Crane, Oregon

Crane is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Harney County, Oregon, United States, northeast of Malheur Lake on Oregon Route 78. Its population was 129 at the 2010 census.[2]

Crane, Oregon
Census-designated place
Crane Post Office
Crane
Crane
Coordinates: 43°24′55″N 118°34′42″W
CountryUnited States
StateOregon
CountyHarney
Area
 • Total10.4 sq mi (27.0 km2)
 • Land10.4 sq mi (27.0 km2)
 • Water0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation
4,134 ft (1,260 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total129
 • Density12/sq mi (4.8/km2)
Time zoneUTC-8 (PST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code
97732
Area code(s)541
FIPS code41-16450
Coordinates and elevation from United States Geological Survey[1]

History

Crane was named for the prominent local features Crane Creek and Crane Creek Gap.[3] Crane Creek Gap is the pass between the Harney Basin and the drainage basin of the South Fork Malheur River.[3] Crane Creek is probably named for the sandhill crane, which was once abundant in eastern Oregon.[3] Crane post office was established in 1895 and discontinued in 1903.[3] When the Union Pacific Railroad[4] was completed from Ontario, Oregon, in 1916, the post office was reopened.[3]

Until the railroad was finished to Burns in 1924, Crane was an important livestock shipping point,[3] and the town was thriving with its five restaurants, four hotels, three garages, two general merchandise stores, a warehouse, a lumber yard, livery stables, a dance hall, a newspaper, a bank and a movie theater.[4] After a series of fires, the latest in 1938, however, the town never returned to its former prosperity.[4] As of 2011, the businesses in Crane included a post office, a gas station, which is combined with a café and tavern, a farm supply store, and a local realtor.[4]

Geography

Crane is in eastern Harney County along Oregon Route 78 (Steens Highway), which leads northwest 29 miles (47 km) to Burns, the county seat, and southeast 64 miles (103 km) to U.S. Route 95 at Burns Junction.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Crane CDP has an area of 10.4 square miles (27.0 km2), all of it land. It is 6 miles (10 km) northeast of Malheur Lake and 26 miles (42 km) by road northeast of the main entrance to Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

Education

Crane Union High School and Crane Elementary School are in Crane. The high school, which draws students from a large rural district, is a boarding school.[4]

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Crane has a semi-arid climate, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.[5]

References
  1. "Crane". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. November 28, 1980. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
  2. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Crane CDP, Oregon". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
  3. McArthur, Lewis A.; Lewis L. McArthur (2003) [1928]. Oregon Geographic Names (7th ed.). Portland, Oregon: Oregon Historical Society Press. p. 245. ISBN 0-87595-277-1.
  4. "Crane Rural Community: A Brief History". Harney County Economic Development. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved July 24, 2011.
  5. Climate Summary for Crane, Oregon
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