Douglas County, Oregon

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Douglas County, Oregon
Douglas County, OR from Callahans.JPG
The county, looking east from west of Roseburg
Map of Oregon highlighting Douglas County
Location in the U.S. state of Oregon
Map of the United States highlighting Oregon
Oregon's location in the U.S.
Founded January 7, 1852
Seat Roseburg
Largest city Roseburg
Area
 • Total 5,134 sq mi (13,297 km2)
 • Land 5,036 sq mi (13,043 km2)
 • Water 98 sq mi (254 km2), 1.9%
Population (est.)
 • (2014) 106,972
 • Density 21/sq mi (8/km²)
Congressional district 4th
Time zone Pacific: UTC-8/-7
Website www.co.douglas.or.us
A gold "needle" from the Bohemia District in Douglas County

Douglas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 census, the population was 107,667.[1] The county seat is Roseburg.[2] It is named after Stephen A. Douglas, an American politician who supported Oregon statehood.

Douglas County comprises the Roseburg, OR Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The area originally was inhabited by the Umpqua Indians, who speak a language in the Athabaskan language family (although some linguists put it in the Penutian family). Following the Rogue River Indian War in 1856, most of the remaining natives were moved by the government to the Grand Ronde Indian Reservation. However, seven families of Umpqua hid in the hills, eluding capture for many decades. They are now Federally recognized as the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians. The tribe manages a small reservation in Canyonville, Oregon, and has a Casino/Hotel named Seven Feathers to represent the seven families who refused forced removal to the Grand Ronde Reservation.

Douglas County was created on January 7, 1852, from the portion of Umpqua County which lay east of the Coast Range summit. In 1856 the Camas Valley was annexed to Douglas County from Coos County. In 1862, the rest of Umpqua county was absorbed into Douglas County, some say due to the loss of population following the end of the early gold boom, while others attribute the absorption to politics. Further boundary adjustments were made with Jackson and Lane Counties in 1915.

Geography

An aerial view of the county

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 5,134 square miles (13,300 km2), of which 5,036 square miles (13,040 km2) is land and 98 square miles (250 km2) (1.9%) is water.[3] It is the fifth-largest county in Oregon by area. A portion of the Umpqua National Forest is in Douglas County. Douglas County is one of two Oregon counties that extend from the Pacific Ocean to the Cascade Range. (The other is Lane County.)

National protected areas

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1860 3,203 —
1870 6,066 89.4%
1880 9,596 58.2%
1890 11,864 23.6%
1900 14,565 22.8%
1910 19,674 35.1%
1920 21,332 8.4%
1930 21,965 3.0%
1940 25,728 17.1%
1950 54,549 112.0%
1960 68,458 25.5%
1970 71,743 4.8%
1980 93,748 30.7%
1990 94,649 1.0%
2000 100,399 6.1%
2010 107,667 7.2%
Est. 2014 106,972 [4] −0.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[5]
1790-1960[6] 1900-1990[7]
1990-2000[8] 2010-2014[1]

As of the census[9] of 2000, there were 100,399 people, 39,821 households, and 28,233 families residing in the county. The population density was 20 people per square mile (8/km²). There were 43,284 housing units at an average density of 9 per square mile (3/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 93.86% White, 0.18% Black or African American, 1.52% Native American, 0.63% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 1.02% from other races, and 2.70% from two or more races. 3.27% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 18.4% were of German, 13.2% American, 12.6% English and 10.2% Irish ancestry. 96.5% spoke English and 2.2% Spanish as their first language.

There were 39,821 households out of which 29.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.2% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.1% were non-families. 23.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.9.

In the county, the population was spread out with 24% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.2 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $33,223, and the median income for a family was $39,364. Males had a median income of $32,512 versus $22,349 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,581. About 9.6% of families and 13.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.6% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

The entire watershed of the Umpqua River lies within the boundaries of Douglas County. The heavily timbered county contains nearly 1.8 million acres (7,300 km2) of commercial forest lands and one of the oldest stands of old growth timber in the world. Approximately 25–30% of the labor force is employed in the forest products industry. Agriculture, mainly field crops, orchards, and livestock (particularly sheep ranching), is also important to the economy of the county. The land of Douglas County is roughly half-publicly and half-privately owned.[10]

The post-Prohibition wine industry in Oregon began with Richard Somer planting Hillcrest Vineyard at the south end of the Umpqua Valley in 1961. The Umpqua Valley wine appellation lies entirely within Douglas county.

Nickel has been refined at Riddle since 1954. There is a significant federal presence in the region; the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management administer more than 50% of the county's land.

As of 2015, the top ten private employers in the county were:[11]

# Employer # of Employees
1 Roseburg Forest Products 1,885
2 Mercy Medical Center 1,092
3 Swanson Group Aviation 682
4 TMS Call Center 615
5 Seven Feathers Hotel & Casino Resort 606
6 First Call Resolution 424
7 Umpqua Bank 331
8 Orenco Systems 266
9 A&M Transport, Inc. 200
10 Douglas County Forest Products 160

Media

Communities

Cities

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Census-designated places

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Unincorporated communities

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See also

Footnotes

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Further reading

  • Stephen Dow Beckham, Land of the Umpqua: A History of Douglas County, Oregon. Roseburg, OR: Douglas County Commissioners, 1986.
  • Harold Edgar Cooper, Douglas County Tales. Monmouth, OR: Harold Edgar Cooper, 1982.
  • John M. Cornutt, Cow Creek Valley Memories: Riddle Pioneers Remembered in John M. Cornutt's Autobiography. Eugene, OR: Industrial Publishing Co., 1971.
  • Douglas County Historical Society, Historic Douglas County, Oregon, 1982. Roseburg, OR: Douglas County Historical Society, 1982.
  • Douglas County Museum, Land of Umpqua. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Pub., 2011.
  • Ron Curry, Place Names and Locations in Douglas County, Oregon. Roseburg, OR: Genealogical Society of Douglas County, 2003.
  • R.J. Guyler, Douglas County Chronicles: History from the Land of One Hundred Valleys. Charleston, SC: The History Press, 2013.
  • Fred Reenstjerna and Jena Mitchell, "Life in Douglas County, Oregon: The Western Experience. Roseburg, OR: Douglas County Museum, 1993.
  • Barbara Amy Breitmayer Vatter, A Forest History of Douglas County, Oregon, to 1900: A Microcosmic Study of Imperialism. New York: Garland Publishing, 1985.
  • Albert G Walling, History of Southern Oregon: Comprising Jackson, Josephine, Douglas, Curry and Coos Counties. Portland, OR: A.G. Walling, 1884.
 Lane County
Pacific Ocean Klamath County
  Douglas County, Oregon  
Coos County and Curry County Jackson County and Josephine County

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