The history of Union County as a political entity dates from 1864 when on 14 October the Governor of Oregon signed the act of the legislature creating Union County out of Baker County and designating La Grande as a temporary county seat. The first Court House was set up in a building belon...
J. A. J. Chapman later the first assessor of Union County had had some experience in surveying and he assisted the settlers in laying out their claims. No thought at that time was given to the idea of establishing a town, but it is a credit to Chapman’s ability that when the first ...