According to several historians, the U.S. state of Oregon contains over 200 ghost towns.[1][2] Professor and historian Stephen Arndt has counted a total of 256 ghost towns in the state, some well known, others "really obscure."[3] 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.[2] Many of the ghost towns in Oregon were once mining or lumber camps that were abandoned after their respective industries became unprosperous.[2]
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;[a] 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.[b]
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.[6]
Class | Distinguishing features[6] |
---|---|
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. |
Town | Est. | Dis. Est. | County | Class | Notes | Refs. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | [7][8] |
Ajax | 1888 | 1940s[9] | Gilliam | B | [10] | |
All Hours | Unknown | Josephine | A | A gold mining town 18 miles southeast of Kerby. | [citation needed] | |
Andrews | 1880 | 1996 | Harney | C | When it burned down in 1996, the community became a ghost town. | [11] |
Anlauf | 1901 | 1946 | Douglas | D | Near modern Curtin. | [12] |
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. | [13] | |
Apiary | 1889 | Columbia | D | Currently, Apiary Road is a popular freight route for forest products moving from the Northern Oregon Coast Range to markets in Longview, Washington. | [14] | |
Ashwood | 1870 (c.) | Jefferson | C | [15][16] | ||
Auburn | 1861 | 1940s | Baker | B | Site of first gold rush in eastern Oregon. | [17] |
Aurora | 1858 | January 22, 1883 | Marion | E | Founded as Aurora Colony; has residual population. | [18][19] |
Austin | 1888 | Grant | B | [20] | ||
Bacona | 1897 | Washington | A | Four families from Denmark immigrated at the same time and settled in the area. | [21] | |
Ballston | 1878 | 1969 | Polk | D | Previously known as “Ballsville”, the name of the post office was changed to Ballston in 1880. | [22] |
Bayocean | 1906 | 1960 | Tillamook | A | Destroyed by coastal erosion; last residence collapsed into sea in 1960. | [23] |
Beaver Hill | 1896 | Coos | A | [24] | ||
Bethel | 1865 | Polk | D | [25] | ||
Black Rock | 1910 | 1960 | Polk | A | in 1943, Black Rock was incorporated into the U.S. tree farm system. | |
Blalock | 1879 | 1968 | Gilliam | A | Inundated by the John Day Dam in 1968. | [26] |
Blitzen | 1915 (c.) | Harney | B | [27] | ||
Bohemia | 1893 | Lane | B | [28] | ||
Boston | 1858 | Linn | D | Partly resected and subsumed by Shedd in 1899. | [29] | |
Bourne | 1895 | Baker | B | Originally named "Cracker City". | [30] | |
Boyd | 1861 | Wasco | C | Repurposed as farmland. | [31] | |
Bridal Veil | 1886 | Multnomah | D | [32] | ||
Buena Vista | 1850 | Polk | D | [33] | ||
Bull Run | 1893 | Clackamas | D | Originally named Unavilla. Site of Bull Run Hydroelectric Powerhouse. | [34][35] | |
Buncom | 1851 | Jackson | C | [36] | ||
Burlington | 1854 | Linn | D | Subsumed by Peoria. | [37] | |
Butteville | 1840 | Marion | D | [38][39] | ||
Cabell City | 1880s | Grant | B | Mining encampment; also contains cemetery. | [40] | |
