Shaniko Ghost Town

Take the road less traveled and journey back through time to Shaniko for a glimpse of history, to one of Oregon’s most popular ghost towns set on the sagebrush plains of Central Oregon. It began its decade long voyage as a quintessential wild west boom town and once served as a gateway transit hub for the Columbia Southern Railway. At the time, the town lay at the center of 20,000 square miles of wool and wheat land. In 1903 it gained the nickname the “Wool Capital of the World”, because it held the largest wool warehouse in the state, in which 4 million pounds were stored and sold. Sadly, the good times didn’t last when a competing railroad line diverted traffic away from the area and Shaniko began its decline and finally came to an end in 1930. Amongst the surviving remnants are the weathered structures of an historic hotel, a wooden water tower, City Hall complete with a jail, the original schoolhouse and the old Post Office, which first opened in 1879. Today, life goes on with the remaining residents who are surprisingly spirited and operate local businesses from April to September.

Local Tip: The Shaniko Preservation Guild, operates a museum, hosts an annual wool gathering, and sponsors the yearly Tygh Valley Bluegrass Jamboree as well as The Ragtime & Vintage Music Festival. The historic Shaniko Days are held in August, which attracts hundreds of spectators. Located 70 miles from Bend, but an escape worth having.