Robinette, Oregon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robinette, Oregon
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Former unincorporated community
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 Robinette, Oregon
Location in Oregon
Robinette, Oregon
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| County | Baker |
| Elevation | 2,077 ft (633 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| GNIS feature ID | 1126115 |
Robinette was a small community in Baker County, Oregon. It was once a busy place, but today it lies completely underwater. The town was flooded when a large dam was built.
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Robinette: A Town Under Water
Robinette was a small, unincorporated community. This means it was a settlement without its own local government. It was located in Baker County, Oregon, in the western United States.
How Robinette Started
The town of Robinette was planned around 1898. It was meant to be along a new railroad line. In 1909, a train station and the town itself were named after James E. Robinette. He was a man from Maryland who moved to this area in 1884. He settled near the Snake River and the Powder River. A post office for Robinette also opened in 1909.
The Railroad Connection
By 1940, Robinette had 46 people living there. It became an important stop for the Union Pacific Railroad. This train line ran along the Snake River from Huntington. It helped connect Robinette to farming areas like Pine Valley and Eagle Valley.
A part of the railroad line used to go even further north. It went to Homestead to carry ore from mines. Later, this section was closed. The old railroad path was then turned into a highway. Robinette's train station was very important. It likely handled most of the goods shipped by the railroad.
Why Robinette Disappeared
The entire town of Robinette is now underwater. This happened because of the Brownlee Dam. The dam was built on the Snake River in 1958. It created a huge body of water called the Brownlee Reservoir. The reservoir flooded the area where Robinette used to be.
Before the flooding, people moved some buildings. The Robinette Store, for example, was moved to Richland. You can still see it there today! Richland was the closest town to Robinette. The road connecting them along the Powder River was also flooded by the reservoir. The Robinette post office closed in 1957. Even though it's underwater, the United States Geological Survey still lists Robinette as a "populated place."
The Lumber Company
From 1949, a company called Stil-Van Lumber Company was in Robinette. It operated there until just before the town was flooded. The owner, Marion Dale Stillwell, sold the company. He also received money when the Robinette facility was flooded.
