Morrow County, Oregon, is a rural area in Eastern Oregon, known for its open expanses, which lend themselves to agriculture and ranching.
On June 14, 1903, a cloudburst occurred south of the town of Heppner, Oregon, then populated by close to 1,300 people. Considerable rainwater filled stream channels, eventually overwhelming the local Willow Creek, around which Heppner was built. The resulting flash flood engulfed most of the residential portion of Heppner, sweeping away structures and about 250 citizens and visitors in the space of an hour.
This collection of four black and white photographs shows a glimpse of rural life near Heppner, Morrow County, Oregon, circa 1900. Several views show sheep herding and ranching in the winter months. Also featured are photographs of the town of Heppner, both before and after the catastrophic flash flood of June 1903.
Collection is open for research.
The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.
Heppner-area photographs, Org. Lot 1405, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Gift of Kay V. Sweet, August 1971, (Lib Acc 12014).