Shaniko, Oregon Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Shaniko, Oregon
City
City name written on barn in Shaniko
Nickname(s): Oregon's Best Known Ghost Town
Location in Oregon
Country	United States
State	Oregon
County	Wasco
Incorporated	1901
Area
• Total	0.50 sq mi (1.29 km²)
• Land	0.50 sq mi (1.29 km²)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km²)
Elevation	3,343 ft (1,019 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	30
• Density	60.24/sq mi (23.28/km²)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (Pacific)
ZIP code	97057
Area code(s)	541
FIPS code	41-66700
GNIS feature ID	2411876
Website	http://www.shanikooregon.com

Shaniko (pronounced SHAN-i-koh) is a small city in Wasco County, Oregon, United States. It is located on U.S. Route 97. In 2020, only 30 people lived there. Shaniko is often called "Oregon's Best Known Ghost Town" because it was once a busy place that later became almost empty.

Where is Shaniko Located?
- What is the Land Like in Shaniko?
A Brief History of Shaniko
Population Changes in Shaniko
Places to See in Shaniko
Images for kids
See also

Where is Shaniko Located?

Shaniko is found in north-central Oregon. It sits where U.S. Route 97 and Oregon Route 218 meet. The city is about 69 miles (111 km) north of Redmond. It is also about 131 miles (211 km) east of Portland.

What is the Land Like in Shaniko?

The city covers an area of about 0.50 square miles (1.29 square km), and all of it is land. Shaniko is high up, at an elevation of 3,343 feet (1,019 m). The soil there is thin, and not many plants grow. You will mostly see sagebrush, bunchgrass, and some juniper trees. From Shaniko, you can see many tall mountains of the Cascade Range. These include Mount Hood, Mount Jefferson, Mount Adams, Mount St. Helens, and Mount Rainier.

A Brief History of Shaniko

The first European Americans arrived in the Shaniko area in 1862. They were looking for gold in Canyon City, Oregon. The journey to Canyon City started far away in The Dalles. Travelers would set up camps wherever they found water. One of these camps was called Cross Hollow, which is where Shaniko is today.

How Shaniko Got Its Name

In 1874, a man named August Scherneckau came to the area after the Civil War. The local Native Americans had a special way of saying his name. This is how the town got its unique spelling. The town was first known as Cross Hollow. It even had a post office by that name starting in 1879. Scherneckau was the first postmaster. The Cross Hollow post office closed in 1887, and the Shaniko post office opened in 1900. The city officially became a town on March 16, 1901.

The "Wool Capital of the World"

Shaniko's busiest time was in the early 1900s. This was because the Columbia Southern Railway reached the town in May 1900. The railway was part of the Union Pacific Railroad. Shaniko became a major center for moving goods. It was known as the "Wool Capital of the World."

The city was a hub for wool, wheat, cattle, and sheep from a huge area. This area covered about 20,000 square miles (52,000 km2). It even stretched into Idaho and south to Klamath Falls, Oregon. In 1901, Shaniko had the biggest wool warehouse in Oregon. It sold 2,000 tons of wool that year! In 1903, they sold 2,229 tons of wool and over a million bushels of wheat. Wool sales alone brought in $3 million in 1903. By 1904, total sales reached five million dollars.

Why Shaniko Became a Ghost Town

Shaniko started to decline around 1911. Another railway company, the Oregon–Washington Railroad and Navigation Company, opened a new route. This new route connected Portland to Bend through the Deschutes River canyon. This new line took away much of the train traffic from Shaniko.

Passenger train service to Shaniko stopped in the early 1930s. The entire railway line was closed by 1966. By 1982, Shaniko was almost a ghost town. It was first called a "ghost town" at the Oregon Centennial Exposition in Portland in 1959.

Efforts to Revive Shaniko

In 1985, Jean and Dorothy Farrell bought the Shaniko Hotel. It was empty then, but they used their savings to fix it up. The hotel reopened in 1988. Jean Farrell later became the Mayor of Shaniko.

In 2000, businessman Robert Pamplin Jr. bought the hotel and other properties. He wanted to bring Shaniko back to life. He renovated some buildings and planned new homes for workers. However, in 2008, a problem with water supply stopped his plans. He eventually closed the hotel, cafe, and RV park. After trying to sell the properties for eight years, he took them off the market in 2016. In August 2023, Pamplin reopened the Shaniko Hotel to the public once again.

Today, Shaniko attracts tourists who like to visit ghost towns. However, problems with wastewater still make it hard for large-scale tourism to grow. Some local businesses are open from April to September to serve these visitors.

Population Changes in Shaniko

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1900	72	—
1910	495	587.5%
1920	124	−74.9%
1930	100	−19.4%
1940	55	−45.0%
1950	61	10.9%
1960	39	−36.1%
1970	58	48.7%
1980	30	−48.3%
1990	26	−13.3%
2000	26	0.0%
2010	36	38.5%
2020	30	−16.7%
source:

In 2010, there were 36 people living in Shaniko. These people lived in 17 households. About 18% of these households had children under 18. Most households (about 53%) were married couples. The average age of people in Shaniko was about 55 years old. About 17% of the residents were under 18. About 33% were 65 years or older.

Places to See in Shaniko

Shaniko has several historic places that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). These include:

Columbia Southern Hotel: A historic hotel that was once very important to the town.
Imperial Stock Ranch Headquarters Complex: A historic ranch property.
Shaniko Historic District: This area includes the Columbia Southern Hotel, the city hall, the old jailhouse, a schoolhouse, and many other buildings. Some of these buildings have been restored.