Ballston, Oregon

Unincorporated community in the state of Oregon, United States

Unincorporated community in Oregon, United States

45°04′00″N 123°19′15″W / 45.06667°N 123.32083°W / 45.06667; -123.32083CountryUnited StatesStateOregonCountyPolk CountyFounded1878Founded byIsaac BallElevation

^[1]

184 ft (56 m)ZIP code

97378

Area codes503 and 971GNIS feature ID1162825^[1]

Ballston is an unincorporated community, in Polk County, Oregon, United States. It is southeast of Sheridan and southwest of Amity. It is considered a ghost town.^[2]

Ballston was founded in 1878 by pioneer Isaac Ball on his donation land claim.^[3] Ball and his family immigrated from England, and arrived in Oregon via the Oregon Trail in 1848.^[4] Ball named the town "Ballsville", and it had a post office of the same name.^[3] The name of the post office was changed to Ballston in 1880.^[3] The post office was discontinued in 1953 when it became a rural station of Sheridan; it was discontinued all together in 1969.^[3]

Ballston was a station on the Dayton, Sheridan and Grande Ronde Railroad (DS&GR), later the Oregonian Railway. Isaac Ball was an early promoter of the DS&GR when it was originally a narrow gauge railway line.^[5] The line changed ownership again to become part of the Southern Pacific Railroad; as of 2009, Ballston is a station of the Portland and Western Railroad.^[6]

In 1915, the community had a population of 104, a public school, two churches, and three fraternal lodges.^[7]

The 1855 Ballston School building, no longer in use as a school, is thought to be the oldest school building still standing in Polk County or perhaps the entire state.^[2]^[7] Ballston County Park is located in the community and includes the school.^[2]

The Ballston Community Club meets in a newer former schoolhouse originally moved from Airlie, another community on the railroad line.^[8] The Community Club hosted an annual turkey dinner for many years.^[8]

References

^ ^a ^b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Ballston, Oregon
^ ^a ^b ^c "Explore Polk County" (PDF). Polk County Itemizer-Observer. May 22, 2009. p. 77C. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 20, 2009. Retrieved October 22, 2009.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d McArthur, Lewis A.; Lewis L. McArthur (2003) [1928]. Oregon Geographic Names (7th ed.). Portland, Oregon: Oregon Historical Society Press. p. 48. ISBN 0-87595-277-1.
^ Hines, Rev. H. K. (1893). An Illustrated History of the State of Oregon. Lewis Pub. Co.
^ Scott, Leslie M. (1919). "History of the Narrow Gauge Railroad in the Willamette Valley". Oregon Historical Quarterly. Oregon Historical Society: 144. Retrieved October 22, 2009.
^ "Portland & Western Railroad". Genesee & Wyoming. Archived from the original on February 24, 2009. Retrieved October 22, 2009.
^ ^a ^b Friedman, Ralph (1991). In Search of Western Oregon. Caxton Press. p. 193. ISBN 0-87004-332-3.
^ ^a ^b Klooster, Karl (July 12, 2008). "Bouncing around Ballston". News-Register. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved October 22, 2009.