Malheur County, Oregon

Malheur County in the far southeast corner of Oregon is a land of diversity. Given a French name by a Hudson’s Bay Company fur trader in 1826, Malheur County was well traveled by the wagon trains on the Oregon Trail. It was settled by miners and stockmen when gold was discovered in 1863. The Oregon Short Line Railroad completed a siding for stock loading in 1883 in Ontario, which started out as a cattle town and now embraces light manufacturing and an expanding farming industry. Basque sheepherders from Spain came to the area around Jordan Valley in the 1890s and contribute to the culture and history of the county. Japanese Americans, interred during WWII, remained there after the war to become part of the many faces of Malheur County. Mexican American migrant workers’ numbers grew as the agricultural industry intensified. They make up much of the farm labor force today. The Four Rivers Cultural Center in Ontario honors and celebrates the contributions of all the ethnic groups who make Malheur County so unique.

When the Owyhee Reservoir was built in 1939, creating a consistent and abundant water source for irrigation, the Western Treasure Valley became a fertile farming area. Row crop farming has continued to grow and diversify and contributes to a strong economy in Malheur County. The principal industries are agriculture, livestock, food processing, fruit and vegetable farming, tourism and recreation.

It is the second largest county in Eastern Oregon with a population of over 30,000 people, over half of whom live in the cities of Ontario, Nyssa, and Vale, which is the county seat. Visitors to Malheur County can enjoy hunting, fishing, hiking, rock climbing, rock hounding, boating, and water skiing.

Oregon Blue Book

http://bluebook.state.or.us/local/counties/counties23.htm

Zip Codes