Hinkle, Oregon
Encyclopedia
Hinkle is an unincorporated
community in Umatilla County
, Oregon
, United States. It is located south of Hermiston
near U.S. Route 30/Interstate 84
and Oregon Route 207
, within the Pendleton–Hermiston Micropolitan Statistical Area. It is the site of the Union Pacific Railroad
's (UP) Hinkle Locomotive Service and Repair Facility
, part of the Hinkle Freight Classification Yard.
Hinkle was a railway junction where a cutoff to Boardman
rejoined the main line of the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company
that ran from Umatilla
to Huntington
. When the cutoff was built in 1915, a station was needed at the junction with the main line, and Joseph T. Hinkle, a prominent local attorney, newspaper editor and politician, sold the railroad a small amount of land for that purpose. The station was named in his honor. According to the compilers of Oregon Geographic Names
, the community of Hinkle "languished in obscurity for a third of a century", until 1951, when the completion of the McNary Dam
flooded the former route of the UP's line. When the tracks were relocated, UP built a major yard
at the junction, expanding it beginning in 1976.
From 1977 until 1997, Hinkle was a passenger stop on Amtrak
's Pioneer route; the station code was HIK. Hinkle was previously a stop on the UP's City of Portland
route, with connections to Chicago
.
45.7965211°N 119.3122389°W
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 Umatilla County
Umatilla County, Oregon
Umatilla County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is included in the 8 county definition of Eastern Oregon. The county is named for the Umatilla River. In 2010, its population was 75,889...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States. It is located south of Hermiston
Hermiston, Oregon
As of the census of 2010, there were 16,745 people, 4,964 households, and 3,360 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,035.4 people per square mile . There were 5,383 housing units at an average density of 832.9 per square mile...
near U.S. Route 30/Interstate 84
Interstate 84 in Oregon
In the U.S. state of Oregon, Interstate 84 travels east–west, following the Columbia River and the rough path of the old Oregon Trail from Portland east to Idaho. For this reason, it is also known as most of the Columbia River Highway No. 2 and all of the Old Oregon Trail Highway No. 6 . It...
and Oregon Route 207
Oregon Route 207
Oregon Route 207 is an Oregon state highway running from U.S. Route 26 in Mitchell to U.S. Route 730 near Cold Springs Junction. OR 207 is long and runs north–south.Part of OR 207 is included in the Blue Mountain Scenic Byway.- Route description :...
, within the Pendleton–Hermiston Micropolitan Statistical Area. It is the site of the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
's (UP) Hinkle Locomotive Service and Repair Facility
Hinkle Locomotive Service and Repair Facility
The Union Pacific Railroad's Hinkle Locomotive Service and Repair Facility is located within the railroad's yard at Hinkle, Umatilla County, Oregon, United States...
, part of the Hinkle Freight Classification Yard.
Hinkle was a railway junction where a cutoff to Boardman
Boardman, Oregon
Boardman is a city in Morrow County, Oregon, United States on the Columbia River and Interstate 84. As of the 2010 census the population was 3,220. It is part of the Pendleton–Hermiston Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
rejoined the main line of the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company
Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company
The Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company was a railroad that operated a rail network of of track running east from Portland, Oregon, United States to northeastern Oregon, northeastern Washington, and northern Idaho...
that ran from Umatilla
Umatilla, Oregon
Umatilla is a city in Umatilla County, Oregon, United States. It is named for the Umatilla River, which enters the Columbia River on the side of the city. The river is named after the Umatilla Tribe. The city is located on the south side of the Columbia River, and is located on U.S...
to Huntington
Huntington, Oregon
Huntington is a city in Baker County, on the eastern border of Oregon, United States. It is located on the Snake River and along Interstate 84 and U.S. Route 30. The population was 515 at the 2000 census.- History:...
. When the cutoff was built in 1915, a station was needed at the junction with the main line, and Joseph T. Hinkle, a prominent local attorney, newspaper editor and politician, sold the railroad a small amount of land for that purpose. The station was named in his honor. According to the compilers of Oregon Geographic Names
Oregon Geographic Names
Oregon Geographic Names is an authoritative compilation of the origin and meaning of place names in the U.S. state of Oregon. , the book is in its seventh edition and is compiled and edited by Lewis L. McArthur, who took over from his father, Lewis A. McArthur, as of the fourth edition...
, the community of Hinkle "languished in obscurity for a third of a century", until 1951, when the completion of the McNary Dam
McNary Dam
McNary Dam is a 1.4-mile long concrete gravity run-of-the-river dam which spans the Columbia River. It joins Umatilla County, Oregon with Benton County, Washington, 292 miles upriver from the mouth of the Columbia at Astoria, Oregon. It is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' McNary...
flooded the former route of the UP's line. When the tracks were relocated, UP built a major yard
Classification yard
A classification yard or marshalling yard is a railroad yard found at some freight train stations, used to separate railroad cars on to one of several tracks. First the cars are taken to a track, sometimes called a lead or a drill...
at the junction, expanding it beginning in 1976.
From 1977 until 1997, Hinkle was a passenger stop on Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
's Pioneer route; the station code was HIK. Hinkle was previously a stop on the UP's City of Portland
City of Portland
The City of Portland was a named passenger train operated by the Union Pacific Railroad and Chicago and North Western Railway between Chicago, Illinois, and Portland, Oregon. It started in June 1935, using the refurbished M-10001 streamliner trainset; with only one set of equipment the train left...
route, with connections to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
.
External links
- Images of Hinkle from Flickr
45.7965211°N 119.3122389°W