Wallowa County is named for the Nez Perce word “wallowa” which designates a tripod of poles used to support fish nets.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Columbia County, Washington, Garfield County, Washington and Asotin County, Washington
E – Nez Perce County, Idaho, Idaho County, Idaho and Adams County, Idaho
S – Baker County and Union County
W – Union County and Umalilla County
Created: February 11, 1887 
County Seat:
Enterprise 1887 – present
County Courthouse – Enterprise
Location: 101 South River Street / East Main Street
Built: 1909 – 1910
Style: Queen Anne and Romanesque
Architect: Calvin R Thorton of La Grande
Contractor: S R Haworth
Description: The building faces west and is a two story brown colored stone and concrete structure. The rectangular building is located on spacious landscaped grounds in the center of Enterprise. The building is constructed of locally quarried Bowlby Stone. The west front has an arched entrance on the first story with a square tower rising four stories with an open cupola at the top. On either side of the tower are dormers. The north and south wings project from the main building and rise to peaked roofs with semi-circular skylights. In the interior, a pair of identical staircases sit at each end of the first story hallway that runs north-south. The courtroom is located on the southeast corner of the second story and is divided into two sections by an oak balustrade which has square newel posts with turned caps and decorative indented panels on the sides. The ceiling is the orginal coffered ceiling and the walls are the original plaster with fir baseboards. The building houses the County Circuit of the 10th Judicial District. At the north end of the hallway is an enclosed stairway that leads to the attic.
Note: Calvin R Thorton and S R Haworth also designed and constructed the old courthouse in Union County.
See: National Register of Historic Placesw – Wallowa County Courthouse
See: The 10th Judicial District includes Union County.
History: The county was created in 1887 and Enterprise was designated as the county seat. The county rented premises until the first and present courthouse was constructed in 1909 to 1910.
County Courthouse – Enterprise
Photos taken 2012