Andrews is a
ghost town
A ghost town, deserted city, extinct town, or abandoned city is an abandoned settlement, usually one that contains substantial visible remaining buildings and infrastructure such as roads. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economi ...
in
Harney County,
Oregon
Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...
, United States. It is located south of
Steens Mountain
Steens Mountain is a large fault-block mountain in the northwest United States, located in Harney County, Oregon. Stretching some north to south, on its east side it rises from the Alvord Desert at an elevation of about to at the summit. Ste ...
and near the
Alvord Desert
The Alvord Desert is a desert located in Harney County, in southeastern Oregon in the Western United States. It is roughly southeast of Steens Mountain. The Alvord Desert is a dry lake bed and averages of rain a year. Two mountain ranges ...
.
History
The community was named for Peter Andrews, who settled in the area about 1880.
A post office was established on Andrews' property in 1890.
[ The post office was moved north a short distance in 1900 and called "Wildhorse" or "Wild Horse".][ Locals referred to it as "Wild Hog", however, so the postmaster changed the name to honor his friend Andrews.][
At its peak the community had about 150 residents. However, the population of Andrews slowly declined until only one house remained. When it burned down in 1996, the community became a ]ghost town
A ghost town, deserted city, extinct town, or abandoned city is an abandoned settlement, usually one that contains substantial visible remaining buildings and infrastructure such as roads. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economi ...
.[
In 2011, artist John Simpkins moved into the abandoned school at Andrews. He set up residence in the teacher's cottage and turned the schoolhouse into his studio. He spent nearly a decade living and working at the school until 2020 when the property owner ordered him to vacate the buildings.
]
Climate
According to the Köppen Climate Classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
system, Andrews has a semi-arid climate
A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of se ...
, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.
Education
When Andrews was populated, high school-aged students attended Crane Union High School
Crane Union High School is a public high school in Crane, Oregon, United States. It is a boarding school that serves students from a large geographic area.
Its district is known as the Harney County Union High School District 1J, and covers much ...
.[ ]
Text list
/ref>
See also
*List of ghost towns in Oregon
According to several historians, the United States, U.S. state of Oregon contains over 200 ghost towns. Professor and historian Stephen Arndt has counted a total of 256 ghost towns in the state, some well known, others "really obscure." The hig ...
References
External links
Photo of Andrews school
by chipsbuttie
Historic images of Andrews from Salem Public Library
{{Harney County, Oregon
Ghost towns in Oregon
Populated places established in 1880
Former populated places in Harney County, Oregon
1890 establishments in Oregon
Populated places established in 1890