(Courtesy of Oregon Historical Society) Enlarge Image Mining, by definition an extraction industry, created numerous ghost towns as the boom-bust economic cycle moved through southern and eastern Oregon in the 1800s and early 1900s. It even had electric lighting. Sumpter was never a farming community. Hotels stores, and other businesses soon followed. Cracker Creek Road turns to dirt in short order. The last and largest still survives as a historic tourism destination. Originally named “Cracker,” Bourne officially became a town in 1895 when it received a post office, being named after Senator Jonathan Bourne, Jr. of Portland, who owned and operated two mines nearby (source: Starting from the town of Sumpter, drive west on Highway 410 towards the town of Granite. The population grew to more than 2,000 people almost overnight. Sumpter oregon was founded by southern civil war deserters. The series features a group of hard rock miners searching for gold in Oregon's Crescent Mine. Sumpter Oregon Sumpter is most likely one of Oregon’s most famous Ghost Towns. Discover all of the opportunities that await you on your next mountain vacation to Sumpter, Oregon. Immediately around it and tributary to it, 296 stamps are pounding out over $2,000,000 a year in gold bricks and concentrates, and every day is adding to the number of the mines and mills, and the amount of the yield.”, -promotional flyer by the Oregon Railroad & Navigation Company of Portland, Oregon, The old Sumpter Store building. However, like other mining towns, Sumpter was hit by a fire in 1917 and was never rebuilt to its previous glory. Bourne is named after Jonathan Bourne Jr. from Portland who … ... Back to Oregon Ghost Towns. It operated 24 hours a day from 1934 to 1954, only stopping on Christmas, the 4th of July, and for three years during World War II. elevation. By donating to Friends of the Dredge, you will ensure that enhanced interpretive and educational experiences will continue to be offered at the dredge, such as guided tours, interpretive displays, renovation and staffing of the interpretive center. Sumpter is on SH 7, 20 miles northwest of Salisbury and West of Baker City in the Blue Mountains. 575 SW Dredge Loop Rd Sumpter, Oregon 97877Get Directions, Copyright 2018 Friends of the Sumpter Valley Dredge, All Rights Reserved | Web Design by Matt Sheeks -. Recently, six miles of the Sumpter Valley Railway (now Railroad) were repaired, and the line runs an excursion train between Sumpter and McEwen. (Oregon State Archives, 2019) Enlarge Image, An old building in Sumpter repurposed as a bed and breakfast. Sumpter Valley Dredge, Sumpter Picture: Whitney, Oregon Ghost Town - Check out Tripadvisor members' 121 candid photos and videos of Sumpter Valley Dredge History of Whitney Oregon. Several notable mining ghost towns … It is the center and supply and distribution point of hundreds, if not thousands, of square miles of gold-bearing territory, whose riches pass all ordinary computation. All that remains of McEwen is the original schoolhouse which is now a private home, two old empty houses, an old barn and an unkept cemetery. Like so many other boom towns in the late 1800s, the promise of gold drew in thousands of residents before another strike was discovered and they moved on … Skip to the search for the Oregon Secretary of State website. The population was 204 at the 2010 census. The Friends of the Sumpter Valley Dredge is committed to maintaining the history of the dredge for today, tomorrow, and for future generations to learn and enjoy. A few of Sumpter’s surviving structures remain and are now occupied by retail shops for tourists. Ghost Mine is an American paranormal television series that premiered on January 16, 2013, in the United States on the Syfy channel. Tourism and recreation are our present economic base,i.e., hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, ghosttowning, boating, mining, etc. Review of Sumpter Stockade Motel, Event and Conference Center Reviewed September 27, 2017 I'm writing a review about the town, not the Hotel. There are still many cabins alive in Bourne; some inhabited while others have fallen into disrepair. Country * The dredge brought industrial methods to gold mining and left environmental damage in its wake. 