Narrows- Oregon Ghost Town

NARROWS

NAME: Narrows
COUNTY: Harney
ROADS: 2WD
GRID: 9
CLIMATE: Mild winter and summer.
BEST TIME TO VISIT: Anytime.

COMMENTS: On SR 205.
REMAINS: A few buildings.

The town of Narrows was aptly named as it was located on a site between two lakes, one containing fresh water and the other undrinkable. The fresh water lake had a French name “Malheur” and was fed water from Donner und Blitzen river so named by a cavalry officer, Col. George B. Curry during the Snake Indian War in 1864. The other, Harney Lake, is unusable for any purpose. In 1892, a Charles A. Haines built a house on the narrow strip of land hoping to develop a cattle ranch. His house turned out to be the beginning of a fair sized town to be called the Narrows. Being the only stopping place south of Burns and north of Frenchglen, a distance of 80 miles, Haines put up several buildings to serve travelers. The road to Burns was paved in the 1930s and that started Narrows on the road to oblivion, the ranchers being more than willing to drive the distance to the larger town. Its demise was conceded when the hotel burned down. SUBMITTED BY: Henry Chenowith

The town of Narrows was aptly named as it was located on a site between two lakes, one containing fresh water and the other undrinkable. The fresh water lake had a French name “Malheur” and was fed water from Donner und Blitzen river so named by a cavalry officer, Col. George B. Curry during the Snake Indian War in 1864. The other, Harney Lake, is unusable for any purpose. In 1892, a Charles A. Haines built a house on the narrow strip of land hoping to develop a cattle ranch. His house turned out to be the beginning of a fair sized town to be called the Narrows. Being the only stopping place south of Burns and north of Frenchglen, a distance of 80 miles, Haines put up several buildings to serve travelers. The road to Burns was paved in the 1930s and that started Narrows on the road to oblivion, the ranchers being more than willing to drive the distance to the larger town. Its demise was conceded when the hotel burned down.
SUBMITTED BY: Henry Chenowith

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