Nonpareil, Oregon facts for kids

Nonpareil is a small, historic community in Douglas County, Oregon, United States. It's not a city with its own government, but rather an "unincorporated area." You can find it about 8 miles (13 km) east of Sutherlin, Oregon, close to Calapooya Creek. In the year 2000, about 202 people lived in this area. Nonpareil is also known as the birthplace of the famous writer H. L. Davis.

A Unique Name and Mining History

Nonpareil got its name from a nearby mine called the Nonpareil quicksilver (mercury) mine. This mine was discovered between 1865 and 1870 and was very busy for a while. However, it stopped operating in 1932. The word "Nonpareil" comes from the French language and means "unrivaled" or "unique."

Life in the Mining Era

During the time when the mines were active, Nonpareil was a lively place.

• It had its own post office, which operated from 1882 to 1884.
• There was also a dance hall where people could gather.
• A school helped educate the children in the community.
• Another mine, the Bonanza Mine, also helped the local economy.

Over time, as the mines closed, the community became much quieter. By 1990, Nonpareil only had a store and not much else. The author Ralph Friedman even noticed that the store's name was spelled incorrectly as "Nonpariel." By 2003, that store, which once had a gas station, had also closed down.

Nonpareil Today

Today, the land where the mining operations once took place is owned by Swanson Superior Forest Products. They bought the land from Weyerhaeuser in 1990. The spot where the Nonpareil School used to be is now a vineyard, where grapes are grown.

Besides a few homes, the Nonpareil area is used for grazing animals and for growing timber (trees for wood). An old logging railroad track runs through the community. This track was first built in the early 1900s by the Roach Timber Company. They even used leftover materials from the Bonanza mercury mine to build the roadbed.

Weyerhaeuser bought the railroad in 1949 and made it longer. They also used mining materials for the track. The railroad was stopped in 1966, and the tracks were removed. Parts of the old roadbed were sold. Now, Weyerhaeuser is working with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to clean up the soil along the old roadbed. This is to make sure that any old mining materials in the soil are safely managed for local residents.