Condon is a city in and the county seat of Gilliam County, in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, Condon had a population of 711. The city, with an historic main street along Oregon Route 19, is a farming and ranching community. The John Day River/Cottonwood Canyon State Park, the ghost town of Lonerock and the John Day Fossil Beds are all a short drive from Historic Condon.
History
Condon was the southern terminus of the Condon Branch of the Union Pacific Railroad. In 1883, a local homesteader named Potter platted the land around a spring on his property. Experiencing financial difficulty, Potter surrendered the site to the legal firm Condon and Cornish from Arlington. The City of Condon has collaborated with business interests to restore buildings on Main Street. Most of the buildings on the Historic Main Street have been restored, new businesses have opened, and the Gilliam County Library moved to the remodeled Hollen and Sons Hardware Store, the City Park has been re-designed into an event space.
Geography and climate
Condon, in Gilliam County in north-central Oregon, is at the intersection of Oregon Route 19, running north–south through the city, and Oregon Route 206, which runs east–west at Condon. By highway, the city is south of Interstate 84 at Arlington, southeast of The Dalles, and east of Portland.
Condon has a borderline Mediterranean (Köppen Csb)/Continental Mediterranean (Dsb) climate, characterized by dry summers with cool mornings giving way to very warm afternoons, and cold though not usually severe winters. In some cases, very cold continental air from Canada will be driven into the Columbia Gorge, producing an average of two mornings at or below each winter. The coldest month has been January 1930 with 22 afternoons in succession not topping freezing, an average temperature of and an average minimum of . On the other hand, sixteen afternoons during the three-month winter typically top .
Most of the limited precipitation falls during this period as a mixture of snow and rain. When maritime air interacts with a cold outbreak substantial snow can occur, with maximum monthly totals of in December 2008 and in January 1950; however, only a trace of snow fell between July 1963 and June 1964. Very powerful Pacific Northwest rainstorms – although depleted of most moisture by the Cascades – provide the heaviest precipitation: the wettest month has been December 1981 with and the wettest "rain year" from July 1947 to June 1948 with . The driest "rain year" was from July 1938 to June 1939 with only .
Apart from occasional thunderstorms, the summers are very dry. When hot winds from the interior reach the Pacific Northwest, very hot "heatwave" conditions can occur. During a typical summer, will be reached on sixteen afternoons, although is extremely rare, occurring at all only in eight summers between 1981 and 2010 and never more than twice. The hottest afternoon was on July 24, 1928 – during an exception heatwave of seven century afternoons – which reached .
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Condon had a population of 711. The median age was 55.9 years. 18.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 33.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 92.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 88.3 males age 18 and over.
There were 338 households in Condon, of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 44.1% were married-couple households, 20.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 31.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 36.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
! Race !! Number !! Percent
|-
| White || 640 || 90.0%
|-
| Black or African American || 3 || 0.4%
|-
| American Indian and Alaska Native || 4 || 0.6%
|-
| Asian || 2 || 0.3%
|-
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 1 || 0.1%
|-
| Some other race || 11 || 1.5%
|-
| Two or more races || 50 || 7.0%
|-
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 38 || 5.3%
|}
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 682 people, 357 households, and 184 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 455 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.2% White, 0.1% African American, 0.9% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.9% from other races, and 0.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.1% of the population.
The Gilliam County Historical Museum complex at Burns Park along Route 19 includes several restored buildings, including a train depot, caboose, church, barber shop, jail, school house, and the Silas A. Rice Log House, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Condon is also a haven for local artists with periodic art shows occurring in the community.
Condon has a 9-hole golf course and swimming pool operated by the City of Condon. A movie theater that was recently purchased by the Condon Arts Council and will be restored into an event space. The Oregon Frontier Chamber of Commerce hosts a Summer Concert series in the City Park and upper Main Street. There is also a game-bird reserve, recreational ranches, and hunting lodges nearby.
Education and economy
thumb|Hotel Condon
Condon students are served by the Condon School District 25J, which includes Condon Elementary School and Condon High School.
The five largest employers in Condon as of 2002 were the Gilliam County government, the Condon School District, the North-Central Education Service District, the Hotel Condon, and Summit Springs Village, an assisted living center.
Media
The Times-Journal is a weekly newspaper published in Condon.
Transportation
The state airport in Condon is named Pauling Field after former resident Linus Pauling, and sits at the north end of town.
Notable people
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- Jay Bowerman, 13th governor of Oregon
- John Burns, Oregon Senate President from 1971 to 1973
- Robert R. Butler, U.S. representative from Oregon
- Terry Cooney, Major League Baseball umpire
- Ernest R. Fatland, Oregon State Representative and Senator, Speaker of the Oregon House, 1939
- William Parry Murphy, Nobel laureate (1934 Medicine)
- Linus Pauling, Nobel laureate (1954 Chemistry and 1962 Peace)
- Earl Snell, 23rd governor of Oregon
References
External links
- Condon Chamber of Commerce
- Entry for Condon in the Oregon Blue Book