LEVEL 4/5 PARENTS

Pet Supplies, Books, Gifts, and Odds & Ends:
full-line of pet supplies; local authors & history,
outdoor guides
Open most weeks Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon
noon to 6 pm
PO Box 99
541-894-2213
LeAnne Woolf, owner
Sumpter, OR 97877
www.sodamountain.org
downtown at 152 W Auburn
Volume 2 Issue 3
Sesquicentennial Gala Issue
Oct 2012
Sumpter was founded in 1862, so 2012 marks its 150th anniversary, its sesquicentennial.
Oct 13-14: Fall Foliage Train,
Dredge Last of the Season, &
Sesquicentennial Finale
The Fall Foliage Train leaves McEwen Station Sat
and Sun mornings at 7 am and pulls into Sumpter
about noon. By reservation only.
All travelers—by train, car, or ATV—are
invited to view the photo exhibit in the
Superintendent’s House; mining exhibits in
Sumpter Municipal Museum, at the Sumpter
Valley Dredge, and across the highway from
the dredge at Cracker Creek Museum of
Mining; and to join in the first guided
walking tours of Historic Sumpter.
Sumpter Valley Dredge
Train, led by Heisler No. 3,
coming up Sumpter Valley
co-sponsors: City of Sumpter, Sumpter Municipal Museum, and Sumpter Valley Dredge State Heritage Area
with further funding, supplies, and assistance from our advertisers: Thank You, All!
SV Dredge State Heritage Area’s Superintendent’s
House (left) and Sumpter Municipal Museum
Photos will show samples of the wide variety
of things to see and do in the greater
Sumpter Valley area. Exhibits at the
Municipal Museum are indoors and often
manned. Exhibits at Cracker Creek are selfguided. There is a self-guided walking tour
of Sumpter that opens Oct 13, as well as the
special guided tours.
See center fold for times and details.
Golden Sumpter: The First 150 Years
Part III – 1963-2012
(continued from last month’s souvenir program)
When the Myers clan—Norman and Loraine,
eldest son Leland, his wife Nancy, and baby
Gigi, and middle son Jerry, his wife Joy, and
toddlers Mark and Casey—pulled into Sumpter
in Nov 1963, the population sign outside town
read 88.
soon married a local girl, Linda Bacon. Her
grandfather, Charles H. Bacon, was listed in the
1910 census as a “laborer, teaming,” in the 1920
census as a “teamster, mine,” and in the 1930
census as a “teamster, farm.” His two sons, John
and Clayton, were born about ten years apart. In
1940, Charles worked as a janitor at Sumpter’s
school, where John’s children were in
attendance. John drove a truck for the Sumpter
Valley dredging company. Linda’s father,
Clayton, was a winchman on the dredge.
Norman’s mother had been born in Granite,
and her father was a merchant there. For a
while, Norman’s uncle, Otis Ford, was the only
permanent resident of Granite. Loraine had
been born in The Dalles. The family lived there
for a while, but when they moved to Sumpter,
they’d been living in Mt. Vernon. Loraine had
been involved in Girl Scouts and other
volunteer activities. She’d made sure her boys
helped out when Mt Vernon built its new park.
In short order Loraine, Nancy, and Joy were
Sep 2011: looking south on Mill from
about North St
archival photos courtesy of
Baker County Library
Located with Homestead
Realty, Inc., at:
303 S Mill St
Sumpter, OR 97877
Of course, by 1963, the railroad was gone.
The dredges were all derelicts. Businesses
that burned in 1917 had never been rebuilt.
The population of the entire area had gone
from thousands to a mere few hundred.
c. 1899: looking south on Mill from
about a block north of North St
involved with Sumpter Community Women’s
Club while the men opened the 4-M Lumber
Company mill and logging operation.
When youngest son Gale was discharged from
the army, he joined the family in Sumpter and
Still, Sumpter’s spirit was alive. The
Women’s Club had arranged with the Forest
Service for an interpretive sign to be placed
at the remains of the vault of the Bank of
Sumpter. The Basche Hardware building had
been restored in the 1920s and was in use as
Sumpter’s City Hall. Everywhere you
looked, there were signs of loss and signs of
perseverance.
and on the web:
homesteadrealtysumpter.com
mailing address:
PO Box 232
Thanks for the watermelons!
