, John Day.^[1] The city was incorporated in 1901.

As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 1821, making it the largest city in the county. The official population estimate in 2002 was 1672.

1 Geography
2 History
3 Demographics
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Geography

John Day is located at 44°25'5" North, 118°57'18" West (44.418091, -118.955064), at an elevation of 3083' (640 m)^GR1. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.9 km² (1.9 mi² or 1200 acres), none of which is covered with water.

[edit] History

The first homestead staked in Grant County (what was then Wasco County), in 1862 by B. C. Trowbridge, was within the limits of the present city of John Day. The community was not as quick to grow as neighboring Canyon City, which was the county seat and center of the bustling mining industry in the area. Incrementally, local merchants and residents began relocating to John Day—primarily each time after severe fires in Canyon City: the Grant County Courthouse burned in 1870, Chinatown burned in 1885, and fires in 1898 and 1937 devastated Canyon City’s downtown.

The first Post Office at “John Day City” was established in 1865, but was discontinued in 1871. It was reestablished in 1879 with the name John Day. In April 1900, a local committee was elected, and the Oregon Legislature approved an Act incorporating the city of John Day February 23, 1901.

The largest part of early John Day was comprised of the Chinese community, commonly called Tiger Town. In 1882, the Advent Christian Church in John Day boasted 547 members, 382 of whom were Chinese (and a number of Chinese residents were interred in the Seventh Day Adventist Cemetery). By 1887, John Day was home to nearly 1000 Chinese immigrants, who had been attracted to the area by a gold rush twenty years earlier, many of whom were displaced by the 1885 fire in Canyon City.

A trading post built in the area in the 1860s along the Dalles Military Road was purchased in 1887 by two Chinese immigrants, Lung On and Ing Hay. They converted the trading post into a clinic, general store, and social center for the community, which continued to operate until the 1940s. In the 1970s the building, then the property of the city of John Day, was converted into a museum called the Kam Wah Chung & Co. Museum. It is now operated in conjunction with and State of Oregon and is one of the premier surviving examples of a nineteenth century Chinese apothecary shop.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there are 1821 people in the city, organized into 734 households and 472 families. The population density is 374.0/km² (969.5/mi²). There are 846 housing units at an average density of 173.7/km² (450.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 96.92% White, 1.15% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 0% African American, 0.55% from other races, and 0.82% from two or more races. 2.42% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 734 households out of which 32.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% are married couples living together, 10.2% have a female householder with no husband present, and 35.6% are non-families. 31.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 12.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.40 and the average family size is 3.01.

In the city the population is spread out with 27.0% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 40 years. For every 100 females there are 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 88.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $31,953, and the median income for a family is $34,327. Males have a median income of $31,908 versus $22,067 for females. The per capita income for the city is $15,488. 17.5% of the population and 13% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 21% of those under the age of 18 and 22.4% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.