Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 11.djvu/59

History of the Counties of Oregon 53 County and portions of Morrow and Union Counties; on the east by Baker County and a small portion of Malheur County ; on the South by Harney County ; and on the west by portions of Wheeler County and Crook County. Its county seat is Canyon City. Union County. Union County was created October 14, 1864, by the State Legislature (Special Laws of 1864, page 37). It comprised a part of the northern portion of Baker County. Its name was given during the Civil War, when the word Union was popular and used as a name without particular regard to its fitness. The motto on the seal of the Territory of Oregon was "Alis Volat Propriis — she flies with her own wings. The motto on the seal of the State of Oregon, "The Union," was adopted June 2, 1859. As was sa ^ by Judge M. P. Deady, in a foot-note on page 627, of his compilation of the Laws of Oregon 1845- 1864, "It is to be regretted that this seal [Territorial Seal] was not continued as the seal of the State, by simply substituting 'the State of Oregon' for 'the Territory of Oregon.' In design and propriety, it is in every way superior to the obscure and meaningless one of the State." Union County is now triangular in shape, Wallowa County having been created out of the eastern portion of Union County. The apex is at the north, on the Washington State line. By an act of the State Legislature, approved February 18, 1899 (General Laws of 1899, page 169), there was an- nexed to Wallowa County "all that portion of Union County lying east of the summit of the Blue Mountains and north of what is known as Elbow Gulch." Where the forty-sixth par- allel of latitude crosses the summit of the Blue Mountains was the beginning point of the original north line of Union County. Union County is now bounded on the north by the Wash- ington State line; on the east by Wallowa County; on the