Whitney is an unincorporated community, also considered a ghost town, located in Baker County, Oregon, United States, on Oregon Route 7 southwest of Sumpter. It is on the North Fork Burnt River, near the Blue Mountains and Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. Whitney was named for a pioneer in the county, C.H. Whitney. The community of Whitney had a post office from 1901-1943.[1] Whitney was the primary station on the narrow gauge Sumpter Valley Railway.[2] According to a United States Forest Service sign on the road:
- A Town Named Whitney ~ Rails of the Sumpter Valley R. R. reached Whitney Valley June 1. 1901. Originally a lumber company town, Whitney grew to become the main head of the Stage Lines to mining and cattle towns such as Unity, Bridgeport and Malheur City.
- Logging railroads were built in all directions out of Whitney during the next 20 years. Nibley Lumber Company set up a large sawmill south of town in 1911 as loggers "Daylighted" the large stands of yellow pine nearby. At one time over 150 people called Whitney their home. When the railway was abandoned in 1947, the town closed its doors.
The Antlers Guard Station, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, is in the Whitney area.[3][4]
References
- ^ McArthur, Lewis A.; Lewis L. McArthur [1928] (2003). Oregon Geographic Names, Seventh Edition, Portland, Oregon: Oregon Historical Society Press. ISBN 0-87595-277-1.
- ^ Whitney. ghosttowns.com. Retrieved on 2006-10-19.
- ^ Antlers Guard Station. USDA Forest Service. Retrieved on 2006-10-19.
- ^ Oregon—Baker County. National Register of Historic Places. Retrieved on 2006-10-19.
External links
- Whitney, Oregon is at coordinates Coordinates:
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Baker County, Oregon |
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|---|---|---|
| County seat: Baker City | ||
| Cities |
Baker City | Haines | Halfway | Huntington | Richland | Sumpter | Unity |
 |
| Communities |
Copperfield | Cornucopia | Oxbow | Whitney |
|
