 The Sumpter Valley Dredge open daily thru October 31st. 7:00 a.m.To 7:00 p.m. Interpretive Store 9:00 a.m. To 5:00 p.m {541} 894-2472
Remember......Park Gates Will Close Promptly at 7 pm!  The Interpretive Store has a gold mine of souvenirs to help you remember your visit and...you can watch a video about the history and operation of the dredge. You can enjoy an informative tour hosted by one of our State Park Rangers, volunteers, or tour the dredge on your own! When you step back onto dry land, you can take a walk around the dredge on well groomed trails that wind throughout the state park. The Dredge trails are open winter or summer! Come in and see whats new! friendly park rangers or park hots giving free gold panning lessons at the dredge weekends and during the Sumpter Flea Markets too!  Workers Reunion |
Welcome to the Sumpter Valley Dredge!  Dredge Workers Reunion and Heritage DaysFormer workers of the Sumpter Valley Dredge gathered for their annual Reunion picnic at the Dredge on July 24th. Workers who have passed on were represented by family members. Hamburgers and hot dogs were cooked by Friends of The Dredge boards members, along with tasty side dishes brought by friends and guests. Workers were reunited with family and friends and shared stories of their time spent working on the Dredge, before they lined up for their official photograph, which was taken by Dick and Rella Brown who donated their photographic services. Ron Carnes, Friends of The Dredge Treasurer, provided the music as everyone enjoyed food and memories that were shared throughout the afternoon. Thanks to board members, Ranger Miranda Miller and her staff, and volunteers who worked hard to make this a great picnic and the great support from Sumpter that made this another enjoyable Reunion! Take a look at our favorite photos. It was 1993 when Oregon Parks and Recreation recognized the need to preserve one of Sumpter's most visible and important historic monuments in Sumpter and in 1994, took responsibility for the Sumpter Valley Dredge. Without even moving, Sumpter's largest Historic Icon had a new home on nearly 80 acres in the newly formed Oregon State Heritage Area. This commitment from the State inspired local Sumpter Residents to form a private group - Friends of The Dredge, Inc. - and so, a very important partnership between state and private citizens in Sumpter was born! This partnership has been successful in restoring the Historic Sumpter Valley Dredge to the current state visitors now enjoy. Future plans for preservation and continued restoration of the Sumpter Valley Gold Dredge continue to move forward...... The History of Gold Dredges in Sumpter Oregon Gold was first discovered in the Sumpter area in 1862 ushering in a boom in gold mining and giving birth to our town of Sumpter. But it wasn't until much later that plans for a mechanized, floating, placer mining operation in the Sumpter Valley were made. Originally, there were two earlier Yuba-style dredges built in the valley dating back to 1912, when the first dredge was built.....it's sister dredge being later constructed in 1915. The Sumpter Valley Dredge may have come last, but certainly was not least of the three! In 1934, the last gold dredge to be built in the Sumpter Valley, was launched with almost as much fanfare as an ocean liner and carried with it a renewed hope for prosperity for Sumpter.... The last Sumpter Valley Dredge actually inherited many of its parts from Dredge #2 and was a larger and improved model, with a hull that spanned 125 feet in length, and was 52 feet wide. The third dredge boasted 72 buckets and could operate at a rate of 25 buckets per minute. Unfortunately.....no matter how big or powerful the three dredges were.........the reality was that more gold was taken from the Sumpter Mountains by hard rock miners than any of the three dredges. And, with the pressures of hard times bearing down on the area, Sumpter's third and last Gold Dredge was forced to cease operations forever in 1954....where it sits today. However, despite a certain irriversable impact on the environment, and despite falling short of their intentions, Gold Dredging carved out a proud heritage and gained an important place in Eastern Oregon Mining history. Following a tour of the Sumpter Valley Dredge, you will no doubt leave the State Park area with a sense of the heritage these machines have left us! As the restoration process continues to evolve, The Friends of The Dredge, Inc. members and volunteers are passionate in protecting, restoring and sharing the Sumpter Valley Dredge with visitors from around the world............... We invite you to come for a visit this summer, and we would be more than happy to show you around! Whether you are a gold enthusiast or just enjoy exploring the history of our area, the Gold Dredge is a good place to begin your journey into Sumpter's golden heritage! We invite you to explore our website and join discussions about the Sumpter Gold Dredge! Call us for Group Tour information: {541} 894-2486. If guided tours aren't your thing, no worry! You can tour the Dredge and State Park at your own leisure! It's free! Park Trails...... There are plenty of well-groomed trails winding through the entire State Park offering a variety of views at all times of the year! Bring your lunch.... In addition to groomed trails, you will find plenty of picnic tables throughout the Park! Be sure to allow enough time to enjoy the entire State Park!  |
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Friends of the Sumpter Valley Dredge
P.O. Box 291 Sumpter, Oregon 97877 {541} 894-2472 |