Saint Joseph, Oregon
Encyclopedia
Saint Joseph is an unincorporated
community in Yamhill County
, Oregon
, United States. It is located about two miles west of Lafayette
near Oregon Route 99W. The area is sometimes known as "St. Joe".
, who chose this location as the terminus of the westside line of his Oregon Central Railroad
, in order to encourage competition between Lafayette and McMinnville
. He probably named the station after Saint Joseph, Missouri
, although another source says it was named to honor Holladay's brother Joseph. Saint Joseph post office operated from 1872 until 1878.
Holladay had planned to extend the railway south of Saint Joseph down the Willamette Valley
, but he ran out of money. Turntables were used to return the train to Portland
. Saint Joseph was plat
ted with 74 blocks that each contained ten lots, and at one time the town had 150 houses. There was a two-story hotel, and stagecoach
es from McMinnville, Dayton
, and Lafayette would meet the train, which brought passengers from the East Coast
looking to buy acreage in the area from two companies that were formed to sell land there circa 1900. Henry Villard
extended the railroad line from Saint Joseph south to Corvallis
in 1878, and McMinnville became the more important railroad terminal.
interurban
train met in Saint Joseph, Southern Pacific having gained control of the former Oregon Central tracks in 1887. The westside line ran on the original Oregon Central tracks, while the eastside line ran on a connection that was extended from Saint Joseph to Lafayette in 1906, forming a wye that allowed trains to travel in three directions: north to Carlton
and Forest Grove
, northeast through Lafayette to Newberg
, or southwest to McMinnville and eventually Corvallis. The Red Electric began service in 1914 was discontinued in 1929, at which time the lines began to be used for freight service.
By the late 1970s, Southern Pacific (SP) was rarely using the westside line, now known as the St. Joseph Branch, from Saint Joseph north to Seghers, because traffic was mostly serving the Stimson Lumber Company sawmill and a few grain silos in and around Carlton. By 1980, SP was only storing cars on the line south of the junction to the sawmill, and by 1985, it had abandoned and torn up a long section of track from the mill junction to just north of Carlton. The tracks north out of Saint Joseph extended almost five miles and ended about a mile north of Carlton in order to serve the remaining Carlton customers. By the early 1990s, the line was cut back to about 1.5 miles and today, this portion is used by the Portland and Western Railroad
(PNWR) exclusively to store cars. The Southern Pacific lines were leased by the Portland and Western in the early 1990s and PNWR continues to run trains from Newberg through Saint Joseph to Corvallis.
(WPA) project had the federal government buying acreage in the Saint Joseph area for resettlement
purposes. Most of the 1,500 acres was divided into small dairy farms on which WPA workers built houses, garages, and barns. The land sold for $100 an acre.
.
45.2381720°N 123.1448266°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 Yamhill County
Yamhill County, Oregon
-National protected areas:*Siuslaw National Forest *Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 84,992 people, 28,732 households, and 21,376 families residing in the county. The population density was 119 people per square mile . There were 30,270...
, 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 about two miles west of Lafayette
Lafayette, Oregon
Lafayette is a city in Yamhill County, Oregon, United States on the Yamhill River and Oregon Route 99W. It was founded in 1846 and incorporated in 1878...
near Oregon Route 99W. The area is sometimes known as "St. Joe".
Early history
Saint Joseph was named by Ben HolladayBen Holladay
Benjamin "Ben" Holladay was an American transportation businessman known as the "Stagecoach King" until his routes were taken over by Wells Fargo in 1866...
, who chose this location as the terminus of the westside line of his Oregon Central Railroad
Oregon Central Railroad
The Oregon Central Railroad was the name of two railroad companies in the U.S. state of Oregon, each of which claimed federal land grants that had been assigned to the state in 1866 to assist in building a line from Portland south into California...
, in order to encourage competition between Lafayette and McMinnville
McMinnville, Oregon
McMinnville is the county seat and largest city of Yamhill County, Oregon, United States. According to Oregon Geographic Names, it was named by its founder, William T. Newby , an early immigrant on the Oregon Trail, for his hometown of McMinnville, Tennessee...
. He probably named the station after Saint Joseph, Missouri
Saint Joseph, Missouri
Saint Joseph is the second largest city in northwest Missouri, only second to Kansas City in size, serving as the county seat for Buchanan County. As of the 2010 census, Saint Joseph had a total population of 76,780, making it the eighth largest city in the state. The St...
, although another source says it was named to honor Holladay's brother Joseph. Saint Joseph post office operated from 1872 until 1878.
Holladay had planned to extend the railway south of Saint Joseph down the Willamette Valley
Willamette Valley
The Willamette Valley is the most populated region in the state of Oregon of the United States. Located in the state's northwest, the region is surrounded by tall mountain ranges to the east, west and south and the valley's floor is broad, flat and fertile because of Ice Age conditions...
