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This is a major update of my original Google Maps “Historic Oregon” file.
Download here
About forty new towns were added. I’ve also separated them out by Category instead of just alphabetical listing. More battles and military sites have been added, along with some general spell checking and links to web pages with information about the site.
Here is version 1.0 of my “Historic Oregon” Google Earth file. Included in this file are Ghost Towns, Locations of Historic Events, Locations of Forts and Camps, lighthouses, Missions, Indian Battles, Historical Markers, Heritage Trees(coming soon,) Shipwrecks, and Native American Tribes (coming soon too,) and remaining covered bridges. In other words, pretty much anything of historical interest.
There is about 100 hours of work into this file. It could not have been done without much dependence on the following resources:
Fort Wiki
Ghost Towns.Com
Google
Covered Bridge Society of Oregon
www.markeroni.com
National Register of Historic Places
Oregon Travel Council Heritage Programs
And most importantly, Oregon Geographic Names by Lewis A. McArthur which is based off his father’s work.
This is a HUGE file and is roughly 25% complete by my estimate so it may take a while to load. If you have any information about locations please email rick@hamell.net and I’ll add it in with proper credit. New versions will be released to this page. Please feel free to redistribute it, but I would appreciate a link back here if you do.
Note on Ghost Town Classifications.
I found this to be a very handy guide but had to expand it. I added a Class H which is the same as a Class D, but with few original buildings. I also added a number guide to give an idea of the town’s main purpose during it’s peak population.
Ghost Town Classifications:
Class A: barren site
Class B: rubble and/or roofless building ruins
Class C: standing abandoned buildings (with roofs), no population, except maybe a caretaker.
Class D: semi/near ghost towns. A small resident population, many abandoned buildings.
Class E: busy historic community, yet still much smaller than in its boom years.
Class F: Not a stand-alone class, but an addition to any of the above. This class usually designates a restored town, state park, or indicates some other “additional” status.
Class G: the town joined or was absorbed by a neighboring thriving city.
Class H: Same as Class D, with no or very few original buildings
Originating Purpose:
1.) Mineral Explotation
2.) Agriculural or Live Stock
3.) Timber
4.) Shipping or Travel Depoe, Stage Coach Station, Train Station
5.) Religious or idelogical
6.) Recreation and Service (Saloon Towns)
Thus a towns classification of B1 means an abandoned gold town with a few traces of buildings and other structures such as mine entrances.
Classifications are assigned by myself based on direct observation of the town, or best guess based on Google Maps and Internet searches. Many towns main economic activity changed multiple times during their lifetimes. In these cases the first or largest is used for the classification.
****10/13/09 Updated
I have added a HUGE amount of more information to this. Many new towns, Cemetaries, Civilian Conservation Corps Projects, Events, Early Explorers, Musuems, Native American Tribal grounds and camps, and much more. Again, please be sure to email me rick@hamell.net with any updates and corrections you might have.
Sacagawea’s Statue
Back in 1905, a mere one hundred years after Lewis and Clark walked, paddled, drifted, ran, hunted and rode their way across the Louisiana Purchase, Portland Oregon celebrated by putting on the Lewis and Clark Exposition. The Exposition did little for Lewis and Clark though, instead it promoted Portland and it’s potential trade links with China and other Asian destinations. By all accounts the Exposition itself was a huge hit and made a 21% profit for it’s backers and was directly responsible for Portland’s economic growth for years later. Little remains other then dim memories, a few various buildings scattered across the city, postcards and this statue of Sacagawea.
The site of the Exposition, including the lake was filled in by one of Portland’s well meaning citizens at the time and created a glut of new real estate just barely outside of the city limits. Several buildings were salvaged and moved to become residences for future citizens. The huge log cabin built for the Exposition was burned down by an arsonist in 1964, and another was totally demolished in 1981. Economically this Northwest area still provides a huge industrial base for Portland, but one can not but wonder how the city would be changed if the site was still around.
At least two history books written about the Exposition around the 60′s state that this statue was moved and “lost, never to be found.” Yet postcards from the 1920′s to 1930′s clearly show it in it’s present location. Unfortunately it’s location is sort of hidden for visitors to really notice, unless they’re enjoying the park itself.
But finding it is easy, from Burnside, head south on SW Vista Avenue (it’s NW 23rd on the North side of Burnside). Take the first right on SW Park Pl, then follow the road through the park. The statue is on the left before the stop sign.
