Ghost Town of Whitney Oregon

Ghost Town of Whitney Oregon

If you keep going along the Sumpter Stage Highway or Highway 7 west from Baker, you’ll run across the ghost town of Whitney. The town itself can be seen a ways away, it’s in the middle of a valley surrounded by grasslands. Right at the “entrance” to the town is this colorful sign.

“A Town Named Whitney.

Rails of the Sumpter Valley R. R. reached Whitney Valley June 1, 1901.

Originally a lumber company town, Whitney grew to become the main head of stage lines to mining and cattle towns such as Unity, Bridgeport, and Malheur City.

Logging railroads were built out of Whitney in all directions during the next 20 years. Nibley Lumber Company set up a large sawmill south of town in 1911 as loggers “Daylighted” the giant stands of Yellow Pine nearby. At one time, over 150 people called Whitney their home. When the railway was abandoned in 1947, the town closed down.

This is looking south along the road. On the left are the old buildings, on the right are four farms that are a combination of older and newer buildings.

This is a closeup of the house that is barely visible in the above picture.

This is a 180 degrees, pointing north picture of the buildings from the original picture.

Abandoned homestead about 1/2 mile west of Whitney.

Oregon Geographic Names helpfully states that Whitney was named after C.H. Whitney, a local pioneer.