Shaniko, OR

Wasco County
The community of Shaniko is a not-quite ghost town located on Highway 97 in southern Wasco County, about 20 miles southeast of Maupin and 70 miles north of Bend. Shaniko was incorporated in 1901. The town is famous for its colorful history and was once the nation's largest wool-shipping capital. The enormous sheep sheds of that era still stand on the edge of town. Several buildings are maintained in an Old West theme, including authentic boardwalks and an original schoolhouse. The Shaniko Hotel is the town's biggest single attraction, featuring antique furnishings and a gift shop. The rooms are beautifully decorated, and the Hotel makes a wonderful spot for honeymooners or anyone wishing to take a special Old West vacation.

History
Shaniko was named for pioneer settler August Scherneckau. Scherneckau came to Oregon after the Civil War and bought a farm near the present site of Shaniko. Indians pronounced the name Shaniko, and that is how the locality got its name. The Scherneckau ranch was on the stage route from The Dalles to central Oregon and August Scherneckau opened a stage station and kept the travel. Scherneckau some years later moved to Astoria, and after residing there several years moved to California, where he died. This locality was first called Cross Hollows, and a post office with that name was established May 23, 1879, with Scherneckau first postmaster.

The office was closed May 27, 1887. The name Cross Hollows was descriptive of the local topography. Shaniko post office was established Mar. 31, 1900, with John D. Wilcox first postmaster. For additional information about Shaniko, see Bend Bulletin, Sept. 14, 1930, and for a story about early days in Shaniko by Giles L. French, see news section of the Oregonian, Dec. 12, 1943. -- Source: Oregon Geographic Names, Sixth Edition, 1992, Lewis L. McArthur, Oregon Historical Society Press, ISBN O-87595-237-2.

Shaniko was planned and built in 1900 by businessmen in The Dalles as the terminus for the Columbia Southern Railroad, and as a collection station for the enormous quantities of wool being produced in central Oregon - a role it played into the '40's. The city was incorporated in 1901. The Shaniko Hotel, built in 1900, is a recently restored 2-story building with 18-inch thick walls made of handmade brick. This historic hotel has become a popular destination, as it was for this convertible club during Shaniko's Pioneer Days celebration. The 3-room Shaniko School housed kindergarten through high school, was built in 1901; the wooden Water Tower, built in 1900, contained two 10,000 gallon wooden tanks to hold water pumped from nearby Cross Hollow canyon, which was then sent to the town through a wooden pipe system.

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