Oregon Ghost Towns

[Charles B]

ANTELOPE, Wasco County, Oregon

An 1860s mining supply center on SH 218, about 80 miles south of The Dalles. By the 1870s it had grown to where it added a post office, but in 1898 a fire wiped out most of the town, leaving only one original building still standing. The town rebuilt, but Shaniko's growth sucked away the people and Antelope faded. In the 1970s the town site was absorbed by a commune and renamed Rajneesh. The commune has also left, and only a handful of people remain in the town that once again bears the name Antelope.

Latitude: 44.9106819 / 44

 

[Charles B]

ASHWOOD, Jefferson County, Oregon

Early 1900s gold mining camp 15 miles southeast of US 197 at Willowdale, northeast of Madras. The town has faded, but still had a population listed into the 1980s.

 

[Charles B]

AUBURN, Baker County, Oregon

Another gold mining town about four miles west of US 30 at a point seven miles southeast of Baker City. Accessible via four-wheel drive road. Only rubble remains where Henry Griffen discovered gold on October 23, 1861, and where six months later 6000 people made Auburn the largest town in the county. By 1868 Auburn was rapidly approaching ghost town status.

 

[Charles B]

BLIND SLOUGH LOGGING CAMP, Clatsop County, Oregon

A class A logging camp located between Knappa and Brownsmead. Established around 1883, the post office was established in 1910, and closed in 1924. In 1923, some 300 people were employed by the Larkin-Green Logging Co.

 

[Charles B]

BOURNE, Baker County, Oregon

This old town is seven miles north of Sumpter, along Cracker Creek. Sumpter is on SH 7, 20 miles northwest of Salisbury and West of Baker City in the Blue Mountains. In the 1870s, this placer mining camp was full of saloons and other businesses, which lined a short main street. A post office was in operation from 1895 to 1927. Some mines are still producing, and a few buildings remain.

 

[Charles B]

WHITNEY, Oregon

WHITNEY OREGON GHOST TOWN

 

[Charles B]

More Ghost Towns of Oregon

GHOST TOWNS OF OREGON

 

[Robert DAV]

Small bit on Bourne Oregon. The town is north of Sumpter on cracker creek, This is a hard rock mining area surrounded by the E&E, North Pole and Colombia mines, all in all there are several hundred shaft mines in the area from Green Horn, Granite and Sumpter area. It is a great area to explore and detect. One caution their are several summer residents in Bourne.

 

[Charles B]

Hello Robert,

Thanks for the great info. Mining communities have always held a special interest for me. I just wished we had the gold/silver mines in the East that you have in the West!

 

[widebody]

[size=large]It's my understanding there was a new gold rush in the blue mountains in the mid 90's? Sumptner became very active again. As for more mines for the East coast. In 1849 there was a bigger gold rush in Georgia or N. Carolina than there was in Califonia. Seems the U.S. feds wanted California real bad so downplayed the east coast rush and made the west coast more appealing. Especially with real libral laws that they now regret. Would seem there's still better hunting in parts of the east coast.

HH[/size]

 

[Charles B]

Hello Widebody,

Yep, lots of gold on the East Coast.
Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, Vermont, Maine.
Even in Pa. were most folks will tellyou that gold doesn't exist you'll find placer deposits.
Unfortunately Pa doesn't allow dredging.