Ghost Towns of Oregon: Day 1: Sparta and Cornucopia

After we arrived at the hotel we rested for a bit and then set out for Sparta and Cornucopia.

{Sparta}

The dirt road leading to Sparta was steep and narrow but sturdy.

There wasn't really a town to see anymore but we did come across one very great intact stone house. The house had to have been there for at least 100 years and had a sign on the door that read "D. Smith".

Later down Sparta Rd. we came across a couple of occupied farm houses with some old barns, storage sheds and what appeared to be an old church. As it turns out this area was Sparta. There wasn't much of a town to see but the drive was beautiful. On our way to OR-86 we passed a semi-truck going the other way and we exchanged friendly waves.

{Richland}

Richland is not a ghost town at all. It is a surprisingly busy little town with a main street and many side streets, a few shops and cafes and a school. We stopped to get some water and use the restroom. We were quite surprised that the woman at the grocery was happy to let us use their restroom before she knew that we were going to buy anything. People out here sure are friendly. This was proven once more when we were leaving Richland. As we drove down Main St., which is also part of OR-86, an elderly couple was waiting to cross the street at the cross walk. As we waited for them to cross the gave us a friendly smile and wave.

{Halfway}

Halfway was the next town that we went through on our way to Cornucopia. This town was again a surprisingly busy and thriving little town. We actually saw a lot of people our age when we were there.

{Cornucopia}

We ended up about 3 or 4 miles from Cornucopia when we reached the dreaded "Road Closed" sign. Our best guess is that the road had eroded away and wasn't safe or that the land had changd ownership and was now private property.

Although the towns we sought to see and photograph were not as intriguing or possible to get to, I still thought the drive was beautiful and definitely worth it.