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Oregon County
Morrow County, Oregon
The 1903 Heppner Flood - Oregon's deadliest natural disaster - from the June 14, 1903 Heppner flash flood (the catastrophic wall of water that roared down Willow Creek and through the town of Heppner on a Sunday afternoon - killing 247 people, about one-quarter of the town's population - was Oregon's deadliest natural disaster and one of the most devastating flash floods in Pacific Northwest history - the Heppner community's remarkable recovery and memorialization of the disaster defines the county's historical identity) and Morrow County's extraordinary energy development (the Columbia Plateau's consistent winds have made Morrow County one of the most significant wind and solar energy producing counties in Oregon).
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
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Office: Morrow County Emergency Management – 110 N. Court St., Heppner, OR 97836; overall responsibility rests with the Board of Commissioners, delegated to an appointed Emergency Manager (per ORS 401.305). Sign up for Everbridge emergency notifications via morrowcountyor.gov.
911/Dispatch: Morrow County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center – 325 Willow View Dr, PO Box 159, Heppner, OR 97836 | (541) 676-5317; housed within the county EOC; provides radio dispatch for the Sheriff’s Office, Boardman Police, county ambulance service, and each community’s own fire department; 8 full-time dual-certified (911/EMD) communications deputies.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911. Willow Creek in southern Morrow County is the site of the deadliest natural disaster in Oregon history – the Heppner Flood of 1903 – and the county participates in regular flood emergency declarations along the same drainage.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: OR-74 serves Heppner, the county seat; I-84 and US-730 serve Boardman, the county’s largest city, along the Columbia River.
Notes: Morrow County was created February 16, 1885 from western Umatilla County and a small part of eastern Wasco County, named for early settler and state legislator Jackson L. Morrow.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Morrow County Planning – 110 N. Court St., Heppner, OR 97836; confirm current phone via morrowcountyor.gov.
Notes: Heppner is genuinely, historically significant as the site of the Heppner Flood of 1903 – on June 14, 1903, a 40-foot wall of water and debris from a cloudburst-triggered dam collapse on Willow Creek swept through town, killing 247 people (a quarter of the population) in under an hour. It remains the deadliest natural disaster in Oregon history and the second-deadliest flash flood in U.S. history after the 1889 Johnstown Flood. The Historic Morrow County Courthouse (built 1902-03, NRHP-listed 1985) served as a refuge during the disaster and remains one of Oregon’s oldest continuously used courthouses. The Willow Creek Dam, built 1981-83 by the Army Corps of Engineers, now protects Heppner from a repeat event.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Morrow County Veterans Services – Irrigon location: 215 NE Main Ave, PO Box 560, Irrigon, OR 97844 | (541) 922-6420 | Fax: (541) 922-2644 | [email protected] | Hours vary, appointment recommended, closed lunch/holidays. Heppner location: Bartholomew Building, 110 N. Court St., Heppner, OR 97836, by appointment only. CVSO Amanda Kendrick.
Federal: Walla Walla VA Medical Center (nearby, across the Washington border).
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Oregon Trail Library District (OTLD) – Boardman Branch (central), 200 S Main, Boardman, OR 97818 | (541) 481-3365; Heppner Branch (Library-Museum), 444 Main St, Heppner, OR 97836 | (541) 676-9964 – a combined library and Morrow County Museum, dedicated 1960 as a memorial gift from Mrs. Amanda Duvall; Irrigon Branch, 201 S. Main, Irrigon, OR 97844.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Morrow County Museum (co-located with the Heppner Library) preserves the county’s pioneer, agricultural, and flood-disaster history. Willow Creek Lake, formed by the Willow Creek Dam, offers fishing and recreation.
Notes: The genuine 1903 Heppner Flood – Oregon’s deadliest natural disaster – is one of the most historically significant facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Morrow County Assessment & Tax – confirm current phone via morrowcountyor.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
County: Morrow County Sheriff’s Office handles animal control – 325 Willow View Dr, PO Box 159, Heppner, OR 97836 | (541) 676-5317.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Morrow County Public Works – 365 West Hwy 74, Heppner, OR 97836; Transfer Stations located in Boardman and Lexington.
