Jawbone Flats
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
- Hikes to this location:
- Jawbone Flats Hike (TH | <— —> | LOG)
- Hikes including this location:
- Weather forecast: NWS/NOAA
- Maps: Oregon Hikers Maps Google Maps
- Latitude, Longitude: 44.84669, -122.20993
- Elevation: 2100 feet
Description
NOTICE: Jawbone Flats was burned to the ground in the 2020 Beachie Creek Fire. Only one building was left standing. All of the older historical structures are gone.
Jawbone Flats was started in 1929 by Jim Hewitt to service mines along Battle Ax Creek and the Little North Santiam River. Lead, zinc, copper, and silver were extracted from the area, with the mining heyday lasting from the 1920s to the early 1950s. Mining activity continued in the area until 1992, when the Shiny Rock Mining Company, owned by George Atiyeh (a great nephew of Hewitt), donated land in the area to the fledgling Friends of Opal Creek. In 1996, the area surrounding the town became part of the Opal Creek Wilderness and Opal Creek Scenic Recreation Area.
Today the town is run by the same group, now renamed the Opal Creek Ancient Forest Center. The town is being restored as a historic center and outdoor museum of the mining era. The cabins here can be rented.
Links
Contributors
- Mattisnotfrench (creator)