Blue River, Oregon
Encyclopedia
Blue River is an unincorporated
community in Lane County, Oregon
, United States
. It is located on Oregon Route 126 along the McKenzie River
, between the communities of Finn Rock
and Rainbow
. It is in the Willamette National Forest
, where the Blue River
empties into the McKenzie. The community is named after the Blue River, which is named for the striking blue color that apparently comes from its rocky bed. Five miles northeast of the community, a dam on the Blue River forms the Blue River Reservoir
.
The area was first settled in the late 19th century by the Sparks family. Gold
was discovered in the Blue River area in 1863, but by 1912, most gold mining activity had ended. The ore was low grade and the local stamp mill
s have not operated in many years. Records show, however, that the Lucky Boy Mine had extracted more than $1 million from the Blue River Mining District during the brief gold rush. Samuel Sparks and his sons laid out the town of Blue River in 1900 as part of 320 acres (1.3 km²) they had acquired. Blue River post office was established in 1886.
The community's volunteer Frances O'Brien Memorial Library was founded in 1928. The library has no running water, does not set due dates on loans, and was originally left unlocked 24 hours a day.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
community in Lane County, Oregon
Lane County, Oregon
-National protected areas:*Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge *Siuslaw National Forest *Umpqua National Forest *Willamette National Forest -Government:...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is located on Oregon Route 126 along the McKenzie River
McKenzie River
The McKenzie River is a tributary of the Willamette River in western Oregon in the United States. It drains part of the Cascade Range east of Eugene and flows into the southernmost end of the Willamette Valley. It is named for Donald MacKenzie, a Scottish Canadian fur trader...
, between the communities of Finn Rock
Finn Rock, Oregon
Finn Rock is an unincorporated community in Lane County, Oregon, United States. It is located on Oregon Route 126 and the McKenzie River, between the communities of Nimrod and Blue River, in the Willamette National Forest.-Background and history:...
and Rainbow
Rainbow, Oregon
Rainbow is an unincorporated community in Lane County, Oregon, United States. It lies off Oregon Route 126, northeast of Eugene. Rainbow's elevation is . A post office was established on July 1, 1924, and closed August 31, 1937. The post office got its name from the rainbow trout that swim in the...
. It is in the Willamette National Forest
Willamette National Forest
The Willamette National Forest is a National Forest located in the central portion of the Cascade Range of US state of Oregon.It comprises 1,675,407 acres making it one of the largest national forests. Over 380,000 acres are designated wilderness which include seven major mountain peaks...
, where the Blue River
Blue River (Oregon)
Blue River is a river in Lane County of the U.S. state of Oregon. It joins the McKenzie River near the community of Blue River, Oregon. The river was named for the striking blue color that apparently comes from its rocky bed....
empties into the McKenzie. The community is named after the Blue River, which is named for the striking blue color that apparently comes from its rocky bed. Five miles northeast of the community, a dam on the Blue River forms the Blue River Reservoir
Blue River Reservoir
Blue River Reservoir is a man-made reservoir in the Willamette National Forest in Lane County, Oregon, United States, built for flood control and irrigation. Despite its heavy recreational use, it is a common site for blue-green algae. Trout are the principal fish, supplemented with rainbow trout...
.
The area was first settled in the late 19th century by the Sparks family. Gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
was discovered in the Blue River area in 1863, but by 1912, most gold mining activity had ended. The ore was low grade and the local stamp mill
Stamp mill
A stamp mill is a type of mill machine that crushes material by pounding rather than grinding, either for further processing or for extraction of metallic ores. Breaking material down is a type of unit operation....
s have not operated in many years. Records show, however, that the Lucky Boy Mine had extracted more than $1 million from the Blue River Mining District during the brief gold rush. Samuel Sparks and his sons laid out the town of Blue River in 1900 as part of 320 acres (1.3 km²) they had acquired. Blue River post office was established in 1886.
The community's volunteer Frances O'Brien Memorial Library was founded in 1928. The library has no running water, does not set due dates on loans, and was originally left unlocked 24 hours a day.