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Logging and mining were the two primary industries. Sumpter, OR For a few brief years the town of Sumpter was at the center of the gold rush in Oregon. The ghost towns you see dotting the map of Oregon were once thriving communities, filled with people who followed their dreams here. Sumpter is named after Fort Sumter by its founders. Source: Ghost Town USA But, what may not cross your mind is the general life of everyday people that used to reside in these previously bustling and economic busting towns. Today Sumpter is a quiet mountain town that is popular with hunters in the Fall and snowmobilers in the Winter. The p was latter added by the post office due to the tension it created by being a reminder of … The dredge was a 72-bucket monster that processed nine cubic feet of material per minute. Sumpter Oregon Bourne, Oregon Ghost Town A short 7 mile drive outside the town of Sumpter, Oregon, Bourne is easily accessed by driving up the road along This fascinating place was founded in the 1870s, and the post office was established in 1881. I wasn’t expecting there to be much of anything here, but was pleasantly surprised by what I did find. The dredge filtered out the gold and deposited gravel from a 96-foot conveyor, leaving neat piles of tailings up and down the valley. Ghost towns elicit thoughts of dark and dreary nights… complete with horrifying sounds, mist-shrouded cemeteries and things that go bang in the night. This project has been funded in part by a grant from Travel Oregon and Oregon Cultural Trust. * Greenhorn is perhaps the most picturesque of all the ghost towns surviving in Eastern Oregon. Hawthorne NV. 2017; Gold Hill/Silver City NV 2017; Shasta CA 2017; Goldfield nv. With the creek unusable for farming or husbandry, the dredge and surrounding lands are now an Oregon state park. The Placers and Hard Rock Gold in Sumpter, Oregon A short 7 mile drive outside the town of Sumpter, Oregon, Bourne is easily accessed by driving up the road along Cracker Creek. Several of these mining boats began operating in the 1910s. Now they remain as a window to another time, full of places to ponder and history to discover. Originally the town, founded in 1900, was created by the Nibley lumber company. sumpter98DU0639 (© 2003 by Daniel Ter-Nedden) Buy pictures. Within the town of Granite you will find several historic buildings including a … ... Ghost towns. AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyomingAmerican SamoaCanal ZoneCommonwealth of the Northern Mariana IslandsFederated States of MicronesiaGuamMarshall IslandsNorthern Mariana IslandsPalauPhilippine IslandsPuerto RicoTrust Territory of the Pacific IslandsVirgin IslandsArmed Forces - AmericasArmed Forces - Europe, Canada, Middle East, AfricaArmed Forces - Pacific. Sumpter had become a truly modern town, with churches, saloons, a brewery, sidewalks, three newspapers, and an opera house. Tucked away in the trees and nestled in Oregon’s Elkhorn Mountain Range, lies the historic gold mining town of Sumpter. 2017; Montgomery Pass NV 2017; Home; Bodie CA 2017; Virginia City NV. When automobile … It is walled in by mountains of gold-seamed quartz, and all its streams roll over golden sands. History comes to life aboard the vintage trains as you travel through the heart of gold country in the scenic Sumpter Valley. Whitney Ghost Town The town of Whitney, Oregon, is a fantastic ghost town to visit, and right off the main highway between Sumpter and John Day. It was named after C.H. They built a cabin in the winter of 1862-1863 and named it fort sumter after the place where the war started. 5 Must-See Ghost Towns in Oregon. Whitney, a pioneer. In the 1870s, this placer mining camp was full of saloons and other businesses, which lined a short main street. Sumpter Dredge Oregon Historic Landmark. Borne. Sumpter is a historic mining town nestled in Oregon's Blue Mountains at 4,424ft. A post office was in operation from 1895 to 1927. Part of it’s fame is no doubt to the fact that it’s the only place outside of Alaska that you can see these huge gold dredges. Located in Baker County, roughly 30 miles west of Baker City, these days it’s a small community of just over 200 residents. The high number of ghost towns and former communities in the state is … (Oregon State Archives, 2019) Enlarge Image. In all, the Sumpter dredge extracted some $4.5 million in gold from the valley and left a wake of devastation visible from space. This ghost town is a travel center and agricultural ghost on Oregon’s eastern grasslands. By the time the second world war hit, mining had