FALL FOLIAGE TRAIN, DREDGE LAST OF THE SEASON, &
SESQUICENTENNIAL FINALE SCHEDULE
Fri, Oct 12:
7 p.m.
Sumpter Volunteer Fire Dept Auxiliary Bingo at Schoolhouse Community Center
Sun, Oct 14:
11 am to 4 pm: Photo Exhibit at Sumpter Valley Dredge State Heritage Area's Superintendent's
House (downtown Sumpter between Lynn Bean Gallery and Sumpter Municipal Museum)
noonish: Sumpter Valley Railroad Restoration's Fall Foliage Train arrives at Sumpter Depot
Sat, Oct 13:
11 am to 1 pm: Friends of the Sumpter Valley Dredge Last of the Season (LotS) party; everyone
invited; hot dogs, bratwurst, chips, cold drinks provided; bring a side dish if you can
11 am to 4 pm: Photo Exhibit at Sumpter Valley Dredge State Heritage Area's Superintendent's
House (downtown Sumpter between Lynn Bean Gallery and Sumpter Municipal Museum)
noonish: Sumpter Valley Railroad Restoration's Fall Foliage Train arrives at Sumpter Depot
1:10 pm: Driving of the Golden-Colored Deck Screw: Mayor John Young will install the No. 1 on
the Museum, officially completing the installation of number boards for Sumpter's self-guided
historic tour, phase I
1:15 pm: Birthday Cake, provided by Albertson's and depicting Sumpter's downtown prior to
the Aug 1917 fire; next to Museum
2 pm: Guided Walking Tour: The Downtown that Was*
3 pm: Guided Walking Tour: Filling in the Gaps**
Tickets for Raffle Baskets from Local Businesses on sale at the Museum; drawing will be held Sun
Visitors to the Photo Exhibit will get a chance to vote for Favorite Photograph or Grouping; ribbons
awarded on Sun
1 pm: Guided Walking Tour: Filling in the Gaps**
2 pm: Guided Walking Tour: The Downtown that Was*
3 pm: Votes for favorite photos tallied and ribbons awarded
4 pm: Drawing for raffle basket winners
*Stand on Granite St where the heart of Sumpter's downtown used to be, hear the stories, and look at
the pictures of a thriving city that just isn't there anymore; departs from Museum
**Take the route of the self-guided tour, but hear stories that wouldn't fit into the brochure and see
buildings that are being considered for phase II; departs from Museum
PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE OF FUTURE EVENTS
2013 Flea Markets
Located in downtown Sumpter and at The
Grounds, three blocks off the highway on
Austin St. Antiques, crafts, collectibles, and
new and used items.
The photo exhibit on Oct 13-14 would love your contribution. We need photos of things to see and
do, preferably in, around, and near Sumpter Valley. Photos must have some reinforcement, captions
requested. If you sell photos, you may leave a card on exhibit with them. Contact LeAnne Woolf (info
on next page). Deadline Oct 8, 2012.
If you prefer to email your submission and have me mount it, I have photo paper and foam board. A $2
donation would help cover expenses.
Music in the Meadow: Jul or Aug 2013
(bands & family activities, hoping to add wineand microbrew-tasting)
Also many local yard sales during Flea Markets.
Antiques Appraisal Fair: Sep 2013
(may include other activities)
Memorial Day: May 24-27
Call for Photographs:
Watch for the Date
4th of July: July 5-8
(Fur Fun Dog Show, Sun, Jul 7, @ 3 pm)
Labor Day: Aug 30-Sep 2
Sumpter Valley Dredge Last of the Season &
SVRR Fall Foliage Train: Oct 2013
(planning to continue photo exhibit, maybe other
activities)
Donations gratefully accepted
Forest Service sign commissioned by Sumpter
Community Women’s Club and placed in 1963.
Thanks for the Cake!
