Oregon Ghost Towns

[Decidion]

All very interesting! My parents live in Laughlin right now and we are going down there next month to move them up here (they have lived there for 15 years or so).

I had not heard of the desert road going out of Oatman, but I may check that out too. I'm sure we will also do a Christmas Tree Pass run as well.

In addition to the frogs isn't there some kind of gnome community living along the Mojave road too?

[imgettinby]

here is another site I stumbled upon.
Legends of America - A Travel Site for the Nostalgic and Historic Minded
it has some neat info, and ghost town links as well. I keep noticing how there aren't any ghost towns listed up in WA. Why is that? Everyone still lives in them all?

[nightfoam]

Found the book. Dead on with the title Ghost Towns of the Northwest by Norman D. Weis. Covers 53 Ghost Towns in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana. Worth a good look, Powells has two copies a.
My favorite was Carbon Timber Towne east of Rawlins, WY

[Jerry]

Originally Posted by Decidion

I think a trip to some Oregon Ghost towns, sometime during the month of October, would be a really fun trip. Does anyone have any suggestions of good materials (books, websites, etc.) I can use to do some research?

Have you come up with anything concrete? Do you have a date in mind? I am ready to send the October 4th announcement, but if you would rather take that date or one close to it let me know ASAP. Thanks.

[Rubicon Rich]

Very hard to find them in Washington. I thought that in a pioneer State, there would be plenty but I can't find them. I see that ghost towns can be owned as private property. Is that why we can't find them? That made me start looking at old maps, rail lines, mines....all should be attached to
"boom towns".
Her's a link for old railroads Active & Abandoned Railroads of the Pacific Northwest

and here's one that can lead to some interesting adventures
Home Page

[nightfoam]

Originally Posted by Rubicon Rich

Her's a link for old railroads Active & Abandoned Railroads of the Pacific Northwest

Oh man, if any website is a wealth of information its Brian McCamish's. I've run into him WAY out in the middle of nowhere a few times and he's turned me onto a few differant places (the old train tunnel outside Westport, OR, old mining area's in the Blue Mountains etc.)
For the ghost town type things, you might check his exploring history page. We ran into him Memorial Day weekend near Sumpter rapelling down a steep hillside to check out some old mine buildings. His vehicle is also well built as an expedition vehicle. Somebody should turn him onto this website... Hmmm, maybe I'll drop him a line, he'd be a great trip leader.

PS if you explore on his site enough, you'll find some pictures I took that he posted up (with permision of course)

[Jerry]

Originally Posted by nightfoam

Oh man, if any website is a wealth of information its Brian McCamish's. I've run into him WAY out in the middle of nowhere a few times and he's turned me onto a few differant places (the old train tunnel outside Westport, OR, old mining area's in the Blue Mountains etc.)
For the ghost town type things, you might check his exploring history page. We ran into him Memorial Day weekend near Sumpter rapelling down a steep hillside to check out some old mine buildings. His vehicle is also well built as an expedition vehicle. Somebody should turn him onto this website... Hmmm, maybe I'll drop him a line, he'd be a great trip leader.

PS if you explore on his site enough, you'll find some pictures I took that he posted up (with permision of course)

You are right on, Ryan. Brian has an excellent web site and I have had it bookmarked for a couple of years. His interests are quite diversified and everything he does is interesting and looks like fun. I would very much enjoy meeting him in person.

[Decidion]

Originally Posted by Jerry

Have you come up with anything concrete? Do you have a date in mind? I am ready to send the October 4th announcement, but if you would rather take that date or one close to it let me know ASAP. Thanks.

Jerry, I think I am going to have to pass on this one for now. I just have too much going on between a couple of camping trips this month, a business trip to Seattle in early October and then Southern Nevada the last two weeks of October. I'll definitely be thinking about this for the future. I don't know if any of the good ones are accessible during the winter or not.

[Jerry]

Originally Posted by Decidion

Jerry, I think I am going to have to pass on this one for now. I just have too much going on between a couple of camping trips this month, a business trip to Seattle in early October and then Southern Nevada the last two weeks of October. I'll definitely be thinking about this for the future. I don't know if any of the good ones are accessible during the winter or not.

Thanks for coming up with the idea. In absence of the ghost town tour I will go ahead with the Clemen Mountain announcement, but we have a fresh calendar for 2009 that needs to be filled. Hint, hint.

We are familiar with many of the ghost towns in eastern Oregon as the BDNW group has visited them several times over the years, also a handful in central Oregon, but virtually none in western Oregon. Many of those we have visited are accessible in the winter and a covering of snow would make for really neat photos, but it would also cover some of the stuff at ground level. Personally, I think a tour of western Oregon ghost towns would be a kick.

It is interesting to note that a dilapidated old mining town with a handful of residents still hanging on is thought of as a ghost town while a dilapidated old farm town with almost identical structures and a handful of residents still hanging on is considered to still be alive. Sometimes the farm towns earn the distinction of becoming ghost towns, but they have to try harder.