Spray, Oregon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Spray, Oregon
City
Spray City Hall in 2011
Nickname(s):  The City by the River
Location in Oregon
Country	United States
State	Oregon
County	Wheeler
Incorporated	1958
Named for	John Fremont Spray and Mary E. Spray, early settlers
Area
• Total	0.29 sq mi (0.75 km2)
• Land	0.29 sq mi (0.75 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	1,772 ft (540.1 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	160
• Estimate  (2019)	148
• Density	512.11/sq mi (197.65/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (Pacific)
ZIP code	97874
Area code(s)	541
FIPS code	41-69450
GNIS feature ID	1127403
Website	www.sprayoregon.us

Spray is a city in Wheeler County, Oregon, United States. The population was 160 at the 2010 census.

History

Spray was named for John Fremont Spray, the community's founder and first postmaster, and his wife, Mary E. Spray. The post office was established in 1900. In that same year, John Spray established a ferry to carry people across the John Day River, and he helped establish a school and a store in the community.

After formation of Wheeler County in 1899, Spray was suggested as a possible county seat. A county-wide election held in 1900 produced 436 votes for Fossil, 267 for Twickenham, and 82 for Spray. In 1958, Spray became the last Wheeler County community to incorporate as a city. John Butler was the first mayor.

Geography

Spray is located along the John Day River in north-central Oregon. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.29 square miles (0.75 km²), all of it land.

Oregon Route 19 and Oregon Route 207, which meet 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Spray, overlap as they pass through the city. Spray is about 30 miles (48 km) southeast of Fossil along Route 19 and about 55 miles (89 km) south of Heppner along Route 207.

Climate

The average temperature in Spray in January is 33 °F (1 °C), and in July it is 72 °F (22 °C). The highest recorded temperature for Spray was 116 °F (47 °C) in 2007, and the lowest recorded temperature was −26 °F (−32 °C) in 1962. The average wettest month is May.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 160 people, 69 households, and 49 families residing in the town. The population density was 551.7 inhabitants per square mile (213.0/km²). There were 94 housing units at an average density of 324.1 per square mile (125.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.0% White, 0.6% Native American, 2.5% Asian, and 1.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.6% of the population.

There were 69 households, of which 21.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.0% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 29.0% were non-families. 24.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.61.

The median age in the town was 50.3 years. 19.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18.8% were from 25 to 44; 28.2% were from 45 to 64; and 27.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 49.4% male and 50.6% female.

Annual cultural events

Spray features an annual half marathon and rodeo on Memorial Day weekend. The half marathon begins at Service Creek on Saturday and finishes in downtown Spray. The rodeo parade begins roughly three hours later, followed by the rodeo which continues on Sunday. High school graduation also occurs the week before, and the school year ends the week of the rodeo.

Education

Spray School and the Spray School District headquarters are located in the city. In the 2011−12 school year, 44 students were enrolled in grades Kindergarten through 12.

Images for kids

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  Spray School

See also

In Spanish: Spray (Oregón) para niños