Sparta is an unincorporated community in Baker County, Oregon, United States.[1] It was named for Sparta, Illinois, by William H. Packwood, a prominent Oregon pioneer who visited the gold diggings at the Powder River there in 1871.[2]
Sparta, Oregon | |
|---|---|
  Sparta, Oregon  Sparta, Oregon | |
| Coordinates: 44°52′16″N 117°19′27″W / 44.87111°N 117.32417°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| County | Baker |
| Elevation | 4,111 ft (1,253 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| Area code(s) | 458 and 541 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1136770[1] |
By 1873, the population was 300 and the town had a general store, a hotel, a meat market, and a brewery; food came from the nearby Eagle Valley.[3]
The town was platted in 1872,[3] and the post office was established in 1872 and ran until 1952.[2] The post office was originally named "Gem" in 1871 and was moved about a mile east when it was renamed Sparta to match the established community.[1] The locale was also known as "Eagle City".[1]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d "Sparta". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. November 28, 1980. Retrieved November 10, 2016.
- ^ a b McArthur, Lewis A.; McArthur, Lewis L. (2003) [1928]. Oregon Geographic Names (7th ed.). Portland, Oregon: Oregon Historical Society Press. pp. 899–900. ISBN 978-0875952772.
- ^ a b Bailey, Barbara Ruth (1982). Main Street: Northeastern Oregon. Oregon Historical Society. pp. 20, 44. ISBN 0-87595-073-6.
External links
edit- Historic image of Sparta from Salem Public Library
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