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Sumpter offers rich history and attractive culture
By Cyndy Elliott, RCAC rural development specialist, loan officer
Sumpter has known the bold boom of success, suffered ghost town status and is today known as a progressive, but historic tourist attraction.
Tucked away in the trees and nestled 4,424 feet above sea level in Oregon’s Elkhorn Mountain Range lays the historic gold mining town of Sumpter, Oregon, which some visitors have described as a magical place.
According to historicsumpter.com, “The year-round population of Sumpter is approximately 191, consisting of 190 very nice people and one ‘old grouch’”!
The first cry of “Gold” was made along what is now known as Cracker Creek in 1862 by three Confederate soldiers on their way to the California gold fields from South Carolina. They decided to stay and work the gold rather than continue on to California. They built a primitive log cabin and named it Fort Sumter after the South Carolina fort of Civil War fame. When the post office was established in December 1883, the name was changed to Sumpter to avoid confusion for mail delivery; however legend has it the name was changed due to the valley being overrun by northern sympathizers. This cry of “Gold” ushered in a boom to gold mining in the region and gave birth to numerous towns and settlements across the majestic plains of Eastern Oregon. Sumpter, along with Cornucopia, Granite, Auburn and Horse Haven were just a few of the wild and wooly settlements full of shootings, saloons and “sporting ladies.”
Around 1895, Sumpter grew due to the invention of the pneumatic drill, stamp mills for crushing ore and new methods to chemically extract the gold from its alloys. In 1897, the Sumpter Valley Railway extended track into Sumpter; the population grew to 300 and the boom was on! In 1899, the first of many brick buildings appeared and two blocks of Granite Street were laid with planks. Sumpter soon proudly took on the title of The Queen City. The U.S. Census of 1903 counted more than 3,500 registered voters. The Census count did not, however, include the women, children or the Chinese. The population was most likely considerably larger.
The first of three dredges to mine the gravels of the Powder River began in 1913. Originally, a Yuba-style dredge was built. Its sister dredge was later constructed in 1915. The Sumpter Valley Gold Dredge may have come last, but it was not the least of the three. In 1934, the last gold dredge built in Sumpter was launched with almost as much fanfare as an ocean liner, and carried with it a renewed hope for prosperity for the city. The Sumpter Valley Gold Dredge alone eventually mined $4.5 million in gold at the price of $35 per ounce. Yet, no matter how big or powerful the three dredges were, the reality was that more gold was taken from the Sumpter mountains by hard rock miners working deep underground than from any of the three dredges.
Another cry was heard in Sumpter in 1917, which bore only dread. Shouts of “fire” burst forth as the sound of the fire bell echoed throughout Sumpter. A fire of an unknown cause had erupted in the cook’s quarters of the Capital Hotel. Quickly, nearly 100 buildings in 12 city blocks were completely destroyed. The streets caught fire; even the fire hoses blazed, spreading the destruction. Three hours later, Sumpter lay in almost total ruin. No lives were lost, but it was the end of Sumpter’s golden era.
Hard rock mining was winding down and the saloons were closed as the state of Oregon instituted prohibition. The Sumpter Valley Railway began to decline in 1933 and passenger service was discontinued around 1937. Dredging continued, but in 1953, the clatter of the bucket line and the roar of the huge trommel were silenced forever.
Following the shutdown of the bucket-line, Sumpter’s population dropped dramatically. It took on the feel of a ghost town. However, the town was never abandoned. It remains home to many families who continue to work and enjoy the wonders of Sumpter. Additionally, Sumpter has become the seasonal home of many retired couples who were in search of a quieter life.
Sumpter features museums, bed and breakfasts, a wealth of outdoor activities including hunting, hiking, snowmobiling, skiing and more. The town hosts dances, flea markets, races, art galleries, an internet coffee house and other modern activities and amenities.
Sumpter has known the bold boom of success, suffered ghost town status and is today known as a progressive, but historic tourist attraction. The crude log cabin erected in the name of “Fort Sumter” still stands today a half mile west of town. Most of the gold is still in place, resting on the bedrock of the Sumpter Valley! River gravels deeper than the dredges’ ability to dig were undisturbed and, if and when the bucket line came into contact with bedrock, it could not break it down to catch the gold. The U.S. Geological Survey says there is at least 80 percent of the gold still in the ground, too difficult and costly to retrieve, but serving as a great attraction for curious and hopeful tourists!
(For more on Sumpter, see the article, “Sumpter receives loan critical for town’s wastewater system” earlier in this issue.)
References
Material for this article was gleaned from the following sources:
http://www.historicsumpter.com/
http://www.sumpter.org/menu/sumptergoldrush.html
http://www.friendsofthedredge.com/
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