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American Road Magazine
Celebrating our two-lane highways of yesteryear…And the joys of driving them today!

Old Towns In Eastern Oregon


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Monday we followed the Oregon Blue Mountain byway through small farm towns like Ione, Lexington, and Cecil. We crossed the Oregon Trail, and stopped to imagine the scenes of 150 and more years ago. I am privileged to have read scores of books and diaries concerning the Oregon Trail, which helps when you want to recreate the experiences of those travelers’ in your mind’s eye.

 

ARCecilStore.jpg

 

The general store in Ione had been remodeled inside in the last 20 years (surprise) and no longer had the old time feeling (my “old time”), so it was a bit of a disappointment. Across the street was the community gas station…closed, and for sale for $100,000. Good luck! Across the Street the restaurant was for sale

 

We are fairly familiar with this countryside. We have criss-crossed eastern Oregon for the better part of 45 years, so we recognize the places, and most of the have changed very little. Some years the stores will be occupied, others empty.

 

The town of Heppner looked good. We dream from time to time about living in a small town where you can walk from home to the coffee shop and meet your pals there for a cup. Lots of places fit that need, and Heppner was one. We even picked out a house for sale….just for the fun of it.

 

The semi ghost town of Granite was a mining town in the old days. When I first visited there in about 1967, the little school house and the whole town were abandoned. Somewhere at home I have a B&W photo of the schoolhouse. It was a nice surprise to see it still standing and used as a church!

 

ARGraniteSchool.jpg

 

We spent Monday night in Baker City, with plans to visit the Oregon Trail Center.

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

 

Dave

 

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