Shaniko, Oregon

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Shaniko, Oregon
settlement_type = City
nickname = Oregon's Best Known Ghost Town
motto =


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mapsize = 250px
map_caption = Location in Oregon


mapsize1 =
map_caption1 =
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = Oregon
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Wasco
government_type =
leader_title = Mayor
leader_name = Goldie Roberts
established_title = Incorporated
established_date = 1901
area_magnitude =
area_total_sq_mi = 0.5
area_total_km2 = 1.2
area_land_sq_mi = 0.5
area_land_km2 = 1.2
area_water_sq_mi = 0
area_water_km2 = 0
area_urban_sq_mi =
area_urban_km2 =
area_metro_sq_mi =
area_metro_km2 =
population_as_of = 2000
population_note =
population_total = 26
population_metro =
population_urban =
population_density_km2 = 21.8
population_density_sq_mi = 55.9
timezone = Pacific
utc_offset = -8
timezone_DST = Pacific
utc_offset_DST = -7
latd = 45 |latm = 0 |lats = 11 |latNS = N
longd = 120 |longm = 45 |longs = 11 |longEW = W
elevation_m = 1019
elevation_ft = 3344
website = http://www.shaniko.com
postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 97057
area_code = 541
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 41-66700GR|2
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 1126791GR|3
footnotes =

Shaniko is a city located in Wasco County, Oregon, United States, on U.S. Route 97 and about eight miles (13 km) north of Antelope. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 26—a virtual ghost town whose preservation is being spearheaded by investments from Robert B. Pamplin, Jr., a businessman and owner of the "Portland Tribune" and Columbia Empire Farms.

History

The first European Americans came to the Shaniko area after the discovery of gold in Canyon City, Oregon in 1862.cite book
last = Rees
first = Helen Guyton
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Shaniko: From Wool Capital to Ghost Town
publisher = Binford & Mort
date = 1982
location = Portland, Oregon
pages =
url =
doi =
id = ISBN 0-8323-0398-4 ] The route to Canyon City started at the early settlement of The Dalles, convert|190|mi|km away. Camps were made wherever water could be found. One camp, which became the farming community of Bakeoven, was closely associated with the future town of Shaniko, while another camp, Cross Hollow, was located in the present Shaniko city limits. In 1867, following complaints of hostile Indians and fear of robbery of those transporting gold, the State of Oregon received a grant from the United States government to build a military wagon road from The Dalles to Fort Boise, Idaho. Following this road, homesteaders began claiming land in Central Oregon that was previously fairly inaccessible.

One of these settlers was August Scherneckau, who came to the area after the Civil War,cite book
last = McArthur
first = Lewis A.
authorlink = Lewis A. McArthur
coauthors = Lewis L. McArthur
title = Oregon Geographic Names
origyear = 1928
edition = Seventh Edition
year = 2003
publisher = Oregon Historical Society Press
location = Portland, Oregon
id = ISBN 0-87595-277-1
pages = ] in 1874. The spelling of the town's name reflects local pronunciation of Scherneckau's name. The town was originally called Cross Hollows, and a post office by that name was established in May 1879 with Scherneckau as postmaster. Cross Hollows post office closed in 1887, and Shaniko post office opened in 1900.

The town's heyday was the first decade of the 20th century, when Shaniko served as a transportation hub spurred by the presence of the Columbia Southern Railway, a subsidiary of Union Pacific Railroad, which built a branch from Biggs Junction to a terminus in Shaniko. That branch was completed in May 1900. At the time, the city was known as the "Wool Capital of the World", and it was the center of convert|20000|sqmi|km2 of wool, wheat, cattle and sheep production, with no other such center east of the Cascade Range in Oregon. The region served by the city even stretched into Idaho, south to Klamath Falls, Oregon and beyond, because of rail connections to the main line.

The residents of Shaniko voted to incorporate Shaniko and elected a mayor, F. T. Hurlbert, and other city officials on January 1 1902. It was Wasco County's fifth largest city, boasting the largest wool warehouse in the state, from which two tons were marketed in 1901. It was surrounded by cattle ranches, which produced livestock for shipment that filled 400 railroad cars that year.cite book | title=An Illustrated History of Central Oregon| date=1905| publisher=Western Publishing Co.| location=Spokane, Washington]

By 1911, another line diverted traffic once served by the Columbia Southern and the town begin to decline. A mid-1960s flood in Hay Canyon near Grass Valley destroyed part of the Columbia Southern line and led to its abandonment.

Geography

Shaniko is located at 45°0'11" North, 120°45'11" West (45.002955, -120.753149)GR|1, at an elevation of 3,344 feet (1019 m), according to Oregon Blue Book.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.5 square miles (1.2 km²), none of which is covered with water.

The semi-arid climate creates a landscape with little visible vegetation other than sagebrush, scrub oak and dry grass most of the year. Many foothills and peaks of the Cascade range are visible from the city, including Three Fingered Jack,Fact|date=April 2007 Hood, Jefferson, Adams, St. Helens and Rainier.cite book | title=An Illustrated History of Central Oregon| date=1905| publisher=Western Publishing Co.| location=Spokane, Washington]

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there are 26 people, 14 households, and nine families residing in the city. The population density is 55.9 people per square mile (21.8/km²). There are 35 housing units at an average density of 75.3/sq mi (29.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city is 92.31% White and 7.69% African American.

There are 14 households out of which 7.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% are married couples living together, 0% have a female householder with no husband present, and 35.7% are non-families. 21.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 14.3% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 1.86 and the average family size is 2.11.

In the city the population is spread out with 7.7% under the age of 18, 0% from 18 to 24, 11.5% from 25 to 44, 42.3% from 45 to 64, and 38.5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 61 years. For every 100 females there are 136.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 140.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $28,750, and the median income for a family is $31,250. Males have a median income of $28,750 versus $43,333 for females. The per capita income for the city is $15,617. 16.7% of the population and 0.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 0.0% of those under the age of 18 and 100.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Points of interest

Historic buildings

Shaniko contains an individual historic building, a building complex, and a historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places:
* Columbia Southern Hotel
* Imperial Stock Ranch Headquarters Complex [ [http://www.wasco-history.r9esd.k12.or.us/comm/imperial/imper1.html Wasco County History] ]
* Shaniko Historic District

The Shaniko Historic District includes the Shaniko Schoolhouse [ [http://www.prd.state.or.us/news.php?id=598 Oregon Parks and Recreation Department] ] the Shaniko Jailhouse.Fact|date=October 2008

References

External links

* [http://www.shaniko.com/shanikox.html History page from Pamplin-funded website for the town] (main site www.shaniko.com under construction)
* [http://bluebook.state.or.us/local/cities/sy/shaniko.htm Entry for Shaniko] from the Oregon Blue Book, including a link to a [http://egov.oregon.gov/ODOT/TD/TDATA/gis/docs/citymaps/shan.pdf local road map] (in PDF format) from ODOT
* [http://virtualguidebooks.com/Oregon/EasternOregon/Deschutes/ShanikoHotel.html Shaniko panorama] (in QuickTime VR format)
* [http://photos.salemhistory.org/cdm4/results.php?CISOOP1=any&CISOBOX1=shaniko&CISOFIELD1=CISOSEARCHALL&CISOROOT=all Historic photos of Shaniko] from the Salem Public Library
* [http://www.weatherland.com/articles/Shaniko.pdf "Bend Bulletin" story on Pamplin and Shaniko]