Sumpter, Oregon

Sumpter, Oregon, was a bustling boom town that at the height of the mining boom stretched westward from here to the Powder River. The mining camp was named for Fort Sumter, South Carolina, by five ex-Confederate soldiers who discovered gold near here in 1862. After the Sumpter Valley Railroad reached Sumpter in 1896, the town began to boom and at one time had 3,500 people. On August 13, 1917, fire raged through the town and destroyed eleven city blocks, including nine brick buildings. The fire and dwindling returns from gold mining ended the boom.

Sumpter, Oregon · United States