This small town in Oregon has faded from memory just as it has been eroded from the landscape by misfortune and the elements. Shaniko was once one of the most prosperous communities in the West. Now, the town is a withered husk of its former self. Read on to learn more about what happened to this forgotten ghost town, and be sure to watch the video from YouTube channel “Urbex US.”
Shaniko began life in 1901. The town was established as a railroad hub, and quickly became famous for its booming wool trade.
YouTube/Urbex US
The town peaked quickly, making up to $3 million in a single day. Its peak population was 495 residents in 1910.
YouTube/Urbex US
Shaniko’s good fortune began to unravel only a decade after it was founded.
YouTube/Urbex US
The mayor was shot and killed in 1910, and the Columbia Southern Railroad Line disappeared, taking the town’s thriving economy with it.
YouTube/Urbex US
A series of fires and other disasters plagued the town throughout the rest of the 20th century. Today, Shaniko has only 36 residents.
YouTube/Urbex US
YouTube/Urbex US
Take a look at what Shaniko looks like today:
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.
