Bly, Oregon | |
|---|---|
 Standing Stone Church of the Christian and Missionary Alliance | |
  Bly Location within the state of Oregon Show map of Oregon Bly Bly (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Coordinates:42°23′30″N121°02′36″W / 42.39167°N 121.04333°W /42.39167; -121.04333 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| County | Klamath |
| unincorporated community | 1873 |
| Area | |
• Total | 0.85 sq mi (2.19 km2) |
| • Land | 0.85 sq mi (2.19 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 4,367 ft (1,331 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 207 |
| • Density | 244.9/sq mi (94.57/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code | 97622[4] |
| Area codes | 458 and 541 |
| FIPS code | 41-07150 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2805446[2] |
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | 100 | — | |
| 1920 | 100 | 0.0% | |
| 1940 | 800 | — | |
| 1950 | 800 | 0.0% | |
| 1960 | 600 | −25.0% | |
| 1970 | 500 | −16.7% | |
| 1980 | 750 | 50.0% | |
| 1990 | 750 | 0.0% | |
| 2000 | 486 | −35.2% | |
| 2020 | 207 | — | |
| source:[5][3] | |||
Bly is anunincorporated community andcensus-designated place inKlamath County,Oregon, United States. By highway, it is about 50 miles (80 km) east ofKlamath Falls. As of 2020[update], the population was 207.[6]
Bly is in southeastern Klamath County, slightly west ofLake County, alongOregon Route 140. By highway, it is about 37 miles (60 km) west of Lakeview and 50 miles (80 km) east of Klamath Falls.[7][8]
Fish Hole Creek, which flows through the community, meets theSouth Fork Sprague River slightly north of Bly.Fremont National Forest surrounds Bly except on the northwest.Gearhart Mountain Wilderness is about 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Bly.[7][8]
This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 °F (22.0 °C). According to theKöppen Climate Classification system, Bly has awarm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.[9]
The nameBly comes from theKlamath wordp'lai, meaning 'up' or 'high', referring to its location at the upperSprague River.[10] The Sprague River post office was established in the area in 1873, and the name was changed to Bly in 1883.[10] At that time, the community was near the east end of theKlamath Indian Reservation.[11] The 21st-century community ofSprague River is downstream and west of Bly andBeatty.[8]
Around 1900, Bly had two general stores, two hotels, and a saloon.[11] A history published in 1905 referred to the surrounding area as the "precinct" or the "valley" and estimated its total population at 750.[11] The chief products of the valley at that time included cattle, horses, mules, and a few sheep, as well as oats, clover, and hay.[11]
In 1935, theUnited States Forest Service acquired a 4-acre (16,000 m2) site in Bly for a district ranger station to manage the western part of theFremont National Forest. The Forest Service paid $625 (equivalent to $14,300 in 2024) for the property. The ranger station was built byCivilian Conservation Corps workers under the supervision of Forest Service district ranger Perry Smith. The seven original buildings at theBly Ranger Station were constructed between 1936 and 1942. A modern administrative headquarters building was added to the compound in the 1960s. The ranger station compound was listed on theNational Register of Historic Places in 1981.[12][13]
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Bly is also the site of the only fatalities ofWorld War II in the contiguous U.S. On May 5, 1945, a JapaneseFu-Go balloon bomb exploded as it was being pulled from the woods by curious picnickers.[10] Killed in the explosion were: Elsie Mitchell, 26, wife of ministerArchie E. Mitchell; Edward Engen, 13; Richard Patzke, 14; Jay Gifford, 13; Sherman Shoemaker, 11; and Joan Patzke, 13.[14] Rev. Mitchell heard the explosion and discovered the bodies. The victims' families were compensated by the government. A memorial was erected at what is now theMitchell Recreation Area.[15]
TheOC&E Woods Line State Trail, the longest linear state park in Oregon, passes through Bly. The 100-mile (160 km)rail trail was built on the roadbeds of the formerOregon, California and Eastern Railway, which ran from Klamath Falls to Bly, and a former spur line, the Woods Line.[16]
Municipalities and communities ofKlamath County, Oregon,United States | ||
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