, but he ran out of money. Turntables were used to return the train to Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. Saint Joseph was plat
Plat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
ted with 74 blocks that each contained ten lots, and at one time the town had 150 houses. There was a two-story hotel, and stagecoach
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
es from McMinnville, Dayton
Dayton, Oregon
Dayton is a city in Yamhill County, Oregon, United States. The population was 2,119 at the 2000 census. As of July 2007 its estimated population was 2,495.-History:...
, and Lafayette would meet the train, which brought passengers from the East Coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
looking to buy acreage in the area from two companies that were formed to sell land there circa 1900. Henry Villard
Henry Villard
Henry Villard was an American journalist and financier who was an early president of the Northern Pacific Railway....
extended the railroad line from Saint Joseph south to Corvallis
Corvallis, Oregon
Corvallis is a city located in central western Oregon, United States. It is the county seat of Benton County and the principal city of the Corvallis, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Benton County. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 54,462....
in 1878, and McMinnville became the more important railroad terminal.
Railroads
Later, the eastside and westside lines of the Southern Pacific's Red ElectricRed Electric
The Red Electric was an interurban passenger train service operated by the Southern Pacific Railroad in the Willamette Valley of the U.S. state of Oregon from 1914 to 1929. The service got its name from the bright red color of its cars. Despite its short history, among West Coast interurbans it was...
interurban
Interurban
An interurban, also called a radial railway in parts of Canada, is a type of electric passenger railroad; in short a hybrid between tram and train. Interurbans enjoyed widespread popularity in the first three decades of the twentieth century in North America. Until the early 1920s, most roads were...
train met in Saint Joseph, Southern Pacific having gained control of the former Oregon Central tracks in 1887. The westside line ran on the original Oregon Central tracks, while the eastside line ran on a connection that was extended from Saint Joseph to Lafayette in 1906, forming a wye that allowed trains to travel in three directions: north to Carlton
Carlton, Oregon
Carlton is a city in Yamhill County, Oregon, United States. According to the 2000 United States Census, the municipality population was 1,514. The 2007 estimate is 1,755 residents.-History:...
and Forest Grove
Forest Grove, Oregon
Forest Grove is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States, west of Portland. Originally a small farm town, it is now primarily a bedroom suburb of Portland. Settled in the 1840s, the town was platted in 1850 and then incorporated in 1872 and was the first city in Washington County...
, northeast through Lafayette to Newberg
Newberg, Oregon
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 18,064 people, 6,099 households, and 4,348 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,599.4 people per square mile . There were 6,435 housing units at an average density of 1,282.2 per square mile...
, or southwest to McMinnville and eventually Corvallis. The Red Electric began service in 1914 was discontinued in 1929, at which time the lines began to be used for freight service.
By the late 1970s, Southern Pacific (SP) was rarely using the westside line, now known as the St. Joseph Branch, from Saint Joseph north to Seghers, because traffic was mostly serving the Stimson Lumber Company sawmill and a few grain silos in and around Carlton. By 1980, SP was only storing cars on the line south of the junction to the sawmill, and by 1985, it had abandoned and torn up a long section of track from the mill junction to just north of Carlton. The tracks north out of Saint Joseph extended almost five miles and ended about a mile north of Carlton in order to serve the remaining Carlton customers. By the early 1990s, the line was cut back to about 1.5 miles and today, this portion is used by the Portland and Western Railroad
Portland and Western Railroad
The Portland and Western Railroad is a Class II railroad serving the U.S. state of Oregon, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of shortline and regional railroad holding company Genesee & Wyoming Inc...
(PNWR) exclusively to store cars. The Southern Pacific lines were leased by the Portland and Western in the early 1990s and PNWR continues to run trains from Newberg through Saint Joseph to Corvallis.
Great Depression
During President Franklin Roosevelt's administration, a Works Progress AdministrationWorks Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
(WPA) project had the federal government buying acreage in the Saint Joseph area for resettlement
Resettlement Administration
The Resettlement Administration was a U.S. federal agency that, between April 1935 and December 1936, relocated struggling urban and rural families to communities planned by the federal government....
purposes. Most of the 1,500 acres was divided into small dairy farms on which WPA workers built houses, garages, and barns. The land sold for $100 an acre.
Today
Despite the various attempts at promoting Saint Joseph's economy, little remains of the community, and it is considered a ghost townGhost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
.
External links
- Historic image of Saint Joseph from Salem Public Library
- 1950s image of Highway 99 east of Saint Joseph from the Yamhill County Historical Society
- 1914 image of the hotel in Saint Joseph from the Yamhill County Historical Society
45.2381720°N 123.1448266°W