2 JOURNEY Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, July 27, 2022 SEEING GHOSTS Justin Davis/Blue Mountain Eagle S249858-1 The swings and playground at the Fox School stand empty in this image from Thursday, July 14, 2022. •Homemade Desserts •Hand Breaded Fish & Prawns •Fresh Painted Hills Beef •Hard Ice Cream Milkshakes 212 W. Franklin Avenue • 541-987-2122 Thurs. - Sun. 7am-3pm A visit to the Grant County ghost towns of Fox and Austin provides a glimpse of bygone times By JUSTIN DAVIS Blue Mountain Eagle 128887 DUKE WARNER REALTY 2 Acres Close To Canyon City! Fabulous Views, Graveled Driveway, Cement Slab Wired For Radiant Heat, Large Rock Outcropping, Shared Spring, Close To City Sewer. $87,000 MF Home On 4.5 Acres! Nice Country Setting, 3/2, Garage, Pond, Yr Rd Creek. $365,000 Family Style Home On 1 Acre! Canyon Mt Views, 5/3, Landscaped, Fenced, 2 Storage Sheds. $339,000   Beautiful Log Home On 12 Acres! Mt Views, 2 Story w/Daylight Basement, 4/2.5, Fenced, Landscaped, 3 Bay Garage, Greenhouse, Irrigated. CC $585,000 DP Home Entertainment! Be Your Own Boss, Turn-Key, Excellent Cash Flow. $75,000 40 Acres Near Strawberry Mt Wilderness Trail Head! Views, Some Timber, Septic, Close To Power. $120,000 320 Acres Up Shop Gulch! Fabulous Mt & Valley Views, Partially Fenced, Tiny Cabin w/ Upgrades, LOP Tags. MTV $230,000 Dayville Café! Prime Opportunity To Be Your Own Boss, Superb Location. $259,000 Grant County Building Supply! Large Fenced Retail Area, Inventory Included. $450,000 FOX — Webster’s Dictio- nary defi nes a ghost town as “a once-fl ourishing town wholly or nearly deserted, usually as the result of the exhaustion of some natural resource.” The Grant County ghost towns of Fox and Austin were both once thriving communi- ties that saw drastic and expe- dited reductions in population due to several factors. These days, both Fox and Austin have fewer than fi ve inhabi- tants each. Austin was once a lumber, sheep, cattle and mining town. Nowadays you can still see cattle if you head to Austin, but any evidence of current mining, lumber and sheep pro- duction is now nonexistent. On the way you’ll see the Austin House, which is the only remaining busi- ness establishment left bear- ing Austin’s name. The busi- ness is currently closed, but new owners are renovating the building with hopes of reopen- ing this summer. The town had a post offi ce that was established in 1888 and remained in operation Enjoy a remarkable range of handcrafted beers, baked goods and food. Find us on Facebook and Instagram or our website 1188brewing.com Open for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner • 141 E Main St., John Day • 541-575-1188 PARKS MAIN OFFICE Outdoor seating available. GETTING THERE To get to Austin, head east on U.S. Highway 26 from Prairie City and continue for 28 miles. Turn left on Oregon 7 North just past the Aus- tin House, and continue for 1.9 miles. Make a slight left on County Road 20A and continue to follow the road for just over a half-mile. To fi nd Fox, take U.S. Highway 26 to Mount Vernon. Turn north on US 395 North/Mountain Boulevard and continue to follow US 395 for 22 miles. until 1950, according to the 2003 edition of “Oregon Geo- graphic Names.” Once a sta- tion on the Sumpter Valley Railway, Austin saw its popu- lation decrease sharply follow- ing the decline of the railway. Now all that is left of Aus- tin are a few residences lining a single street and rounding a cul de sac. Austin currently has three full-time residents and a sparse number of part- time residents. The community of Fox is an unincorporated town located along U.S. Route 395 just south of Long Creek. Fox was named after Fox Creek, a nearby tributary of the North Fork John Day River. The tributary takes its name from an incident involving a fox during a hunting or prospect- ing trip, according to “Oregon Geographic Names.” Fox still has several unused buildings that serve as a reminder that the town was once a more bustling and thriving community than what See Ghosts, Page 3 Fun For Everyone! Reservations • Comments • Questions 365 W. Highway 74 • PO Box 428 Lexington, OR 97839 Email: mcparks@co.morrow.or.us Reservations: 541-989-8214 Main Office: 541-989-9500 ANSON WRIGHT PARK CAMPGROUND CUTSFORTH PARK CAMPGROUND 47500 Hwy 207 - Spray-Heppner Heppner, OR 97836 58430 Willow Creek Rd Heppner, OR 97836 Reservations: 541-989-8214 MORROW COUNTY OHV PARK CAMPGROUND S229154-1 71000 E. Morphine Ln, aka 71000 FS Rd 21 Heppner, OR 97836 Reservations: 541-989-8214 www.morrowcountyparks.com 39967 Lake Creek Youth Camp is a non-profit organization operating in the Malheur National Forest in beautiful Logan Valley, east of Seneca, Oregon Grubsteak Mining Co. • weddings • company retreats • family reunions • events Prime Rib • Steaks • Hamburgers Open 7 Days a Week 11AM-9PM 541-575-4031 FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK LAKECREEKCAMP@YAHOO.COM WWW.LAKECREEKCAMP.COM RESTAURANT & LOUNGE Family Owned Since 1980 Take-Out • Lunch • Dinner The oldest established restaurant in Grant County 149 E. Main St., John Day • 541-575-1970