Crane, Oregon
Encyclopedia
Crane is an unincorporated community
in Harney County
, Oregon
, United States
, northeast of Malheur Lake
on Oregon Route 78
.
Crane was named for the prominent local features Crane Creek and Crane Creek Gap. Crane Creek Gap is the pass between the Harney Basin
and the drainage basin
of the South Fork Malheur River
. Crane Creek is probably named for the Sandhill Crane
, which was once abundant in Eastern Oregon
. Crane post office was established in 1895 and discontinued in 1903. When the Union Pacific railroad was completed from Ontario, Oregon
, in 1916, the post office was reopened.
Until the railroad was finished to Burns
in 1924, Crane was an important livestock
shipping point, and the town was thriving with its five restaurants, four hotels, three garages, two general merchandise stores, a warehouse, a lumber yard, livery stables, a dance hall, a newspaper, a bank and a movie theater. After a series of fires, the latest in 1938, however, the town never returned to its former prosperity. As of 2011, the businesses in Crane included a post office, a service station
, a café and tavern, a farm supply store, and a local realtor.
Crane Union High School
and Crane Elementary School are in Crane. The high school, which draws students from a large rural district, is a boarding school
.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Harney County
Harney County, Oregon
-National protected areas:*Malheur National Forest *Malheur National Wildlife Refuge*Ochoco National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 7,609 people, 3,036 households, and 2,094 families residing in the county. The population density was 1 people per square mile...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, northeast of Malheur Lake
Malheur Lake
Malheur Lake is a lake in an arid region of eastern Oregon, United States near Burns, Oregon. The lake is fed by Donner und Blitzen River from the south and the Silvies River from the north. Malheur Lake has no outlet, though water escapes through ground seepage and by evaporation; widespread...
on Oregon Route 78
Oregon Route 78
Oregon Route 78 is an Oregon state highway running from Burns in Harney County to Burns Junction in Malheur County. OR 78 is known as the Steens Highway No. 442...
.
Crane was named for the prominent local features Crane Creek and Crane Creek Gap. Crane Creek Gap is the pass between the Harney Basin
Harney Basin
The Harney Basin is a structural basin in southeastern Oregon in the United States at the northwestern corner of the Great Basin. One of the least populated areas of the contiguous United States, it is located largely in northern Harney County, bounded on the north and east by the Columbia Plateau,...
and the drainage basin
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
of the South Fork Malheur River
Malheur River
The Malheur River is a tributary of the Snake River in eastern Oregon in the United States. It drains a high desert area, between the Harney Basin and the Blue Mountains and the Snake....
. Crane Creek is probably named for the Sandhill Crane
Sandhill Crane
The Sandhill Crane is a large crane of North America and extreme northeastern Siberia. The common name of this bird references habitat like that at the Platte River, on the edge of Nebraska's Sandhills in the American Midwest...
, which was once abundant in Eastern Oregon
Eastern Oregon
Eastern Oregon is the eastern part of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is not an officially recognized geographic entity, thus the boundaries of the region vary according to context. It is sometimes understood to include only the eight easternmost counties in the state; in other contexts, it includes...
. Crane post office was established in 1895 and discontinued in 1903. When the Union Pacific railroad was completed from Ontario, Oregon
Ontario, Oregon
Ontario is the largest city in Malheur County, Oregon, United States. It lies along the Snake River at the Idaho border. The population was 10,985 at the 2000 census, with an estimated population of 11,245 in 2006...
, in 1916, the post office was reopened.
Until the railroad was finished to Burns
Burns, Oregon
Burns is a city in and the county seat of Harney County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 census the population was 2,806.-History:Burns was established in the early 1880s and incorporated upon Harney county's creation in 1889...
in 1924, Crane was an important livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
shipping point, and the town was thriving with its five restaurants, four hotels, three garages, two general merchandise stores, a warehouse, a lumber yard, livery stables, a dance hall, a newspaper, a bank and a movie theater. After a series of fires, the latest in 1938, however, the town never returned to its former prosperity. As of 2011, the businesses in Crane included a post office, a service station
Filling station
A filling station, also known as a fueling station, garage, gasbar , gas station , petrol bunk , petrol pump , petrol garage, petrol kiosk , petrol station "'servo"' in Australia or service station, is a facility which sells fuel and lubricants...
, a café and tavern, a farm supply store, and a local realtor.
Crane Union High School
Crane Union High School
Crane Union High School is a public high school in Crane, Oregon, United States. Because it is in a sparsely populated area, it is a boarding school that serves students from a large geographic area.-Background:...
and Crane Elementary School are in Crane. The high school, which draws students from a large rural district, is a boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
.
External links
- Historic photo of Crane railroad depot from Salem Public Library