all but closed in the area, leaving the town to be a shell of what it once was. BAKER CITY -- With mountain snows melting and gold prices at $1,620 per ounce, miners should be stampeding into Oregon's historic minerals districts around Baker City, Sumpter… Greenhorn is beautiful and … The Lodge is presently active with fifty members. Sumpter was known locally and promoted nationally for its central role in the mining region. & A.M., located in Sumpter, Oregon. It features a variety of buildings and equipment. The Elkhorn Mountains are full of experiences to have for you and the family. A grease pump to lubricate the massive equipment used to operate the Sumpter Dredge in Sumpter. Small scale gold mining is still practiced in the surrounding mountains. Top Baker City Ghost Towns: See reviews and photos of ghost towns in Baker City, Oregon on Tripadvisor. Another tourist-friendly ghost town in Oregon is Shaniko, located on the plains of North-Central Oregon’s Wasco County. https://sos.oregon.gov/archives/exhibits/ghost/Pages/mining-sumpter.aspx In .5 miles, turn right on Cracker Creek Road. “The town is literally built on golden rock. Sumpter, Oregon – Queen City Ghost Town Sumpter, Oregon before the 1917 fire that destroyed most of the city In 1862, Hugh Asbury, John Reel, Fletch Henderson, Bill Flanagan, and Dick Johnson, camped near a place called Cracker Creek on their way to the California goldfields. 2017; Montgomery Pass NV 2017; Home; Bodie CA 2017; Virginia City NV. Some mines are still producing, and a few buildings remain. W hen planning a summer visit to northeast Oregon, be sure to add the Sumpter Valley Railroad to your travel itinerary. Explore the old towns that were built by Americans and deserted when the mining craze ended. Sumpter’s gold dredges, however, continued on for decades. Whitney was the primary stage stop along the Sumpter Valley Railroad as well as home to many who worked in the logging industry. ... Continue Exploring Ghost Towns Books. According to Howard Brooks, “Mines along the North Pole Columbia Lode near Bourne, six miles north of Sumpter, produced about $8,000,000 in gold and silver during [the time period] 1894-1916.”. A gold dredge is restored and is on display at the Sumpter Valley State Heritage Area. The Buckeye Mine is a documented and producing gold mine. Whitney was the primary stage stop along the Sumpter Valley Railroad as well as home to many who worked in the logging industry. Friends of the Sumpter Valley Dredge: Ghost Town with Mining History - See traveler reviews, candid photos, and great deals for Baker City, OR, at Tripadvisor. Sumpter, Oregon as Described in … In the 1930 ranchers pooled their time and money to erect a Community Hall. **Sumpter got its start in the 1860s when three Carolinans settled and started farming. After the railroad arrived, the city expanded nearby deep shaft gold mines into a combined 12 miles of tunnels. 2017; Gold Hill/Silver City NV 2017; Shasta CA 2017; Goldfield nv. Nestled amongst lodgepole pines and grassy underbrush, it has a wealth of cabins and buildings still standing If you look closely, you can even find the original bank building. Stay on Cracker Creek road for 6 miles, winding gently uphill along Cracker Creek. Hawthorne NV. Granite, Oregon Ghost Town Granite is the jumping off point for several outdoor opportunities including hiking, mountain biking, snowmobiling, mine exploring, Olive Lake, and several other options. By this point, almost $9 million in gold had been drawn from the area’s 35 mines. This is a very active and highly visited town among many other truer Ghost Towns in the areas. This is the remnants of an old former logging town turned Oregon ghost town located off Route 7 southwest of Sumpter near The Blue mountains and the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. sumpter98DU0656 (© 2003 by Daniel Ter-Nedden) Buy pictures. Come and learn about what we are talking about. You’ll know you’ve hit Bourne once you start seeing the cabins and buildings in this article. The name was inspired by a rock as smooth and round as a cannonball, which reminded a local resident of the American Civil War and Fort Sumter. sumpter98DU0640 (© 2003 by Daniel Ter-Nedden) Buy pictures. Ghost Town of Bourne, Oregon (Cracker) Bourne is about six miles north of Sumpter, Oregon. The town of Whitney, Oregon, is a fantastic ghost town to visit, and right off the main highway between Sumpter and John Day.