Cove, OR

Cove is a Union County city in the Grande Ronde Valley, where Mill Creek comes down from the Wallowa Mountains and the local story carries an older Cayuse and Nez Perce place-name: Wiweeletitpe, or “Many creeks flowing at that place.” Euro-American settlement began in 1862, when Samuel Cowles and his niece Fannie Pauline made a home here; the settlement was first called Forest Cove. The post office shortened the name to Cove in 1868, and residents later voted to incorporate in 1904 by a 59-47 margin. Cove Hot Springs Pool adds a warm-water landmark to the map. This is northeastern Oregon with creek, valley, orchard country, and a surprisingly close vote at city hall.