Sumpter Valley Days - photography by Gildemeister

Sumpter Valley Days

Sumpter, Oregon has a rich history dating back to the 1860s with the discovery of gold in Northeast Oregon. In its hey-day, Sumpter's population reached 4000 souls supporting 7 hotels, 6 restraurants, 7 general stores, and an opera house among other shops and commercial establishments. A catastrophic fire in 1917 ended the boom times with much of the town being destroyed within a three-hour period. Though the population has dropped to a couple hundred residents, the locals continue to celebrate the town's history with annual flea markets, pageantry, and tours of the Sumpter dredge along with rides on the restored Sumpter Valley Railroad.

Following is a sampling of images captured by Gildemeister during the 1974 festival event plus some historic images from his stock photo file.

For more information on the images, please call:

541- 962-7864 or e-mail us at: j-c@gildemeister-usa.com