Troy, Oregon
Encyclopedia
Troy is an unincorporated
community in rural Wallowa County
, Oregon
, United States
at the conflux of the Grande Ronde
and Wenaha
rivers and Courtney Creek. Troy is west of Flora
on Oregon Route 3 close to the Washington state line. It is known for its excellent river fishing, and has an RV park and two fishing lodges, as well as a restaurant. There are no other businesses, and the only service is a small public school.
Troy began to form in the late 1890s, with the establishment in the area of a Mormon settlement called "Nauvoo". A post office was opened in 1902, and a formal town was plat
ted in 1910. In 1931, the name of the town was officially changed to Troy, presumably honoring a son of the area's original Mormon settlers, Troy Grinstead. A ferry
may have already been serving the Grande Ronde River at the location. The town was always a service center for the surrounding farms and ranches, and a "fisherman's getaway paradise" in its relative isolation and lack of commercial enterprise.
With the arisal of the "urban drift" in the 1960s, the small town's population dwindled, services which could also be found in nearby Flora closed. The closure of the post office in 1965 reduced the town to a its present status as a fishing vacation site, with a permanent residence estimated at 25-30 people.
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...
community in rural Wallowa County
Wallowa County, Oregon
Wallowa County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is included in the 8 county definition of Eastern Oregon. According to Oregon Geographic Names, the origins of the county's name are uncertain, with the most likely explanation being that it is derived from the Nez Perce term for a...
, 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...
at the conflux of the Grande Ronde
Grande Ronde River
The Grande Ronde River is a tributary of the Snake River, long, in northeastern Oregon and southeastern Washington in the United States. It drains an area southeast of the Blue Mountains and northwest of the Wallowa Mountains, on the Columbia Plateau...
and Wenaha
Wenaha River
The Wenaha River is a river in the Wenaha–Tucannon Wilderness in the U.S. state of Oregon.The river begins at the Wenaha Forks, where the North and South Fork Wenaha Rivers join. It then flows east for about to the small settlement of Troy where it meets the Grande Ronde River. Most of the Wenaha...
rivers and Courtney Creek. Troy is west of Flora
Flora, Oregon
Flora is an unincorporated community in Wallowa County, Oregon, United States. It is located about 35 miles north of Enterprise, just off Oregon Route 3, and is considered a ghost town. Its elevation is 4350 ft.-History:...
on Oregon Route 3 close to the Washington state line. It is known for its excellent river fishing, and has an RV park and two fishing lodges, as well as a restaurant. There are no other businesses, and the only service is a small public school.
Troy began to form in the late 1890s, with the establishment in the area of a Mormon settlement called "Nauvoo". A post office was opened in 1902, and a formal town was plat
Plat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
ted in 1910. In 1931, the name of the town was officially changed to Troy, presumably honoring a son of the area's original Mormon settlers, Troy Grinstead. A ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
may have already been serving the Grande Ronde River at the location. The town was always a service center for the surrounding farms and ranches, and a "fisherman's getaway paradise" in its relative isolation and lack of commercial enterprise.
With the arisal of the "urban drift" in the 1960s, the small town's population dwindled, services which could also be found in nearby Flora closed. The closure of the post office in 1965 reduced the town to a its present status as a fishing vacation site, with a permanent residence estimated at 25-30 people.