PRINEVILLE

POP. 7,750 PRINEVILLE, OR. ELEV. 2,864
Explorers, trappers and military expeditions passed through the "Ochoco Country" occasionally from 1825. Starting in around 1866, farmers in the Willamette Valley, which was getting pretty well "settled up", began looking to Central Oregon for livestock grazing land. In 1868, Barney Prine, one of the first known permanent white residents, built a blacksmith shop, and a store-saloon on the banks of the Crooked River; Prineville was platted there in 1877. It was, for many years, the only town in Central Oregon, and when Crook County was formed in 1882 from Wasco County, was the county seat of a county that covered most of Oregon east of the Cascade crest. Livestock grazing was the principal occupation for the first 50 years of Prineville and Crook County's existence and the cowboy heritage is still very much alive. But by the 1930's, harvesting and processing the Pine timber of the Ochoco Mountains had replaced livestock as the main income producer in the area. Today, though the forest products industry has faded from it's peak in the 1950's, it is still the largest supplier of jobs, along with ranching, the Hospitality-Tourism-Recreation industry, manufacturing, health care, retail sales and transportation. The headquarters and main distribution center of Les Schwab Tire Centers is in Prineville. The climate is pleasant; they say it sunshines 300 days a year. Annual precipitation is 11 inches. Mean winter temperature (January) is 31.8ºF, and summer (July) 64.5º. Prineville and Crook County has an excellent school system and is a wonderful place to live and raise a family. I know; I did! More about Prineville on the web: http://www.prineville-crookcounty.org/ School district web site: http://www.crookcounty.k12.or.us/ Demographic information: http://www.city-data.com/city/Prineville-Oregon. Crook County court house. Built in 1909, still in use. Prineville news: Central Oregonian - Prineville, Oregon

POP. 7,750 PRINEVILLE, OR. ELEV. 2,864

Explorers, trappers and military expeditions passed through the "Ochoco Country" occasionally from 1825. Starting in around 1866, farmers in the Willamette Valley, which was getting pretty well "settled up", began looking to Central Oregon for livestock grazing land. In 1868, Barney Prine, one of the first known permanent white residents, built a blacksmith shop, and a store-saloon on the banks of the Crooked River; Prineville was platted there in 1877. It was, for many years, the only town in Central Oregon, and when Crook County was formed in 1882 from Wasco County, was the county seat of a county that covered most of Oregon east of the Cascade crest.

Livestock grazing was the principal occupation for the first 50 years of Prineville and Crook County's existence and the cowboy heritage is still very much alive. But by the 1930's, harvesting and processing the Pine timber of the Ochoco Mountains had replaced livestock as the main income producer in the area.

Today, though the forest products industry has faded from it's peak in the 1950's, it is still the largest supplier of jobs, along with ranching, the Hospitality-Tourism-Recreation industry, manufacturing, health care, retail sales and transportation. The headquarters and main distribution center of Les Schwab Tire Centers is in Prineville.

The climate is pleasant; they say it sunshines 300 days a year. Annual precipitation is 11 inches. Mean winter temperature (January) is 31.8ºF, and summer (July) 64.5º.

Prineville and Crook County has an excellent school system and is a wonderful place to live and raise a family. I know; I did!

More about Prineville on the web: http://www.prineville-crookcounty.org/

School district web site: http://www.crookcounty.k12.or.us/

Demographic information: http://www.city-data.com/city/Prineville-Oregon.

Crook County court house. Built in 1909, still in use.

Prineville news:

Central Oregonian - Prineville, Oregon