Hines, Oregon

Contributed by Steve Arndt:

Fred Herrick owned and operated the Herrick Lumber Company and promoted the railroad north of Burns. A community sprang up around the mill, and was named after Herrick. In 1928, Edward Hines purchased the railroad and the mill from Herrick and later operated it as the Edward Hines Lumber Co. The first schoolhouse was constructed in 1930 and the name of the community was changed to Hines in 1931. A 50 x 100 ft swimming pool was built in 1935, naturally filled with 86 degree water from an artesian spring. City sewer was added in 1954 and local roads all paved by 1960. City Hall was built in 1979 when Hines had a population of almost 2,000. As timber became scarce in the 1980s, the mill began to slow production and workers were laid off. In in hey day, the mill employed over 1,00 workers and had a covered work area of 20 acres.