List of ghost towns in Oregon Facts for Kids

According to several historians, the U.S. state of Oregon contains over 200 ghost towns. Professor and historian Stephen Arndt has counted a total of 256 ghost towns in the state, some well known, others "really obscure." The high number of ghost towns and former communities in the state is largely due to its frontier history and the influx of pioneers who emerged in the area during the 19th century. Many of the ghost towns in Oregon were once mining or lumber camps that were abandoned after their respective industries became unprosperous.

This list includes towns and communities that have been described as ghost towns, and may be abandoned, unpopulated, or have populations that have declined to significantly small numbers; some may still be classified as unincorporated communities. As of 2019^[update], some of the towns included may have small residual populations; others may retain few physical remnants of their existence, but are broadly considered ghost towns under prevailing definitions in the United States.

Classifications

Many historians and enthusiasts of ghost towns use a classification system to distinguish ghost towns by types. This classification, which breaks towns into numerous different types, was established by photographer Gary Speck, and has been adapted here.

Class	Distinguishing features
A	No apparent remains of former settlement exist. In some cases, site may be marked and/or contain a cemetery.
B	Dilapidated buildings and/or remnants of buildings present, along with rubble and debris.
C	No population, but structures are still mostly intact; may be actively preserved.
D	Area is sparsely populated and may boast period structures (of varied physical condition) and/or a cemetery, but no operative town proper.
E	Has retained a small population and historic structures, though typically not as substantive as in its heyday.

