Buncom, Oregon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Buncom, Oregon
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Back view of Buncom's post office and bunkhouse
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 Buncom, Oregon
Location in Oregon
Buncom, Oregon
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| County | Jackson |
| Elevation | 1,783 ft (543 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code |
97530
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| Area code(s) | 458 and 541 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1138957 |
Buncom (sometimes called Bunkum or Buncombe) is an old, abandoned mining town. You can find it where the Little Applegate River meets Sterling Creek in Jackson County, Oregon. It's about 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Medford. This place sits 1,783 feet (543 meters) above sea level. Today, a local history group calls Buncom a "ghost town" because almost no one lives there anymore.
Contents
History of Buncom
How Buncom Started
Buncom was first settled by Chinese miners in 1851. This happened after gold was found in nearby Sterling Creek and Jacksonville. People also mined other minerals like cinnabar, chromite, and silver here.
Life in the Mining Town
A general store was built in Buncom. In 1861, a man named J. T. Williams opened a saloon. The Buncom Mining District was officially created in 1867. A post office for Buncom opened in 1896.
Buncom Becomes a Ghost Town
By 1918, most of the gold in the area was gone. Because of this, the post office closed, and people started to leave. The town was eventually abandoned. Many of the buildings were later destroyed by fire.
Saving Buncom's Past
Only three buildings from the early 1900s are still standing today. These include the old post office (built in 1910), the cookhouse, and the bunkhouse. In 1991, a group called the Buncom Historical Society was formed. This society has worked to protect these historic buildings. They replaced the roofs on all three buildings. They also fixed the porch of the post office and the eaves of the cookhouse.
Buncom's Climate
Weather in Buncom
Buncom has warm, dry summers. The average monthly temperatures do not go above 71.6°F (22°C). This type of weather is called a warm-summer Mediterranean climate. On climate maps, it is often shown as "Csb."
