Black Rock, Oregon facts for kids
Black Rock was once a busy place in Polk County, Oregon, United States. It wasn't a city with its own government, but more like a small village. It started as a logging camp, where people worked to cut down trees. Black Rock is located about three miles west of Falls City, nestled in the Central Oregon Coast Range by the Little Luckiamute River.
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How Black Rock Began
The story of Black Rock started in 1903 when a man named Louis Gerlinger came to Polk County. He bought a huge area of land, about 7,000 acres, that was full of trees. This land included the spot where Black Rock would later be.
In 1905, Louis Gerlinger's son, George T. Gerlinger, took over. He bought a sawmill in a nearby town called Dallas. A sawmill is a factory where logs are cut into lumber. George also got permission to build a special railroad just for logging. This railroad would carry the cut trees from the Black Rock area to the sawmill in Dallas.
A Town Grows and Shrinks
Black Rock was officially started in 1905. It became the end point of the Salem, Falls City and Western Railway. This train line was very important because it moved all the timber (cut trees) from Black Rock to Dallas. People think the town was named Black Rock because of a dark, exposed rock formation nearby.
In 1906, Black Rock got its own post office, and Louis Gerlinger, Jr. was the first postmaster. Many people who worked in the logging industry lived in Black Rock. Others traveled from Falls City or Dallas to work there.
Life in Black Rock
As the town grew, it had many things a small community needed:
- Three stores where people could buy supplies.
- A drug store for medicines.
- A barber shop for haircuts.
- A restaurant to eat.
- Two saloons (places for adults to relax).
- A one-room schoolhouse for children.
- Special bunkhouses and cookhouses for single men who worked there.
- Homes for families.
- A train depot, which was like a train station.
In 1910, the town of Black Rock was officially mapped out. It had 22 blocks and streets with names and numbers. At its busiest, Black Rock might have had anywhere from 600 to 1500 people living there!
The Logging Boom
Black Rock grew very fast between 1905 and 1913. Many lumber companies came to the area. They wanted to cut down the huge Douglas fir trees and other timber in western Polk County.
By 1910, several big companies were working in Black Rock:
- The Gerlingers' Dallas Lumber Company.
- Great Western Lumber Company.
- Falls City Lumber Company.
- Charles K. Spaulding Lumber Company.
- Later, in 1915, the Jay S. Hamilton Lumber Company also operated there.
The Decline of Black Rock
However, by 1913, the trees in the area were starting to run out. This meant there wasn't as much timber to cut. As the lumber companies moved away to find new forests, the town of Black Rock slowly started to shrink.
The post office closed in 1943. Black Rock and the land around it became part of a tree farm system. This meant the land would be used to grow new trees. In 1945, part of the tree farm burned, but new trees were planted.
By 1960, there was almost nothing left of the town. There was only a place to dump logs and a security guard. The logging railroad was stopped in 1960. Instead of trains, trucks started hauling logs to the mills. Eventually, the railroad tracks were removed.
Today, if you visit the old townsite of Black Rock, you won't find any buildings. The area is now completely covered in forest, except for two old mill ponds.
Mountain Biking Fun
Even though the old town is gone, the area around Black Rock is still active! The former George T. Gerlinger State Forest is nearby. This forest is now a very popular place for mountain biking.
The trails are managed by two groups working together: the Black Rock Mountain Bike Association and the Oregon Department of Forestry. The Black Rock trails are special because they were the first official freeride area in Oregon. Freeride mountain biking involves riding down challenging trails with jumps and obstacles. It's a great place for riders to test their skills!
