Approximately 20 customers of the Long Creek and Monument exchange attended the hearing in support of both petitions. FACT The Monument, Long Creek, Mount Vernon, and John Day telephone exchanges lie in Grant County in North Central Oregon. Geography and Demography Grant County is a large rural county that covers 4,528 square miles and has a population of approximately 8,100 people. The remaining residents are dispersed throughout the county among six incorporated cities, including Monument, Long Creek, and Mt. Vernon, and four unincorporated towns. Both cities are rural agricultural and logging communities with little centralized business.
Long Creek has a gas station, post office, motel, two cafes, and two small groceries stores.
Monument has two small grocery stores, a tavern, a caf , and a mechanic shop. Both areas also lack employment opportunities. Aside from independent logging and agriculture activities, jobs are limited to the local schools, forest service, and electric company. Some local residents run part-time businesses from their homes. Due to the lack of local services and employment opportunities, residents of Long Creek and Monument depend heavily on other communities to meet their basic needs.