Homestead, Oregon

Homestead, Oregon
Homestead (circa 1915-1925)
Homestead (circa 1915-1925)
Homestead, Oregon is located in Oregon
Homestead, Oregon
Homestead, Oregon
Homestead, Oregon is located in the United States
Homestead, Oregon
Homestead, Oregon
Coordinates: 45°01′26″N 116°51′03″W / 45.02389°N 116.85083°W / 45.02389; -116.85083
CountryUnited States
StateOregon
CountyBaker
Elevation
1,742 ft (531 m)
Time zoneUTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (PDT)
Area code(s)458 and 541
GNIS feature ID1121943[1]

Homestead is an unincorporated community in Baker County, in the U.S. state of Oregon.[1] Homestead lies on the Snake River south of Hells Canyon National Recreation Area and about 4 miles (6 km) north of Copperfield and Oxbow.[2]

The community was named for the homestead claim of Frank E. Pearce, who conducted operations at the nearby Iron Dyke Mine around 1900. J. H. Pearson was the first postmaster of the Homestead post office, which operated until May 1, 1965. The post office at Oxbow then replaced the office at Homestead.[3]

Homestead was platted around 1898 along a Northwest Railway Company line that never developed.[4] It thrived because of the patronage of the miners from the Iron Dyke Mine and because it was the railhead for local orchards.[4]

From 1953 to 1960, Homestead was the starting point for passenger boat trips down the Snake River to Lewiston, Idaho operated by Blaine Stubblefield.[5]

  1. ^ a b "Homestead". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. November 28, 1980. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  2. ^ Oregon Atlas & Gazetteer (7th ed.). Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. 2008. p. 88. ISBN 0-89933-347-8.
  3. ^ McArthur, Lewis A.; McArthur, Lewis L. (2003) [1928]. Oregon Geographic Names (7th ed.). Portland, Oregon: Oregon Historical Society Press. p. 476. ISBN 978-0875952772.
  4. ^ a b Bailey, Barbara Ruth (1982). Main Street: Northeastern Oregon. Oregon Historical Society. p. 52. ISBN 0-87595-073-6.
  5. ^ Phillips, Dave (May 15, 1954). "Hells Canyon -- Snake River Picks Crooked Path Through Some of the Wildest Country in America". St. Petersburg Times. St. Petersburg, Florida. p. 17. Retrieved November 16, 2016 – via Google News.