Ghost town of Houlton Oregon

Do you know anything about this town? Have you ever lived here? Please leave your recollections in the comments below!

9 Responses to “Ghost town of Houlton Oregon

  • As far as I know, Houlton was the original name of “uptown” St. Helens, Oregon, basically the commercial district near the railroad tracks, while St. Helens itself was used for the commercial district near the river. The railroad stop and resulting community were originally known as Milton, however upon applying for a Post Office, the name was found to already be in use by the town in Umatilla County, so Houlton was chosen, named after the Postmaster’s hometown in Maine.
    Kind Regards, Kyle

  • Asa Williams lived there

    • I recently found an old (1938) chauffer’s license in some old papers of my fathers, listing as address Houlton Oregon, I lived there but was 1 year old. Next reference was Clatskanie June 1939. Would like to know more of Houlton

  • I was born on Vernonia Rd in Houlton Oregon. Our house was the last one inside the city limits. I went to McBride School when it was a two story brick building. I remember the earthquake of 1949 and we had to go outside and wait until the school was inspected to make sure it was safe to return inside. It was during our lunch hour. I remember sliding down the bench I was sitting on in the lunchroom and it scared me to death. We shopped at Piggly Wiggly on Highway 30 and later Bobby Clicks parents had the grocery store there. We would walk to the Post Office to get our mail. I walked to the swimming pool by John Gumm grade school in the summer. Mrs Rice was my 4th grade teacher and we were bused to McNulty to school for the 4th grade.I remember Mrs Rice asking us what we wanted to be when we grew up and one of the boys said he wanted to be a garbage man and Mrs Rice degraded him for that. He told her that his uncle owned a garbage company and made more money than she ever would. She didn’t know what to say about that. We had a drug store that had a ice cream fountain and we used to get cherry cokes there. Where Columbia Blvd and Vernonia Rd meet there was a little corner grocery store and during WWII I used to go there and buy penny bubble gum. Sometime the store owner couldn’t get any bubble gum because of the war. There is a church on that corner now. We used to play in Milton Creek and torment the crawdads with sticks. Sorry, I rambled on about more than Houlton.

    • Martha, did you know the people who lived in the house at the top of Vernonia Road where it intersects with Pittsburg road? I live in that house now and would love to know more about it, or have pictures from way back when.

  • My grandfather was born in Houlton, Oregon in 1909. The name Houlton was changed to St. Helens, like it is now some time in 1946. Houlton was on the opposite end of St Helens and St Helens was closer to the river. My mother was born in St Helens, Oregon in 1938.

  • I have a photo of a great-great aunt and her husband. Back of photo, dated Aug. 16, 1906, says they were from Houlton. Photo was taken at Churchley, 145 1/2 Third St., Portland.

  • I was born in Houlton in 1941 to Mike @ Ava Baseel. I grew up on crouse way str. A great place to live there.

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