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The Sumpter Gold Dredge is closed for the Winter. But the State Park Heritage Area is open year round! While you're in Sumpter this winter, we invite you to visit our park for the winter landscapes and recreation! Ride our snowmobile trails or bring your snowshoes! Workers Reunion to share with us? We would like to hear it! We love to hear from folks who have favorite stories about the Historic Sumpter Gold Dredge! We invite you to join discussions in our Forum Be sure to sign our guestbook
in the gift store when you visit the Sumpter Valley Dredge! During the Summer, let our friendly Park Rangers teach you how to do some Gold Panning right here at the Sumpter Dredge! Check it out! Gold Panning  
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A Monument to Gold and Memories..........
Built at a cost of approximately $350,000 the Sumpter Dredge is the largest and most accessible abandoned gold dredge in the country! It extracted more placer gold than any other Oregon Gold Dredge! The Sumpter Dredge had bow and stern lines 110 feet long and 1 1/4 inch thick which were anchored to the shore and a spud which is a steel rod at the center of the back of the dredge used as a counterweight and anchor point. While the dredge pivoted on the spud, the bow lines swung the dredge and digging ladder in a sideways motion so it could develop a pond big enough to maneuver in. The Dredge was stepped ahead by tightening the stern lines. About 3000 gallons of water per minute from two huge pumps flowed through the dredge's trommel and sluice boxes to recover the gold from the bucket loads of soil and rock. The dredge churned and squealed 24 hours a day through the quiet meadows of the Sumpter Valley, spewing excess rocks out the stacker in back and evenutually leaving 1600 acres of tailing piles that are still visible today. Up to 23 men were employed by the dredging company at one time including the Dredge Superintendent, bookkeeper, mechanics and ground crew, although just three men were needed to actually operate the dredge
In 1954, the Sumpter Valley Gold Dredge ground to a halt
where it is located now. The reasons for ceasing operation were economic. The costs of operation exceeded the profits from the gold that it dredged from the Sumpter Valley floor. Through the years the dredge had slowly sunk to the bottom of the last of the shallow ponds that it had perpetually dug for itself as it worked its way about the valley. During spring run-off the pond would be amply full and the stern would float, while the bow end was weighted down by the digging arm and its 72 one-ton buckets. So the dredge sat, with water lapping nearly to the main deck, until it became the centerpiece of the Sumpter Valley State Heritage Area in 1993. controlled. The hull has been pumped and much of its wood replaced, as well as interior bearing-weight beams and decking. Then the pond was allowed to fill well and float the 1,250-ton structure for the first time in many years. Sand from the smelter site was injected under the hull to create a pedestal for the dredge to rest upon so it appears to float. and ready to continue chewing its way through the valley. The floating dock and interpretive panels and audio pedestals help our visitors understand how the dredge worked. The main deck interior has been open for touring since the fall of 1998. In 2007, we saw major roof repair, wench room repair, and return of the last tailing pile while painting the exterior and additional repair to the upper decks for visitation is planned for the near future. |
