Fields, Oregon
Unincorporated community
CountryUnited States
StateOregon
CountyHarney
Unit prefImperial
Population as of2010
Population total120
Time zonePacific
Coordinates42°15′52″N 118°40′31″W
Elevation4236 ft
GNIS feature ID1120703[1]

Fields is an unincorporated community in Harney County, Oregon, United States. The community is located 112 miles (180 km) south of Burns. It is the center of commerce for local ranches and the largest community between Denio, Nevada, 22 miles (35 km) to the south, and Frenchglen, Oregon, 52.4 miles (84.3 km) to the north.

The community has a single family-owned retail outlet and restaurant called Fields Station. The 1-mile (1.6-kilometre) radius around that store has below 25 occupants.[2]

History

In 1881, Charles Fields established a homestead where the community of Fields is located today. Fields built a stagecoach roadhouse to serve the stage route between Winnemucca, Nevada, and Burns. A one-room school was established at the site around 1900 with one teacher. Fields sold his business to John Smyth in 1911. The Fields post office was opened two years later. The stone roadhouse was eventually remodeled into a store and restaurant, and is still in use. The original stone horse barn has partly collapsed, but remains in use. Today, the community of Fields consists of a bar, store, cafe, gas station, school, campground, and a few houses. As of 2003, the school has two rooms and two teachers serving kindergarten through eighth grade.[3][4][5]

Ranching began in the area in 1869 when Whitehorse Ranch was established. The Rose Valley Borax Company processed about 400 short tons (360,000 kg) of crystallized borax annually from 1892 to 1902. Chinese workers collected alkali formed from evaporating spring water containing 80 parts per million (ppm) borate.[4]

Climate

Averaging under 7 inches (180 mm) of precipitation per year, Fields is among the driest places in Oregon.[6][7] The nearby Alvord Desert may be the driest.[8] Fields, like the Alvord, experiences a continental or "cold" desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWk).

Demographics

As of the 2010 census, the area of zip code 97710 had a population of 120, with 69 males and 51 females. Out of the 120 people, 119 identified as white. 19 members of the population (15.8%) were between 50 and 54 years old, the largest percentile. The average age was 44.5, and the average household size was 2.35 people.[9]

Economy

The town services cars traveling on the local highway.[10]

Recreation

Sightseers, hunters, and fishers often stop at Fields. Local wildlife include pronghorn, mule deer, elk, bighorn sheep, pheasants, doves, geese, and ducks. Rainbow trout are found in nearby streams. There are also publicly accessible hot springs in the area, including Alvord Hot Springs, Bog Hot Springs, and White Horse Hot Springs. Many photographers are interested in Steens Mountain, which is located about 60 miles (97 km) to the north.[5]

Transportation

As of 2023 some pilots of general aviation aircraft use the area highway as an airport.[10]

Healthcare

In 1989, Nellie Nix of The Bulletin described the catchment area of Harney District Hospital in Burns as being Harney County.[11] In 2005 Matthew Preusch of The Oregonian, citing the lack of doctors and long distances between the southern part of the county and the hospital, described the southern part of Harney County, which includes Fields, as "the most medically underserved area of all."[12] In 2005, Harney District Hospital provided a traveling doctor in a mobile trailer for southern parts of the county, which included Fields.[13]

Education

For K-8 residents are zoned to Fields Elementary School, of South Harney School District #33.[14] The school is .25 miles (0.40 km) from the center of Fields. It was formerly in the "Fields Trout Creek School District".[15] One ranch zoned to Fields Elementary had, in 1998, a just under two hour commute to school per way.[16] In 1987, there was at least one student who commuted from a location 70 miles (110 km) away.[15]

In 1972 the school board of Fields Elementary permitted students to do paid janitorial duties after a teacher, offered money by the board to do janitorial duties, instead suggested that the students do so instead. That year, 16 students were enrolled. Later the grade school in Juntura adopted the janitorial idea from Fields after the Fields teacher moved to Juntura in 1975. Due to the small size of Fields Elementary, the South Harney #33 board decided not to have a dedicated janitorial employee. The students use the money to pay for field trips.[17] In 1987 the school used a van to transport students.[15]

High school students are zoned to Crane Union High School,[18] of Harney County Union High School District 1J.[19]

Harney County is not in a community college district but has a "contract out of district" (COD) with Treasure Valley Community College.[20] TVCC operates the Burns Outreach Center in Burns.[21]

References

  1. ^
  2. ^ Blanchard, Dave & Peacher, Amanda (2016-11-26). "Our Town: Fields". East Oregonian. Retrieved 2022-07-15.
  3. ^ p. 351.
  4. ^ "The Area". Alvord Inn. Archived July 26, 2013 at the Wayback Machine.
  5. ^ "Fields, Oregon" Archived 2014-05-19 at the Wayback Machine, www.southernoregon.com. Retrieved April 21, 2014.
  6. ^ "Oregon's Unique Climate". Oregon Photos. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  7. ^ "Oregon Annual Rainfall and Climate Data". Coolweather.net. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  8. ^ Lorain, Douglas (2011). 100 Classic Hikes in Oregon. Second ed. Seattle, Washington: The Mountaineers Books. p. 239. ISBN 978-1-59485-492-7.
  9. ^ "2010 Demographic Profile Data: ZCTA5 97710". American FactFinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
  10. ^ Perse, Taylor (2023-08-17). "School on the Range". Eugene Weekly. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
  11. ^ Nix, Nellie (1989-12-12). "Hospital hopes to hire manager, create district". The Bulletin. p. B-1. – via Newspapers.com
  12. ^ Preusch, Matthew (2005-05-23). "Tax aid aims to recruit rural health workers". The Oregonian. pp. B1, B4. – via Newspapers.com
  13. ^ Preusch, Matthew (2005-05-29). "Doctor does house calls for entire Oregon towns". Statesman Journal. Associated Press. p. 10C. – via Newspapers.com
  14. ^ "South Harney School District #33". Harney Education Service District. Archived from the original on December 30, 2019. Retrieved 2022-07-15. 23657 Fields Denio Road Fields, OR 97710
  15. ^ Fortmeyer, John (1987-03-27). "Visitors like 'big' school". The Daily Astorian. Vol. 113, no. 192. pp. 1, 4. – via Newspapers.com
  16. ^ "One-room schools still prosper in Oregon". The Olympian. Associated Press. 1998-11-08. p. C6. - Clipping from Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ Easterling, Jerry (1979-05-27). "Keeping the school clean takes students to faraway places". Statesman Journal. pp. 3G-5G. - Clipping of first, second, and third pages at Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "CUHS Rural Feeder School Districts". Crane Union High School. Retrieved 2022-07-15. Frenchglen Elementary School 39235 Hwy 205 Frenchglen, OR 97736
  19. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Harney County, OR". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2022-07-15. - Text list
  20. ^ "Oregon Community Colleges and Community College Districts". Oregon Department of Community Colleges & Workforce Development. Retrieved 2022-07-17.
  21. ^ "Burns Outreach Center". Treasure Valley Community College. Archived from the original on July 17, 2022. Retrieved 2022-07-17.