Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 11.djvu/64

 58 Frederick V. Holman Morrow County is now bounded: on the north by the Columbia River; on the east by Umatilla County; on the south by portions of Grant and Wheeler Counties; and on the west by Gilliam County and a small portion of Wheeler County. Its county seat is Heppner. Gilliam County. Gilliam County was created February 25, 1885, by the State Legislature. (Special Laws of 1885, page 404). It comprises the northeastern portion of Wasco County, as the latter then was, and a part of the western portion of Umatilla County, as the latter was prior to the creation of Morrow County, nine days previous to the creation of Gilliam County, the latter being west of Morrow County. It is named for Colonel Cornelius Gilliam, an Oregon pioneer of 1844, wno was accidentally killed at Wells Springs, March 20, 1848, while in command of the Oregon Volunteer forces in the Cayuse Indian war. This war was fought against the Indians wholly under the Oregon Provisional Gov- ernment by Volunteers from the Willamette Valley. He was worthy of having an Oregon county named for him. Gilliam County is now bounded : on the north by the Colum- bia River; on the east by Morrow County; on the south by Wheeler County and a very small portion of Morrow County; and on the west by the John Day River, the common bound- ary of Gilliam and Sherman Counties and a very small portion of Wasco County. The small portions of Morrow County on the south, and of Wasco County on the west is due to the south line of Gilliam County being one mile south of the First Standard Parallel south. Its county seat is Condon. Wallowa County. Wallowa County was created February 11, 1887, Dv the State Legislature. (General Laws of 1887, page 142). It comprises a part of the eastern portion of the original Union County. It is the northeastern County of Oregon.