I grew up in a small town in Oregon (population 1200 people). Though I moved to the city many years ago, I carried a number of small-town expectations with me.
When the LEGACY series was forming in my head, a small town seemed like the natural setting for these courageous characters with a strong sense of community.
However, no actual small town fit what I had in mind, so the fictional town of Halo came into being. I fictionalized characteristics from a number of small towns and made up other Halo "facts." :)
And I thought it would be fun to share information about real small towns in Oregon that have provided inspiration for me through Wednesday Wanderings.
My fictional town of Halo is located in the mountains of Eastern Oregon's old gold mining country. There are a number of ghost towns in that area, as well as towns still populated, like the city of Sumpter <http://www.historicsumpter.com/index.html>. Their Web site says, "The year-round population of Sumpter is approximately 191, consisting of 190 very nice people and one 'old grouch'."
The restored Sumpter Valley Railway offers rides pulled by steam locomotives on weekends from Memorial Day through Labor Day. One of the gold dredges used to mine gold is now part of a state park, called the Sumpter Valley Dredge State Heritage Area. The area also is becoming more popular for winter sports such as cross country skiing and snowshoeing.
If you can't go there in person, I hope you enjoy an online visit to this small town in Oregon!
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