Whitney, Oregon
Encyclopedia
Whitney is an unincorporated
community, also considered a ghost town
, located in Baker County
, Oregon
, United States
, on Oregon Route 7 southwest of Sumpter
. It is on the North Fork Burnt River, near the Blue Mountains
and Wallowa-Whitman National Forest
.
Whitney was named for a pioneer
in the county, C.H. Whitney. The community of Whitney had a post office from 1901-1943.
Founded as a logging town and plat
ted in 1900, Whitney was the primary station on the narrow gauge Sumpter Valley Railway
. Logging declined in the area in the 1940s, which caused the town and the railroad to fade.
According to a United States Forest Service
sign on the road:
The Antlers Guard Station
, which is on the National Register of Historic Places
, is in the Whitney area.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
community, also considered a ghost town
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
, located in Baker County
Baker County, Oregon
Baker County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is included in the 8 county definition of Eastern Oregon. It is named for Edward Dickinson Baker, a senator from Oregon who was killed at Ball's Bluff, a battle of the Civil War in Virginia in 1861. It was split from the eastern part...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, on Oregon Route 7 southwest of Sumpter
Sumpter, Oregon
Sumpter is a city in Baker County, Oregon, United States. The population was 171 at the 2000 census. Sumpter is named after Fort Sumter by its founders.- History :...
. It is on the North Fork Burnt River, near the Blue Mountains
Blue Mountains (Oregon)
The Blue Mountains are a mountain range in the western United States, located largely in northeastern Oregon and stretching into southeastern Washington...
and Wallowa-Whitman National Forest
Wallowa-Whitman National Forest
The Wallowa–Whitman National Forest is a United States National Forest in Oregon. Formed by a merger of the formerly separate Wallowa and Whitman national forests, it is located in the northeastern corner of the state, in Wallowa, Baker, Union, Grant, and Umatilla counties in Oregon, and includes...
.
Whitney was named for a pioneer
Settler
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. Settlers are generally people who take up residence on land and cultivate it, as opposed to nomads...
in the county, C.H. Whitney. The community of Whitney had a post office from 1901-1943.
Founded as a logging town and plat
Plat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
ted in 1900, Whitney was the primary station on the narrow gauge Sumpter Valley Railway
Sumpter Valley Railway
The Sumpter Valley Railway is a heritage railroad located in Baker County, in the U.S. state of Oregon. Built on a right-of-way used by the original railway of the same name, it carries excursion trains on a roughly route between McEwen and Sumpter. The railroad has two steam locomotives and...
. Logging declined in the area in the 1940s, which caused the town and the railroad to fade.
According to a United States Forest Service
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
sign on the road:
- A Town Named Whitney ~ Rails of the Sumpter Valley R. R. reached Whitney Valley June 1. 1901. Originally a lumberTimberTimber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
company townCompany townA company town is a town or city in which much or all real estate, buildings , utilities, hospitals, small businesses such as grocery stores and gas stations, and other necessities or luxuries of life within its borders are owned by a single company...
, Whitney grew to become the main head of the Stage Lines to mining and cattle towns such as UnityUnity, OregonUnity is a city in Baker County, Oregon, United States, located in the Burnt River Valley. The population was 131 at the 2000 census.-History:While the town was never platted, a post office was established in Unity in 1891...
, Bridgeport and Malheur City. - Logging railroadsRail transportRail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
were built in all directions out of Whitney during the next 20 years. Nibley Lumber Company set up a large sawmillSawmillA sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
south of town in 1911 as loggers "Daylighted" the large stands of yellow pinePinePines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
nearby. At one time over 150 people called Whitney their home. When the railway was abandoned in 1947, the town closed its doors.
The Antlers Guard Station
Antlers Guard Station
The Antlers Guard Station is a rustic cabin located in the Wallowa–Whitman National Forest in northeastern Oregon, United States. It was originally built to house fire crews assigned to patrol the surrounding National Forest. Since the 1990s, the United States Forest Service rents Antlers Guard...
, which is on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, is in the Whitney area.