STAUFFER

NAME: Stauffer COUNTY: Lake ROADS: 2WD GRID: 8 CLIMATE: Arid -- Hot, dry summers with occasional heavy showers accompanied by thunderstorms. Cold, dry winter. Temperatures can range between 40°F and -20°F. BEST TIME TO VISIT: Anytime. Spring may be a little soggy.

COMMENTS: No current residents. Located in the NE corner of Lake county off Highway 20. REMAINS: Buildings, fences, abandoned mine, reservoir.

Stauffer's history is more or less that of lore, as there really is no information about its beginnings or end. Speculation says that it was a homestead for dry farmers or sheep ranchers in the mid-1800s. The most commonly accepted reason for the departure of the residents, and possibly the most accurate, is that dry farming was too difficult to attain in the chunky bedrock below Glass Butte, an infamous resting place for tons of obsidian; hence the butte's name. An eerie place to visit, as it is truly in the middle of nowhere. It's a great place to sit and ponder the history of eastern oregon, however. Submitted by: W. Campbell

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