The Sumpter Schoolhouse put into use in 1954 and used
sporadically until the late 1970s. It has since been donated to
the City of Sumpter and serves as a Community Center.
Gold Rush RV Park
Host s: Neal & Marl ene Bork
680 Cracker Creek Road
PO Box 268
Sumpt er, O R 97877
541-894-2217
1-888-279-8407
e-mail: gol drushrv park@ qwest off ice. net
Sesquicentennial Committee Members:
Michaelle Clarke
Mark Luker
Toni Thompson
Randi Krane
Diane Miller
Jack Turner
Joy Myers
Chair:
LeAnne Woolf, leannemywo@aol.com, 541-894-2303, PO Box 99
Co-Sponsored by the City of Sumpter (PO Box 68), Sumpter Municipal Museum (PO Box 67), and Sumpter
Valley Dredge State Heritage Area (PO Box 97); Sumpter, OR 97877
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------(from inside front cover)
SVRR didn’t fade, though, and finally in Oct 1990 track reached Sumpter and a depot built near the
Sumpter Valley Dredge. For years the dredge had languished where it had been abandoned in 1954.
In 1992, the non-profit group Friends of the Sumpter Valley Dredge was founded in anticipation of
supporting Oregon State Parks’ purchase and restoration, which began in 1993. Jerry was one of the
original members of the board. Loraine and Nancy both volunteered in the gift shop in early years.
So many other volunteers that also helped make Sumpter’s history come alive have passed on, and I
miss them greatly: Nils Christensen, Joy Christensen, Laura Hayse, Pug & Mary Robinson, Bill &
Betty Wilt, the list goes on. It makes me even more grateful for those who are still here and working,
like the people in the Sesquicentennial Committee, the sponsors and donors, and all you guests that
helped me throw the best darned birthday party we could manage. Happy 150th, Sumpter!
These excerpts represent work being done on a Sumpter history: Golden Sumpter: The First 150 Years, 1862-2012 by LeAnne Woolf
The brick building to the left was the Basche Hardware building until the
1917 fire. The blackened bricks are what remained after that August day.
The City of Sumpter rebuilt the building and used it as City Hall from the
20s until the 70s. The wooden building on the right contains the fire
station and new City Hall. Both buildings have seen many Christmas
programs and community potlucks.
The first Sumpter Valley Days—a revival of the 4th of July
celebrations held when Sumpter was a boom town—was
held in downtown Sumpter in 1968. A crowd of 400 was
expected and 1500 were served. There were mining and logging events and a dance. The next year,
the event moved south a few blocks and up the hill. Sumpter Valley Days became the place for
service organizations to do their fundraising for the year. Kiwanis sold hamburgers, the local 4-H
club sold corn dogs, and CowBelles served an amazing breakfast. The two days were stuffed with
rooster calling, beard contests, melodramas by Crossroads Arts Center, old-fashioned dress revues,
ax-throwing, gold-panning, crosscut sawing, and so much more. Jerry Myers was the emcee
extraordinaire. Rotary Club ran the gate. Norman, Leland, and Gale patrolled The Grounds.
By 1970, Sumpter’s size had increased to 128, 17 of them Myerses with one on the way. People
thought maybe the Myerses were trying to take over, but they stopped at 14% of the population.
However, they didn’t stop volunteering. Sumpter Valley Railroad Restoration, Inc. (SVRR), was
started in Dec, 1970, by people worried about losing the last remnants of the original Sumpter Valley
Railway (SVRy). Leland Myers was one of the original board members. The first purchase was the
No. 3 Heisler logging locomotive in 1971. She was restored and put on a short piece of track in the
McEwen area of Sumpter Valley in July 1976. Leland, Nancy, and their children were all working
that Bicentennial opening. The Heisler looked grand in her red-white-and-blue bunting.
In 1971, Kelly Olsen of Black Market Antiques started a Flea Market held in downtown Sumpter
during Sumpter Valley Days. That, too, soon grew, and when Sumpter Valley Days faded into the
sunset in 1986, The Grounds became an extra space for vendors to fill during Flea Markets, held now
during each of summer’s big holiday weekends: Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day.
(concluded on inside back cover)