Towns

Andrews, 2009

Antelope, 2009

Aurora, 2008

Bayocean, c. 1911

Bridal Veil, 1894

Cascadia, 1925

Cornucopia, 1913

Flora, 2009

Golden, 2009

Kent, 2006

Latourell, 2016

Lime building interior, 2012

Millican, 2011

Ordnance, 2011

Richmond, 2011

Waldo cemetery, 2013

Whitney, c. 1900

Zena, 2007

Zumwalt, 2009

Town	Est.	Dis. Est.	County	Class	Notes
Airlie	1882	1927	Polk	D	The railroad from Airlie north to Monmouth was abandoned in 1927, but the community survived, anchored by a general store and gas station..
Ajax	1888	Unknown	Gilliam	B
Andrews	1880		Harney	C	When it burned down in 1996, the community became a ghost town. In 2011, artist John Simpkins moved into the abandoned school at Andrews. He set up residence in ...
Anlauf	1901	1946	Douglas	D	The home was sold in the 1960s and then torn down when the freeway was built. Clarence, who was also a logger, and Grace Anlauf, the parents of Clay and Pat ...
Antelope	1871		Wasco	D	As more Rajneeshees moved to Antelope, more of the town's original residents sold their lots and left. The old-timers panicked, and held a vote to disincorporate
Apiary	1889		Columbia	D	Two principal roads to Apiary are being completed within the next year, and a part of the old one abandoned. The Cloverdale road, known as the market road ...
Ashwood	1870 (c.)		Jefferson	C
Auburn	1861	1940s	Baker	B	Site of first gold rush in eastern Oregon.
Aurora	1858	January 22, 1883	Marion	E	Founded as Aurora Colony; has residual population.
Austin	1888		Grant	B
Ballston	1878		Polk	D	Ballston was founded in 1878 by pioneer Isaac Ball on his donation land claim. Ball and his family immigrated from England, and arrived in Oregon via the Oregon Trail in 1848. Ball named the town "Ballsville", and it had a post office of the same name. The name of the post office was changed to Ballston in 1880.
Bayocean	1906		Tillamook	A	Destroyed by coastal erosion; last residence collapsed into sea in 1960.
Beaver Hill	1896		Coos	A
Bethel	1865		Polk	D
Blalock	1879		Gilliam	A	Inundated by the John Day Dam in 1968.
Blitzen	1915 (c.)		Harney	B
Bohemia	1893		Lane	B
Boston	1858		Linn	D	Partly resected and subsumed by Shedd in 1899.
Bourne	1895		Baker	B
Boyd	1861		Wasco	C	Repurposed as farmland.
Bridal Veil	1886		Multnomah	D
Buena Vista	1850		Polk	D
Bull Run	1893		Clackamas	D	Originally named Unavilla. Site of Bull Run Hydroelectric Powerhouse, abandoned in 2008.
Buncom	1851		Jackson	C
Burlington	1854		Linn	A	Abandoned after 1874.
Butteville	1840		Marion	D
Cabell City	1880s		Grant	B	Mining encampment; also contains cemetery.
Cascadia	1898 (c.)		Linn	C
Champoeg	1841		Marion	D
Cherryville	1884		Clackamas	D	Remaining cemetery designated local historic site in 2014.
Chitwood	1887		Lincoln	D
Clifton	1874		Clatsop	D
Copper	1924		Jackson	A	Remaining buildings demolished and/or flooded to make way for Applegate Lake.
Copper	1904		Wallowa	Unknown
Copperfield	1898		Baker	A
Cornucopia	1884		Baker	C
Danner	1863		Malheur	C
Dee	1906		Hood River	B
DeMoss	1897		Sherman	C
Divide	1900		Lane	A
Dufur	1893		Wasco	E
Early	1902		Sherman	A
Elk City	1868		Lincoln	D	Originally named Newton.
Ellendale	1850		Polk	D
Eola	1844		Polk	D
Erskine	1882		Sherman	A
Eureka	1892		Baker	B
Eureka Bar	1903		Wallowa	B	As of 2015^[update], only foundations of buildings remain.
Fargher	1878 (c.)		Wasco	D
Flora	1897		Wallowa	D
Fort Clatsop	1804		Clatsop	C
Fort Stevens	1863		Clatsop	C
Frankport	1850s		Curry	A
Friend	1903		Wasco	C
Galena	1865		Grant	C
Geneva	1910		Jefferson	A
Golden	1840 (c.)		Josephine	C
Gordon	1896		Sherman	A
Gorman	1892		Sherman	A
Granite	1867		Grant	D
Greenback	1897		Josephine	B
Greenhorn	1897		Baker, Grant	C
Greenville	1871		Washington	D
Hardman	1881		Morrow	D
Horse Heaven	1933		Jefferson	B
Hoskins	1856		Benton	A	Founded at site of Fort Hoskins.
Izee	1889		Grant	D
Jawbone Flats	1931		Marion	C
Jimtown	1904		Baker	D
Kent	1887		Sherman	D
Kerby	1884 (c.)		Josephine	E
Kernville	1896		Lincoln	D
Kings Valley	1855		Benton	D
Kinton	1894		Washington	D
Kinzua	1927		Wheeler	A
Klondike	1899		Sherman	B
Lamonta	1890		Jefferson	A	Originally named Desert.
Latourell	1876		Multnomah	D
Lime	1899		Baker	B	Site of former lime cement plant.
Locust Grove	1895		Sherman	B
Lonerock	1881		Gilliam	D
Luper	1850		Lane	C
McCoy	1879		Polk	B
McDonald	1904		Sherman	A	Site of a former river crossing, only modern ranch buildings remain
McEwen	1891		Baker	D
Mabel	1878		Lane	C
Malheur City	1863		Malheur	A	All wooden structures destroyed in 1957 brushfire, leaving only stone remnants.
Marysville	1848		Benton		Subsumed by Corvallis.
Mayville	1884		Gilliam	D
Medical Springs	1868		Union	D	As of 2014^[update], three buildings remained.
Miller	1860 (c.)		Sherman	A
Millican	1913		Deschutes	D
Mitchell	1873		Wheeler	E
Monkland	1886		Sherman	A
Narrows	1889		Harney	A
Nelson	1880s		Baker	A	Location of lime cement plant between 1979–1980.
New Era	1876		Clackamas	D	Also location of the New Era Spiritual Camp.
Nolin	1860s		Umatilla	D	Originally named Happy Canyon.
Nonpareil	1882		Douglas	D
Orleans	1850		Linn	A	Significantly damaged in the Great Flood of 1862.
Ordnance	1943		Umatilla	B
Orodell	1867		Union	A
Ortley	1911		Wasco	A
Paisley	1873		Lake	E
Persist	1902		Jackson	Unknown
Pinehurst	1878		Jackson	D	Public school still operating as of 2017.
Pittsburg	1879		Columbia	D
Placer	1885		Josephine	D
Pocahontas	1862		Baker	A
Pondosa	1927		Union	D
Richmond	1899		Wheeler	B
Robinette	1898		Baker	A	Inundated by Brownlee Reservoir in 1958.
Rock Point	1852		Jackson	C	Original tavern (est. 1864) restored by Del Rio Vineyards in 2001.
Rosebush			Sherman	A
Rutledge	1884		Sherman	A
Saint Joseph	1872		Yamhill	D
Sanger	1871		Baker	D	Originally named Augusta; renamed Sanger in 1887.
Scottsburg	1850		Douglas	D	Population significantly declined after Great Flood of 1862.
Shaniko	1901		Wasco	D
Shelburn	1850 (c.)		Linn	D
Sherar's Bridge	1860		Sherman	A
Southport	1875 (c.)		Coos	A
Sparta	1872		Baker	B
Sterlingville	1854		Jackson	A
Sumpter	1889		Baker	E
Susanville	1864		Grant	B
Thatcher	1895		Washington	D
Thornberry	1916		Sherman	A
Tiller	1902		Douglas	C	Sold in 2018 to be converted into a resort.
Valsetz	1919		Polk	A
Waldo	1852		Josephine	A
Wendling	1899		Lane	A
Westfall	1870		Malheur	B	Originally named Bully.
Whitney	1900		Baker	C
Yaquina	1887		Lincoln	A
Zena	1858		Polk	C
Zumwalt	1903		Wallowa	B

List of ghost towns in Oregon facts for kids

Classifications

Towns

See also