Sparta, Oregon

Sparta is an unincorporated community in Baker County, Oregon, United States.[1] It was named for Sparta, Illinois by William H. Packwood, a prominent Oregon pioneer who visited the gold diggings at the Powder River there in 1871.[2]

By 1873, the population was 300 and the town had a general store, a hotel, a meat market, and a brewery; food came from the nearby Eagle Valley.[3]

The town was platted in 1872,[3] and the post office was established in 1872 and ran until 1952.[2] The post office was originally named "Gem" in 1871 and was moved about a mile east when it was renamed Sparta to match the established community.[2] The locale was also known as "Eagle City".[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Sparta". Geographic Names Information System, U.S. Geological Survey. November 28, 1980. http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:1136770. Retrieved 2010-01-06. 
  2. ^ a b c McArthur, Lewis A.; McArthur, Lewis L. (2003) [First published 1928]. Oregon Geographic Names (7th ed.). Portland, Oregon: Oregon Historical Society Press. pp. 899–900. ISBN 9780875952772. OCLC 53075956. 
  3. ^ a b Bailey, Barbara Ruth (1982). Main Street: Northeastern Oregon. Oregon Historical Society. p. 20,44. ISBN 0875950736. 

External links

Municipalities and communities of Baker County, Oregon, USA
Cities
Unincorporated
communities
Ghost towns