unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either hav ...
Oregon
Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idah ...
Row River
The Row River is a river, approximately long, in Lane County, Oregon, United States. It rises in the Cascade Range and flows into the Coast Fork Willamette River near Cottage Grove. The stream was originally known as the "East Fork Coast Fork", ...
. It lies on Row River Road between Dorena and Disston.
Geography
This
populated place
Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...
is located above sea level in the foothills of the Cascade Range. The community is located where the Row River receives the stream that shares its name with the community. Hawley Butte lies just north of Culp Creek and stands tall.
History
Culp Creek is a tributary stream of the Row River, and was named for
settler
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established a permanent residence there, often to colonize the area.
A settler who migrates to an area previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited may be described as a pioneer.
Settl ...
John Culp just before 1900. A
logging camp
A logging camp (or lumber camp) is a transitory work site used in the logging industry. Before the second half of the 20th century, these camps were the primary place where lumberjacks would live and work to fell trees in a particular area. Many ...
was established in the area and named Culp Creek Camp, so when a new post office was set up in 1925, it was named Culp Creek after the camp.
The community's economy was long driven by the logging industry, including the Bohemia, Inc.
sawmill
A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logging, logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes ...
that ran from 1959 until about 1990, just across the river. Bohemia was headquartered in Culp Creek until it was bought by
Willamette Industries
Willamette Industries, Inc. was a Fortune 500 forest products company based in Portland, Oregon, United States. At one time, there were over 20 mills along the Row River. The
Oregon, Pacific and Eastern Railway
The Oregon, Pacific and Eastern Railway was an Oregon-based short line railroad that began near Eugene as the Oregon and Southeastern Railroad (O&SE) in 1904. O&SE's line ran along the Row River between the towns of Cottage Grove and Disston. ...
(OP&E) line was built through Culp Creek in the early 1900s to ship ore, timber, supplies and passengers. Today the former OP&E line has been converted into a
rail trail
A rail trail is a shared-use path on railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed, but may also share the right of way with active railways, light rail, or streetca ...
that opened in 1997, the
Row River National Recreation Trail
Row River National Recreation Trail is a rails to trails conversion in the U.S. state of Oregon. It follows the Row River for between Cottage Grove and Culp Creek, passing by Dorena Lake, and provides access to many forest trails of Umpqua Nat ...
, which ends just past Culp Creek. Culp Creek's only store closed shortly after the closure of the mill.
In 1926, Buster Keaton filmed the climax of the silent film ''The General'' on the OP&E line near Culp Creek. Keaton spent $40,000 to build a temporary trestle over the Row River. During the scene, the bridge was set on fire and collapsed just as a locomotive passed over it. The remains of the bridge and locomotive were left in the river for 15 years, until they were removed in 1941 for scrap metal.
Culp Creek post office closed in 2009; the community's mail is now addressed to Dorena.
Education
The area is served by the
South Lane School District
South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west.
Etymology
The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...
, which includes the Childs Way Charter School located in Culp Creek. Childs Way is a public
charter school
A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system in which it is located. It is independent in the sense that it operates according to the basic principle of autono ...
serving 35 students in grades six through twelve. Culp Creek Elementary School was consolidated with a school in Dorena in 1989 and closed, with the buildings becoming home to the charter school in 1994.