Editing Heppner, Oregon (section)

===European-American settlement===
Prior to Heppner's founding in 1872, European-American ranchers used the area as sheep and cattle range as early as 1858. Records suggest these early cattlemen found abundant rye grass along creek bottoms.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=Encyclopedia of Oregon|last=Capace|first=Nancy|publisher=Somerset Publishers|year=1999|isbn=0403098408}}</ref>

Heppner was originally called Standsbury Flats for George W. Standsbury, one of the first European-American settlers in the area.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://sos.oregon.gov/archives/records/county/Pages/morrow-history.aspx|title=Morrow County History|website=Oregon Secretary of State - State Archives}}</ref><ref name="OGN">{{cite book|title=[[Oregon Geographic Names]]|last=McArthur|first=Lewis A.|author2=Lewis L. McArthur|author2-link=Lewis L. McArthur|publisher=[[Oregon Historical Society]] Press|year=2003|isbn=0-87595-277-1|edition=7th|location=Portland, Oregon|pages=463&ndash;64|author-link=Lewis A. McArthur|orig-year=1928}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.heppnerchamber.com/history|title=History of Heppner|website=Heppner Chamber of Commerce|publisher=Heppner Chamber of Commerce|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180206002417/http://www.heppnerchamber.com/history|archive-date=2018-02-06|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1872, Colonel (Col.) [[Jackson L. Morrow|Jackson Lee Morrow]], a merchant, entered into a partnership with [[Henry Heppner]], a prominent Jewish businessman,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.jmaw.org/heppner-jewish-oregon/|title=Henry Heppner, Early Pioneer Jewish Businessman of Heppner, Oregon|date=October 7, 2015|website=Jewish Museum of the American West|publisher=The Western States Jewish History Association}}</ref> and they built a store on the crossing of the present May and Main streets.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> Soon thereafter, a mail and stagecoach line began operations between [[Pendleton, Oregon|Pendleton]] and [[The Dalles, Oregon|The Dalles]] and passed through Heppner.<ref name="Heppner Hotel nomination form">{{cite web|url={{NRHP url|id=82001511}}|title=National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Heppner Hotel|last=Hedman|first=Arnie|author2=Belsma, Ronnie|date=April 23, 1982|publisher=National Park Service|format=PDF|access-date=July 20, 2013|author3=Lynch, James}}</ref>

Col. [[Jackson L. Morrow|Jackson Lee Morrow]] was later elected to the [[Oregon Legislative Assembly|Oregon legislative assembly]] and was instrumental in helping to carve out a new county for Heppner from neighboring [[Umatilla County, Oregon|Umatilla County]] and a portion of [[Wasco County, Oregon|Wasco County]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://wpmu.library.oregonstate.edu/osu_archives/2011/07/06/extension-in-north-eastern-oregon/|title=Extension in Northeastern Oregon|date=July 6, 2011|website=Oregon State University Libraries - Special Collections & Archives Research Center}}</ref> The assembly named the new county in Morrow's honor.<ref name="Heppner Hotel nomination form" />

Heppner was designated the temporary county seat at the time the county was created and narrowly defeated nearby Lexington in an election held in 1886 to determine the permanent county seat.<ref name=":1" /><ref name="registration form">{{cite web|url={{NRHP url|id=85000366}}|title=National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Morrow County Courthouse|last=Lynch|first=James E.|author2=Derickson, Patrick M.|date=August 17, 1984|publisher=National Park Service|format=PDF|access-date=July 18, 2013}}</ref> Heppner was [[municipal corporation|incorporated]] in the following year on February 9, 1887.<ref name="IFA">{{cite web|url=http://www.orinfrastructure.org/profiles/Heppner/|title=Heppner Community Profile|year=2009|publisher=Infrastructure Finance Authority|access-date=July 18, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140813232617/http://www.orinfrastructure.org/profiles/Heppner/|archive-date=August 13, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=":2" />

In 1888, the [[Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company]] completed a railroad spur from the [[Columbia River]] up the Willow Creek drainage to Heppner.<ref name="Heppner Hotel nomination form" />

The Historic [[Morrow County Courthouse (Oregon)|Morrow County Courthouse]] was built in 1902-03 and is one of the oldest continuously used courthouses in Oregon.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.heppnerchamber.com/history-courthouse|title=Historic Morrow County Courthouse|website=Heppner Chamber|publisher=Heppner Chamber of Commerce|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830011348/http://www.heppnerchamber.com/history-courthouse|archive-date=2017-08-30|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1985, the courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/AssetDetail?assetID=ab145138-e51a-4d48-bd05-abc1db79c314|title=Morrow County Courthouse|date=February 28, 1985|website=National Register of Historic Places Digital Archive|publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>
[[File:HeppnerMorrowcourthouse.jpg|thumb|Historic Morrow County Courthouse]]