Crook County seat and history in Prineville
Prineville is the Crook County seat. This page keeps to what the sources say about how that came about.
How the county and the city began
According to Wikipedia, Crook County was formed in 1882 from territory that had been part of Wasco County. It was named for General George Crook, and voters confirmed Prineville as the county seat in 1884. Later, Jefferson County (1914) and Deschutes County (1916) took land from Crook County. Wikipedia gives the county's area as 2,987 square miles and its 2020 population as 24,738.
Prineville's original plat was filed by Monroe Hodges in 1877, and the Oregon legislature incorporated the city on October 23, 1880. The city is named for Barney Prine, described as the first merchant to set up business at the site.
Where the county and city do their work
- Crook County. The county's website lists government, departments, a calendar and public notices. Its address is 300 NE 3rd Street, Prineville.
- City of Prineville. The city's website lists City Council and Planning Commission meetings, forms, agendas and services. Its address is 387 NE Third Street.
- Fairgrounds. The county fairgrounds are at 1280 S. Main Street. See the fair and rodeo heritage page.
The local history museum
The A.R. Bowman Museum, also called the Crook County History Center, says it has been "preserving and sharing the remarkable history of Crook County and Central Oregon" since 1971. It is at 246 North Main Street in Prineville. Its site lists exhibits, hands-on learning programs, lectures, publications, a research library by appointment and online collections. It lists the Belknap Exhibit Center, Caboose Park and a Pioneer Cabin as additional sites. The museum says admission is free, with donations accepted, and it posts its hours on its site.