Established: Feb. 17, 1899

Elev. at Fossil: 2,654'

Area: 1,715 sq. mi.

Average Temp.: January 35°     July 66°

Assessed Value: $163,794,937

Real Market Value: $864,543,150

(includes the value of non-taxed properties)

Annual Precipitation: 14.66"

Economy: Livestock and tourism

Wheeler County was formed by the Oregon Legislature in 1899 from parts of Grant, Gilliam and Crook counties and was named for Henry H. Wheeler, who operated the first mail stage line from The Dalles to Canyon City. The new county consisted of 1,656 square miles with an estimated 46 townships, a population of 1,600 and taxable property worth one million dollars.

Wheeler County is as rugged and uneven as any Oregon county, with the terrain varying widely from sagebrush, juniper and rim rock to stands of pine and fir. Portions of two national forests lie within its boundaries with forest lands covering nearly one-third of the county. The area is probably best known as one of the most outstanding depositories of prehistoric fossils on the North American continent.