NOTES: Morrow County is the fourth county in the Oregon v2 redo’s fourth batch (Linn, Malheur, Marion, Morrow, Multnomah, Polk, Sherman). The genuine 1903 Heppner Flood – the deadliest natural disaster in Oregon history – is one of the most historically significant facts covered anywhere in this project. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Morrow County
Morrow County is defined by the 1903 Heppner flood – the flash flood that killed 247 people, a quarter of the town’s population, is Oregon’s deadliest natural disaster, and the community’s recovery defines Heppner’s identity alongside Morrow County’s emergence as one of Oregon’s most significant wind and solar energy producers.
Heppner (the county seat, population ~1,300) serves the surrounding wheat farming and energy industry communities. Boardman (population ~3,800) anchors the Columbia River industrial corridor.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Morrow County Assessor at 100 Court Street, Heppner, OR 97836, phone 541-676-5604. OR Measure 50 limits assessed value increases.
Courts & Legal
Morrow County Circuit Court at 100 Court Street, Heppner, OR 97836, phone 541-676-5264, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
100 Court St, Heppner, OR 97836
(541) 676-9061
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Morrow County Circuit Court, Heppner (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Morrow County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Morrow County Circuit Court 100 South Court Street, Heppner, OR 97836 (541) 676-5264 Morrow County is in north-central Oregon, seated in Heppner.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Oregon has NOT adopted the Uniform Probate Code, maintaining its own independent probate code under ORS Chapters 111 through 117. Probate is handled in the probate department of the Circuit Court in the county where the decedent lived (ORS 111.085). Oregon does not offer a separate unsupervised/informal probate track – its “simple estate” process and formal administration are the two paths.
Simple Estate Affidavit (ORS 114.505–114.560) – available when the total fair market value of the estate is $275,000 or less, made up of no more than $75,000 in personal property and no more than $200,000 in real property. The affidavit (“Affidavit of Claiming Successor”) cannot be filed until at least 30 days after death and must be filed with the clerk of the probate court. It requires a detailed asset description, a list of known creditors, and notice that claims are barred unless presented within 4 months of filing.
Full Probate Administration – required for estates that exceed the simple estate limits or don’t otherwise qualify. A personal representative is appointed by the court and administers the estate under ongoing court oversight.
Step 2: filing for administration
A petition for probate is filed in the Circuit Court in the county where the decedent resided (or, for simple estates, an Affidavit of Claiming Successor is filed with the probate clerk at least 30 days after death).
If a will exists, it’s filed with the petition or affidavit.
For full administration, the court appoints a personal representative and issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
Notice is given to heirs, devisees, and creditors; claims against the estate must generally be presented within the statutory period.
The personal representative (or affiant, for simple estates) inventories assets, pays valid debts and taxes, and distributes what remains according to the will or Oregon’s intestacy laws.
Full administration closes once a final account is filed and approved by the court; simple estates close once assets are distributed and any required notices are filed.
What it costs
Filing fees vary; check with Morrow County directly for current fees.
Oregon imposes a state estate tax on estates exceeding approximately $1,000,000, with rates ranging from 10% to 16%. No state inheritance tax.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
100 Court St, Heppner, OR 97836
(541) 676-9061
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
100 Court St, Heppner, OR 97836
(541) 676-9061
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
400 East Grant St, Boardman, OR 97818
(541) 481-9450
Department of Human Services
100 Court St, Heppner, OR 97836
(541) 676-9061
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Morrow County Public Health – Heppner Clinic, 110 N. Court St., Heppner, OR 97836; confirm current phone via morrowcountyor.gov.
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Editorial Trust
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Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Heppner
Population: 12,000
Established: 1885
Tier: 3
Public Records
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Search public records for Morrow County residents.
