Sumpter Oregon Real Estate

Sumpter Listings

Sumpter, Oregon is almost due west of the Baker City real estate market. It's tucked away in the trees of the Elkhorn range. Sumpter was founded as a result of the gold rush in the 1860s. In 1862, Hugh Asbury, John Reel, Fletch Henderson, Bill Flanagan, and Dick Johnson were traveling to the California gold fields when they camped at what's now called Cracker Creek. To their surprise, they found gold in the creek and decided to stay rather than continue to California. They named the area Sumpter after the famous fort in South Carolina. Remnants of their fist cabin, located between McCully Creek and Cracker Creek can still be seen today.

The post office was established in 1883, with the spelling of the town's name as Sumter ; in 1885 the spelling was changed officially to Sumpter. With the invention of the pneumatic drill, stamp mills for crushing ore and new methods to chemically extract the gold from its alloys in the 1890s. By 1897 the Sumpter Valley Railway was extended into Sumpter proper. By the US Census of 1903 the official count was more 3500 registered voters, not including women, who hadn't yet received the right to vote. The Chinese, who had been brought to the area to work, weren't allowed to vote either.

By 1899 brick buildings were appearing in Sumpter and two blocks of Granite Street were paved with planks. Sumter became known as T he Queen City . At the height of the gold boom, as many as six railroad carloads of mining machinery were delivered every day, and six hundred car loads of timber were hauled to lumber mills in Sumpter and Baker City. The stage coach arrived seven times each day and millions of dollars of gold were mined. At the peak, in 1900 three was an output of $8,943,486 from thirty-five mines.

The first of three dredges to mine the gravels of the Powder River began in 1913. What is left of Dredge #1 can be seen near the Sumpter Valley Railway depot in McEwen, where its last bucket turned up the rich farmland of the Sumpter Valley. Mining continued until 1953 when the clatter of the noise of line huge trommel were silenced forever.

On August 13, 1917 the fire bell throughout Sumpter because fire of an unknown origin had erupted in the cooks quarters of the Capital Hotel. The fire quickly spread to other buildings, and much of the town was destroyed.

Today, Sumpter is a delightful small town with deep historical roots. It has miles of trail, some 300 of which are groomed for cross country skiing. The area is great for hunting, fishing, camping and just plain getting away from it all.

Sumpter has a population of 191 people, 95 households, and 51 families living in the area. Sumpter’s elevation is 4,424 ft and is also on the Elkhorns scenic route located just south of the Elkhorn Mountains. Sumpter has a lot of recreational opportunities including fishing in the creeks and lake, shopping, hiking, hunting and all of the winter sporting activities.

Sumpter has two major flee market events that occur on Memorial weekend and the Fourth of July weekend. Some of the towns local business includes local Artists, Internet Coffee House and Gallery, Photography Workshops, Photographers, Tin Smith, Woodcarver, Motel, Rental Cabins, Bed & Breakfast, Vacation Cabin Rentals, Service Station & Convenience Store, Ice Cream Shop, Groceries & General Merchandise Store, Museums, Restaurants, RV Parks, Post Office, Lounge, Saloon, Tavern, Antiques Stores, Laundromat, and two Sumpter real estate offices.

There are exciting real estate opportunities in Sumpter. You'll find charming homes, often on parcels large enough for horses or boutique farming. You'll also find multi-acre parcels and farms, ideal for your custom home. Many of these larger properties also make sense for development of one sort or another. Recreational development, as camping and/or hunting and fishing camps can make a great deal of sense.

We know Sumpter and the surrounding area well. Let us help you make your real estate dreams come true. Call us today.