Cascadia | 1898 (c.) | Linn | C | [41] | ||
Champoeg | 1841 | Marion | D | [42] | ||
Cherryville | 1884 | Clackamas | D | Remaining cemetery designated local historic site in 2014. | [43][44] | |
Chitwood | 1887 | Lincoln | D | [45] | ||
Clifton | 1874 | Clatsop | D | [46] | ||
Copper | 1924 | 1980 | Jackson | A | Remaining buildings demolished and/or flooded to make way for Applegate Lake. | [47] |
Copper | 1904 | Wallowa | Unknown | [48] | ||
Copperfield | 1898 | 1927 | Baker | A | [49] | |
Cornucopia | 1884 | Baker | C | [50] | ||
Danner | 1863 | Malheur | C | [51] | ||
Dee | 1906 | Hood River | B | [52] | ||
DeMoss | 1897 | Sherman | C | [53] | ||
Divide | 1900 | Lane | A | [54] | ||
Dufur | 1893 | Wasco | E | [55] | ||
Elk City | 1868 | Lincoln | D | Originally named Newton. | [56] | |
Ellendale | 1850 | Polk | D | [57] | ||
Eola | 1844 | Polk | D | [58] | ||
Erskine | 1882 | 1907 | Sherman | A | Also known as Millra. | [53] |
Eureka | 1892 | Baker | B | [59] | ||
Eureka Bar | 1903 | Wallowa | B | As of 2015[update], only foundations of buildings remain. | [60] | |
Farmington | 1845 | Washington | D | Was known as Bridgeport for a short time. | ||
Fleetwood | 1913 | 1938 | Lake | A | ||
Flora | 1897 | Wallowa | D | [52] | ||
Fort Clatsop | 1804 | Clatsop | C | [61] | ||
Fort Stevens | 1863 | Clatsop | C | [62] | ||
Frankport | 1850s | Curry | A | [63] | ||
Friend | 1903 | Wasco | C | [64] | ||
Galena | 1865 | Grant | C | [65] | ||
Geneva | 1910 | Jefferson | A | [66] | ||
Golden | 1840 (c.) | Josephine | C | [67] | ||
Granite | 1867 | Grant | D | [68][69] | ||
Grant | 1881 | Sherman | C | [70] | ||
Greenback | 1897 | Josephine | B | [71] | ||
Greenhorn | 1897 | Baker, Grant | C | [72] | ||
Greenville | 1871 | Washington | D | [73] | ||
Hardman | 1881 | Morrow | D | [74] | ||
Horse Heaven | 1933 | Jefferson | B | [75] | ||
Idiotville | Unknown | Tillamook | A | |||
Izee | 1889 | Grant | D | [76][77] | ||
Jawbone Flats | 1931 | Marion | C | [78] | ||
Jimtown | 1904 | Baker | D | [79] | ||
Kent | 1887 | Sherman | D | [80] | ||
Kerby | 1884 (c.) | Josephine | E | [81] | ||
Kernville | 1896 | Lincoln | D | [82] | ||
Kings Valley | 1855 | Benton | D | [83][84] | ||
Kinton | 1894 | Washington | D | [85] | ||
Kinzua | 1927 | Wheeler | A | [86] | ||
Klondike | 1899 | Sherman | B | [53] | ||
Lamonta | 1890 | Jefferson | A | Originally named Desert. | [87] | |
Latourell | 1876 | Multnomah | D | [88] | ||
Leland | 1888 | 1943 | Josephine | D | ||
Lime | 1899 | Baker | B | Site of former lime cement plant. | [89] | |
Locust Grove | 1895 | 1914 | Sherman | B | [90] | |
Lonerock | 1881 | Gilliam | D | [91] | ||
Luper | 1850 | Lane | C | [92] | ||
McCoy | 1879 | Polk | D | [3] | ||
McDonald | 1904 | Sherman | A | Site of a former river crossing, only modern ranch buildings remain | [53] | |
McEwen | 1891 | Baker | D | [93] | ||
Mabel | 1878 | Lane | C | [94][95] | ||
Malheur City | 1863 | 1911 (c.) | Malheur | A | All wooden structures destroyed in 1957 brushfire, leaving only stone remnants. | [96] |
Marysville | 1849 | 1853 | Benton | Subsumed by Corvallis. | [97] | |
Mayville | 1884 | Gilliam | D | [98][99] | ||
