Ruch is an
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 ...
and
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, su ...
(CDP) in
Jackson County,
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 ...
, United States. It is located on
Oregon Route 238
Oregon Route 238 is an Oregon state highway which runs between the cities of Grants Pass, Oregon
Grants Pass is the county seat of Josephine County, Oregon, United States. The city is located on Interstate 5, northwest of Medford, along the ...
, southeast of
Grants Pass
Grants Pass is the county seat of Josephine County, Oregon, United States. The city is located on Interstate 5 in Oregon, Interstate 5, northwest of Medford, Oregon, Medford, along the Rogue River (Oregon), Rogue River. The population was 39,189 ...
. As of the
2010 census it had a population of 840.
Ruch was named for Casper M. Ruch, who bought a tract of land where the community now stands in 1896. He built a
blacksmith
A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...
shop, a store and a house. When he was appointed postmaster of the new post office in 1897 and allowed to name it, he named it after himself. The post office closed in 1939.
There are two structures listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...
in Ruch—
McKee Bridge
The McKee Bridge is a covered bridge in Jackson County in the U.S. state of Oregon. Built on land donated by Adelbert (Deb) McKee, a stage station operator, the bridge originally carried a road over the Applegate River that linked the Blue Le ...
and
Star Ranger Station.
The Ruch area is home to several Oregon wineries and is in the Applegate Valley AVA, a sub-
appellation
An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication primarily used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown, although other types of food often have appellations as well. Restrictions other than geographical boun ...
of the
Rogue Valley AVA (
American Viticultural Area
An American Viticultural Area (AVA) is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States, providing an official appellation for the mutual benefit of wineries and consumers. Winemakers frequently want their consumers to know about th ...
). A small elementary school, Ruch Elementary, is located near the center of the community. The school serves Kindergarten - 8th grade with the Cougars as their mascot.
The Applegate River runs through the southwest edge of the valley.
Demographics
Climate
Ruch has a
warm-summer Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...
(Csb) according to the
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...
system.
References
External links
Historic photo of Ruch from Salem Public Library
Unincorporated communities in Jackson County, Oregon
Populated places established in 1896
Census-designated places in Oregon
Census-designated places in Jackson County, Oregon
1896 establishments in Oregon
Unincorporated communities in Oregon
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