Canyon City, Oregon

This article is about the city in Oregon. For other places named Canyon City, see Canyon City (disambiguation).

Canyon City, Oregon
—  City  —
Grant County Courthouse in Canyon City
Location in Oregon
Coordinates: 44°23′27″N 118°56′56″W
Country	United States
State	Oregon
County	Grant
Incorporated	1891
Government
• Mayor	Dorman Gregory
Area
• Total	1.4 sq mi (3.6 km2)
• Land	1.4 sq mi (3.6 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation	3,194 ft (973.5 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	703
• Density	430.3/sq mi (158.8/km2)
Time zone	Pacific (UTC-8)
• Summer (DST)	Pacific (UTC-7)
ZIP code	97820
Area code(s)	541
FIPS code	41-10950
GNIS feature ID	1139318

Canyon City is a city in Grant County, Oregon, United States. It is the county seat of Grant County, and is about a mile south of John Day on U.S. Highway 395. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 703.

History

Canyon City was established in June 1862 as a result of the discovery of gold in Canyon Creek, which flows through the town. The discovery led to land between Canyon City and John Day being worth $500 per square yard ($598/m²). Panning for gold could yield several ounces in each pan of sediment. At the peak of the local gold rush, it is claimed that 10,000 people lived in Canyon City, making it larger than Portland at the time.

The preeminent geologist, Waldemar Lindgren, during his 1900 visit to the gold belt of the Blue Mountains, estimated that no more than $16 million in gold had been recovered from Canyon Creek by then. At the fixed value of $20.67 per troy ounce, this would correspond to roughly 800,000 troy ounces (25,000 kg), worth today (at $1,000 an ounce) about $800-million.

The town was platted in 1862 and was chosen as the county seat two years later, when Grant County was split from Wasco County. It was incorporated in 1891.

Geography

Canyon City is located a few miles northwest of Canyon Mountain, at an altitude of over 3100 feet (940 m).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.4 square miles (3.6 km²); none of the area is covered with water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 669 people in the town, organized into 257 households and 180 families. The population density is 480.3 people per square mile (185.8/km²). There are 294 housing units at an average density of 211.1 per square mile (81.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town is 90.58% White, 2.84% Native American, 0.15% Black or African American, 2.09% from other races, and 4.33% from two or more races. No one identified himself as Asian or Pacific Islander. 4.63% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 257 households out of which 37.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.1% are married couples living together, 11.7% have a female householder with no husband present, and 29.6% are non-families. 24.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.6% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.46 and the average family size is 2.94.

In the town the population is spread out with 28.7% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 35 years. For every 100 females there are 99.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 107.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town is $29,940, and the median income for a family is $41,458. Males have a median income of $31,167 versus $23,438 for females. The per capita income for the town is $14,404. 7.8% of the population and 5.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 9.2% of those under the age of 18 and 0.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Notable people

• Joaquin Miller, poet and essayist

External links

• Canyon City by the Grant County Chamber of Commerce
• Listing for Canyon City in the Oregon Blue Book