Crook County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 24,738. The county seat is Prineville. The county is named after George Crook, a U.S. Army officer who served in the American Civil War and various Indian Wars.
Crook County comprises the Prineville, OR Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Bend—Prineville, OR Combined Statistical Area.
History
thumb|left|Logging in the [[Ochoco Mountains, c. 1900]]
Crook County was established on October 9, 1882, by an act of the Oregon State Legislature. The county was named after General George Crook, a veteran of various battles against the indigenous peoples of Eastern Oregon in the middle of the 19th century.
Geography
alt=Map of Crook County|thumb|Map of Crook County
The county is located in the geographic center of Oregon. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.3%) is water. The largest body of water in Crook County is the Prineville Reservoir. The county has been reduced from its original size of by the creation of Jefferson County in 1914 and Deschutes County in 1916. The present boundaries were established in 1927.
The oldest geological formation in Oregon is in the southeastern corner of Crook County, near its boundary with Grant County. This formation is an outcropping of Devonian limestone created from a larger reef when most of Oregon was covered by water.
Adjacent counties
- Jefferson County - north
- Wheeler County - north
- Grant County - east
- Harney County - southeast
- Deschutes County - southwest
National protected area
- Ochoco National Forest (part)
Demographics
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Economy
Forest products, agriculture, livestock raising and recreation/tourism services constitute Crook County's total economy. Agriculture is supported by the development of irrigation districts, which permits the raising of hay, grain, mint, potatoes, and seed. Range and forest lands allow grazing for a sizable livestock industry. The Ochoco National Forest's stand of ponderosa pine is the main source of lumber. Tourism and recreation help round out the economy. Thousands of hunters, fishers, boaters, sightseers and rockhounds are annual visitors to its streams, reservoirs and the Ochoco Mountains. The Prineville Chamber of Commerce provides access to over of mining claims to rockhounds, who can dig for free agates, limb casts, jasper and thundereggs.
Education
There is one school district in the county: Crook County School District. All of Crook County is zoned to Crook County High School.
Crook County is in the boundary of Central Oregon Community College.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Crook County, Oregon