[2] Established in 1889, the county is named in honor of William S. Harney, a military officer of the period, who was involved in the Pig War and popular in the Pacific Northwest.

[7] [failed verification] Burns has a separate police department but, as of 2008, did not employ enough officers to provide "24-hour" coverage.

[8] The Native Americans living in this region at the time of the Lewis and Clark Expedition were the Northern Paiute, who fought with the Tenino and Wasco peoples.

Peter Skene Ogden was the first known European to explore this area in 1826 when he led a fur brigade for the Hudson's Bay Company.

In September 3, 1855 Brigadier General Harney led the U.S. Army and surrounded and ambushed a Lakota village killing 86 people and taking many others as prisoners.

This site, located in Nebraska, is now known as the Blue Water Massacre or the Battle of Ash Hollow.

The Malheur River Indian Reservation was created by executive order on March 14, 1871, and the Northern Paiute within the Oregon state boundaries were settled there.

Descendants of these people form a federally recognized tribal entity, the Burns Paiute Tribe, which had 341 members in 2008.

The men came aboard a Spanish supply ship and left from San Diego on a transcontinental tour to Quebec.

Instead of reaching Canada, the men arrived at southern Harney County and continued towards Idaho.

In the late 1820s, Peter Skene Ogden made a description of the natural features and Indian culture from Klamath County to Harney County, following the Sylvaille River, and turning up afterwards towards Walla Walla leading a fur brigade for Hudson's Bay Company.

[10] On January 2, 2016, the headquarters building of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge was seized by armed protesters related to the Bundy standoff.

[12] Militia leaders, including Ammon Bundy and Jon Ritzheimer, were arrested on January 26, 2016, in an event that included the shooting death of militant LaVoy Finicum by law enforcement at a highway blockade between Burns and John Day.

Steens Mountain is the county's most prominent geographical feature, rising to 9,700 feet (3,000 m) above sea level and spanning many miles across a region that is otherwise fairly flat.

[16] To its southeast is the Alvord Desert—the driest place in Oregon[17]—and the Trout Creek Mountains, which extend south into Nevada.

The remaining population of Harney County is dispersed throughout the countryside, mostly dwelling on large ranches.

The last time a Democrat was even close to carrying Harney County in a presidential election was Jimmy Carter in 1976 when he lost it by 85 votes.

[31] [32] Three industries have traditionally provided the county's economic base: ranching, sheep raising, and timber.

The railroad, which extended into the area in 1883, served as a catalyst to the cattle industry but later contributed to its decline.

By bringing farmers and sheep men to the area, it created increased competition for productive land.

Its abundance of game, numerous campsites and excellent fishing have stimulated fast-growing recreational activities.

Facilitated on the national level by the Carey act of 1894, arid land in Harney County was donated to the state for irrigation and settlement, but all water development efforts failed.