Boyd was a town in Wasco County,

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, disincorporated in 1955, and now vacant except for a few abandoned homes, weathered outbuildings, and a derelict wooden grain elevator surrounded by the

wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...

fields, which still produce the grain that used to fill it. The site was recently bought and turned into farmland. The site of the former settlement is southeast of The Dalles, on the east side of

U.S. Route 197 U.S. Route 197 (US 197) is a north–south United States Highway, of which all but 2.76 miles of its 69.93 miles (4.44 of 112.54 km) are within the state of Oregon. The highway starts in rural Wasco County in Central Ore ...

from which it is visible at a distance.

History

During the western migration, settlers traversing the Barlow Road would have passed through or near Boyd as early as 1847, but the earliest recorded community was established over a decade later, when gold was discovered near John Day in 1861, and a larger strike the next year in

Canyon City, Oregon Canyon City is a city in Grant County, Oregon, United States. It is the county seat of Grant County, and is about south of John Day on U.S. Highway 395. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 703. Geography Canyon City is a ...

. The spot near the banks of Fifteenmile Creek that would become the community of Boyd was already a

stagecoach A stagecoach is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by four horses although some versions are draw ...

stop, with an inn, Eleven Mile House. The area became a busy one when as many as 150 miners, 200 pack animals, and ten to twelve freight wagons left The Dalles for Canyon City every day. Freight wagon and pack team traffic brought the need for wayfarer accommodations, a blacksmith, wheelwrights and livery stables, so a community developed around Eleven Mile House. It also served the growing number of homesteaders farming in the immediate vicinity. In 1863, a schoolhouse was built on Fifteenmile Creek east of Boyd. The school building was also used for religious services. The community continued to grow. A flour mill was built, ultimately purchased by a T.P. Boyd and his four sons, after whom the town was to be named. The U.S. Government granted a post office under that name, which was located in the general store. The community still increasing in size, a town

plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Surveys to show the distance and bear ...

was drawn in 1895, several businesses sprang up, and a

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...

church established, sharing a pastor with the congregation in

Dufur, Oregon Dufur is a city in Wasco County, Oregon, United States. The population was 604 at the 2010 census. It is a farming community where wheat, tree fruit, and grapes are important crops. History Dufur was incorporated on February 10, 1893, and named ...

. The Boyd school became District #21. The

Great Southern Railroad The Great Southern Railroad was a 41-mile short-line which interchanged with the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company, later the Oregon–Washington Railroad and Navigation Company (OWR&N), in The Dalles, Oregon, United States. The rail line ran s ...

began passing directly through town in 1905 and carrying passengers, freight, mail and

, and Boyd thrived until the 1923 construction of The Dalles – California Highway, now

, bypassed the town. The following years were difficult for the little town. The

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

took its toll on local business, already suffering from low wheat prices and decreasing numbers of travelers whom those businesses served. The convenience of trips to nearby Dufur and The Dalles made merchant services in Boyd superfluous. The Post office was closed in 1952.

References

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External links

Photo of derelict grain elevator
* {{Wasco County, Oregon Ghost towns in Oregon Populated places established in 1861 Former cities in Oregon Former populated places in Wasco County, Oregon 1861 establishments in Oregon 1955 disestablishments in Oregon

History

Further reading

See also

References

External links