SUMPTER, Ore. — The beauty of traveling Oregon’s back roads and byways is the unexpected treasure that you may find along the way – not just the scenery, but interesting lessons about Oregon’s past.

An electric-powered gold-mining dredge is the main attraction at the Sumpter Valley Dredge State Heritage Area in Sumpter, Ore., on Feb. 20. The five-story-high machine, which ran from 1935 to 1954, ...

A pond among the dredge tailing piles in Sumpter Valley on Sept. 8, 2025. Baker County officials want to build trails and add other amenities to the 972 acres the county owns in the tailings about 26 ...

An electric-powered gold-mining dredge is the main attraction at the Sumpter Valley Dredge State Heritage Area in Sumpter, Ore., recently. The five-story-high machine, which ran from 1935 to 1954, is ...