Susanville, Oregon facts for kids
Susanville is a fascinating place in Oregon, United States. It's located in the beautiful Blue Mountains. You can find it about two miles from a town called Galena. Susanville began as a busy gold mining camp. That was way back in 1862 or 1864. Today, it's known as a ghost town. This means most people have moved away.
Contents
The Story of Susanville
How Susanville Started
Susanville has a long and interesting history. The first Susanville was actually where the town of Galena is now. In 1888, a post office was opened there.
The Moving Post Office
Something really unusual happened in 1901. Miners decided to move the Susanville post office! They took it two miles up Elk Creek. The old spot then became the Galena post office. People say the miners from "New Susanville" actually stole the post office. They took everything, even the mailboxes and stamps! The Susanville post office stayed open until 1952. After that, mail for the area went to Bates.
A Big Gold Find
In 1913, a very special discovery was made near Susanville. Miners found the Armstrong Nugget. This was a huge piece of gold! It weighed 80 ounces, which is a lot of gold.
Life in the Gold Camp
Susanville was a busy place during its best years. It only had one street. This was because the Elk Creek canyon was too narrow for more roads. The town had a store where people could buy supplies. It also had a ten-stamp stamp mill. This machine was used to crush rocks and get the gold out. On Saturday nights, as many as 1000 miners would come into town. It must have been a very lively place!