Maxville | 1923 | 1933 | Wallowa | A | No buildings remain. | [100] |
Medical Springs | 1868 | Union | D | As of 2014[update], three buildings remained. | [101] | |
Miller | 1860 (c.) | Sherman | A | [53][102] | ||
Millican | 1913 | Deschutes | D | [86] | ||
Mitchell | 1873 | Wheeler | E | [103] | ||
Narrows | 1889 | Harney | B | [104] | ||
Nelson | 1880s | Baker | A | Location of lime cement plant between 1979–1980. | [105] | |
New Era | 1876 | Clackamas | D | Also location of the New Era Spiritual Camp. | [106] | |
No Fog | June 7th, 1915 | Feb 28th, 1918 | Douglas | B | Also referred to as Nofog. | [107] |
Nolin | 1860s | Umatilla | D | Originally named Happy Canyon. | [108] | |
Nonpareil | 1882 | Douglas | D | [109] | ||
Orleans | 1850 | 1862 | Linn | A | Significantly damaged in the Great Flood of 1862. | [110] |
Ordnance | 1943 | Umatilla | B | [111] | ||
Orodell | 1867 | Union | A | [112] | ||
Ortley | 1911 | 1922 | Wasco | A | [113] | |
Paisley | 1873 | Lake | E | [114] | ||
Palestine | 1891 | 1903 | Multnomah | Eventually Subsumed by Portland. | [107] | |
Persist | 1902 | Jackson | Unknown | [115] | ||
Pinehurst | 1878 | Jackson | D | Public school still operating as of 2017. | [116][117] | |
Pittsburg | 1879 | Columbia | D | [118] | ||
Placer | 1885 | Josephine | D | [119] | ||
Pocahontas | 1862 | Baker | A | [120] | ||
Pondosa | 1927 | Union | D | [121] | ||
Richmond | 1899 | Wheeler | B | [122] | ||
Riverview | Umatilla | A | ||||
Robinette | 1898 | 1958 | Baker | A | Inundated by Brownlee Reservoir in 1958. | [123] |
Rock Point | 1852 | Jackson | C | Original tavern (est. 1864) restored by Del Rio Vineyards in 2001. | [124][125] | |
Rowland | 1886 | 1905 | Linn | D | ||
Saint Joseph | 1872 | Yamhill | D | [126] | ||
Sanger | 1871 | Baker | B | Originally named Augusta; renamed Sanger in 1887. | [127] | |
Scottsburg | 1850 | Douglas | D | Population significantly declined after Great Flood of 1862. | [128] | |
Shaniko | 1901 | Wasco | D | [129] | ||
Shelburn | 1850 (c.) | Linn | D | [130] | ||
Sherar's Bridge | 1860 | Sherman | A | [131] | ||
Southport | 1875 (c.) | Coos | A | [132] | ||
Snooseville | Washington | A | A Sawmill used to stand in the town. | [133] | ||
Sparta | 1872 | Baker | B | [134] | ||
Spicer | 1886 | 1904 | Linn | D | Previously known as Lengs. | |
Sterlingville | 1854 | Jackson | A | [135][136] | ||
Sumpter | 1889 | Baker | E | [137] | ||
Susanville | 1864 | Grant | B | [138] | ||
Tallman | 1886 | 1923 | Linn | D | ||
Thatcher | 1895 | Washington | D | [139] | ||
Thomas | 1898 | 1920 | Linn | D | The town took its name from the nearby Thomas Creek. | |
Thornberry | 1916 | Sherman | A | [53][140] | ||
Tiller | 1902 | Douglas | C | Sold in 2018 to be converted into a resort. | [141] | |
Valsetz | 1919 | Polk | A | [142] | ||
Waldo | 1852 | Josephine | A | [143] | ||
Wendling | 1899 | Lane | A | [144][145] | ||
Westfall | 1870 | Malheur | B | Originally named Bully. | [146][147] | |
Whitney | 1900 | Baker | C | [148] | ||
Yaquina | 1887 | Lincoln | A | [149][150] | ||
Zena | 1858 | Polk | C | [151] | ||
Zumwalt | 1903 | Wallowa | B | [152] |