Luper, Oregon is a
ghost town
A ghost town, deserted city, extinct town, or abandoned city is an abandoned settlement, usually one that contains substantial visible remaining buildings and infrastructure such as roads. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economi ...
in
Lane County,
Oregon
Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...
,
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. Originally a train station on the
Oregon and California Railroad
The Oregon and California Railroad was formed from the Oregon Central Railroad when it was the first to operate a stretch south of Portland in 1869. This qualified the railroad for land grants in California, whereupon the name of the railroad ...
between
Junction City and
Eugene
Eugene may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Eugene (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* Gene Eugene, stage name of Canadian born actor, record producer, engineer, composer and musi ...
, Luper was located near Meadowview Road between
Oregon Route 99W
Oregon Route 99W is a state-numbered route in Oregon, United States, that runs from OR 99 and OR 99E in Junction City north to I-5 in southwestern Portland. Some signage continues it north to US 26 near downtown, but most signage agrees wi ...
and Prairie Road, about south of Junction City. The community was named for James N. Luper, a pioneer born in 1852 in
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
. The
Luper Cemetery remains in the area. In 1970, the Oregon Genealogical Society counted 118 grave sites.
[Oregon Genealogical Society Bulletin, Vol. 10, no. 5, January, 1972,
pages 518-521]
James Luper's daughter, Oregon State Engineer Rhea Luper, recalled in 1927 that her father had purchased the Luper-area property around 1870, and thereafter constructed a warehouse and
railroad spur. The area became a shipping point for wheat.
References
Former populated places in Lane County, Oregon
Ghost towns in Oregon
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