A Ghost Town No More
Shaniko Sees New Life With Businesses, Lodging & Activity
Story and photos by Drew Myron
A famous Oregon ghost town at the remote southern end of Wasco County is springing back to life.
Thanks to some unusual fundraising and the energy of newcomers, Shaniko— a scrappy town with an Old West charm— is buzzing with the reopening of a historic hotel, as well as a restaurant, gas station, wedding chapel and RV park.
The most prominent business in town, Shaniko Hotel, reopened in August 2023 after a 16-year closure. The hotel is managed by South Wasco Fire & Rescue Association, a nonprofit organization formed to provide funding for crucial city services, including the all-volunteer fire department.
Scott Marrs, who helped create the unexpected revenue stream, says desperate times called for unusual solutions.
Scott and his wife, Diana, were freshly retired when they moved from Keizer to Shaniko in 2017. But when they arrived and realized the state of the city, they went back to work—this time as volunteers working to save Shaniko.
“When we moved here, we didn’t realize if you dial 911, no one shows up,” Scott says. “You’re an hour from any fire or police response. The fire hall was a wreck. It became obvious there was no funding for the fire department.”
Shaniko was also in danger of losing its incorporation as a city.
“The insurance company was about to cancel,” says Scott, noting loss of incorporation endangers city water and electric systems, garbage service, fire response and more. “All these systems would go away. It would be a real hardship.”
Scott stepped up to form a fire department. To help sort out threats to the city, Diana stepped in as city recorder. Both are volunteer positions.
With the creation of the nonprofit South Wasco Fire & Rescue Association, Scott negotiated with Robert Pamplin Jr.— reportedly 1 of Oregon’s wealthiest men and the owner of key Shaniko properties— to lease the RV park and hotel. Profits from lodging now fund the fire department and city services.
“The aim is a sustainable loop,” Scott says. “The RV park and hotel provide jobs and support the city.”
Firehouse RV Park, with 20 spaces, reopened in 2021.
Shaniko Hotel is a 2-story brick beauty in the center of town that features 18 rooms and a turn-of-the-century appeal. Built by Columbia Southern Railway in 1902, the hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Next door, the newly opened Seven Directions Cafe serves breakfast and lunch.
Situated on a long stretch of flat land along Highway 97, Shaniko stays alive by chance, circumstance and curiosity. The frayed storefronts are a mix of old and older. The hotel stands as the anchor among a row of tattered shops.
Still, the summers are busy. The designation as a ghost town draws tourists in wonder of a place suspended in time. Bicyclists pedal through, car clubs motor in, couples snap Instagram moments, and families on road trips stop to stretch.
To visit is 1 thing. To live here, another.
The 6-block town is home to 35 people. The closest grocery store is nearly an hour away. There are no children, and the school closed more than 50 years ago. In fact, nearly every resident is older than 70, except for a handful of new people whom longtime residents affectionately call “young people.”
“I’m 56. I’m 1 of the young ones,” jokes Teresa Aldaeefy, who moved to the frontier town in 2022.
A commercial drone operator, Teresa found Shaniko by mistake.
“I’m only here because my cousin had to go to the bathroom,” she says. “We were driving through, and now I live here.”
Bluegrass musicians Pam Brown and Mark Haskett moved from California’s Bay Area to Shaniko 5 years ago. They bought and reopened the town’s only gas station, the only fuel stop for 50 miles. It had been closed for 20 years.
The couple offer free popsicles and robust praise for the community’s many charms.
“Shaniko is the best place on the planet,” Mark says.
In 2019, they bought Shaniko Wedding Chapel, a 1-room wood structure built in 1897. Leaning and worn, the chapel has no electricity, heat or water. To raise money to preserve this piece of history, the couple created Shaniko Music Sanctuary, a nonprofit organization that focuses on rural music education.
Pam and Mark are ordained. They rent out the chapel and offer nuptials. They also bought the house next door.
“It’s the last standing homestead in town,” Mark says.
The couple hope to restore the home for use as a museum.
There’s plenty to preserve in this place with a history of booms and busts.
In the early 1900s, Shaniko was the center for wool and wheat. Known as the “Wool Capital of the World,” the town boasted the largest wool warehouse in the state. By 1910, Shaniko was home to 600 people.
The good fortune was quickly erased when a rival railroad was built along the Deschutes River. The departure of the railroad, the collapse of the wool industry and several major fires proved too much. In 1959, the Oregon Centennial Commission declared Shaniko a ghost town, and the population plummeted to a few dozen people.
“I’ve seen things improve and decline,” says AlexSandra Conway, manager of Shaniko Hotel. “Shaniko grabs your heart and doesn’t let go. You can taste the history here.”
Visitors appreciate the changes, too. “This is nostalgic, but it’s not pretend,” says Jayne Robbins. “We’ve seen the highs and lows, and we couldn’t be more thrilled.”
Jayne and her husband, Monty, frequently stop in Shaniko when traveling. “It’s so exciting to see the town come alive again,” she says.
“There’s a lot to love in this town, but if you don’t stop, you won’t feel it,” says Pam, who acts as a volunteer firefighter in addition to running the gas station and wedding chapel. “If you stop and talk, you get it.”