Buncom, Oregon
{{Short description| Unincorporated community in the state of Oregon, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|name = Buncom, Oregon
|official_name =
|settlement_type = Unincorporated community
|nickname =
|motto =
|image_skyline = Buncom Ghost Town (Jackson County, Oregon scenic images) (jacDA0116).jpg
|imagesize =
|image_caption = Back view of Buncom's post office and bunkhouse
|image_flag =
|image_seal =
|pushpin_map = USA Oregon#USA
|pushpin_label = Buncom
|pushpin_label_position = right
|pushpin_map_caption =
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|map_caption =
|subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_name = United States
|subdivision_type1 = State
|subdivision_name1 = Oregon
|subdivision_type2 = County
|subdivision_name2 = Jackson
|government_footnotes =
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|unit_pref = Imperial
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|population_as_of = 2000
|population_footnotes =
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|population_density_km2 = auto
|timezone = Pacific (PST)
|utc_offset = -8
|timezone_DST = PDT
|utc_offset_DST = -7
|elevation_footnotes = {{cite gnis|id=1138957|name=Buncom|entrydate=November 28, 1980|accessdate=February 17, 2012}}
|elevation_ft = 1783
|coordinates = {{coord|42|10|26|N|122|59|53|W|type:city_region:US-OR|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type = ZIP code
|postal_code = 97530
|area_code = 458 and 541
|blank_name =
|blank_info =
|blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
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}}
Buncom (also spelled Bunkum or Buncombe) is an abandoned mining town at the confluence of the Little Applegate River and Sterling Creek in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. It is approximately {{convert|20|mi|km|sigfig=2}} southwest of Medford,
{{cite book
|title= Buncom, crossroads station
|first1= Connie
|last1= Fowler
|first2=J. B.
|last2=Roberts
|edition=2
|year= 2004
|publisher= iUniverse
|isbn= 978-0-595-31503-1
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=93t_5umHhHoC&pg=PP1
|accessdate=July 28, 2009}} at an elevation of {{convert|1783|ft|m|sigfig=4}} above sea level.
The site is promoted by the local historical society as a ghost town.
{{cite web
|url=http://www.buncom.org/
|title=Historic Buncom
|publisher=Buncom Historical Society
|accessdate=February 3, 2010}}
History
Buncom was first settled by Chinese miners in 1851 when gold was discovered in nearby Sterling Creek and Jacksonville.
{{cite book
|title= In Search of Western Oregon
|first= Ralph
|last= Friedman
|year= 1990
|publisher= Caxton Press
|isbn= 978-0-87004-332-1
|pages=248–249
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4i1grNoMcWgC&pg=PA249
|accessdate=July 28, 2009}}
Minerals such as cinnabar, chromite, and silver were also mined. A general store was built, and in 1861 J. T. Williams opened a saloon. The Buncom Mining District was created in 1867. Buncom post office was established in 1896. By 1918, the gold in the area was depleted, the post office was closed, and the town was abandoned. Most of the buildings were later burned down.
Only three buildings from the early 1900s remain: the post office (built in 1910), the cookhouse, and the bunkhouse.{{cite news
| url = http://archive.mailtribune.com/archive/2001/may/052701n7.htm
| title = History Celebrated in Buncom
| last = Fattig
| first = Paul
| publisher = Mail Tribune
| date = May 27, 2001
| accessdate = July 28, 2009
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304051117/http://www.mailtribune.com/section/archive
| archive-date = March 4, 2016
| url-status = dead
}}
In 1991, the Buncom Historical Society was created. The society replaced all three of the roofs of the buildings in Buncom. The society has also restored the porch of the post office and the eaves of the cookhouse.
Climate
This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above {{convert|71.6|F|C}}. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Buncom has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.[http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=941153&cityname=Buncom%2C+Oregon%2C+United+States+of+America&units= Climate Summary for Buncom, Oregon]
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{commons category-inline}}
- [https://www.flickr.com/photos/nainokin/4239952968/in/photostream/ Photo of Buncom's Post Office] by Wes Dickinson
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20110721203814/http://www.western-stories.com/western-author/rogue-river-valley-photos/buncom/buncom-oregon.html Buncom, Oregon - Southern Oregon's Hidden Ghost Town]
{{Jackson County, Oregon}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Populated places established in 1851
Category:Ghost towns in Oregon
Category:Unincorporated communities in Jackson County, Oregon