Abandoned Towns

Ghost town record · Linn County, Oregon

Shelburn

A ghost town site in Linn County, Oregon.

Record

About Shelburn

Shelburn is an unincorporated community and ghost town located in Linn County, Oregon, United States, established in the 1850s. The town experienced a significant number of deaths in the 1860s during the third cholera pandemic along the Oregon Trail.

This is a site record: what public sources say about Shelburn, gathered in one place. We haven't written a full guide yet, so history, current access and photos are still to come. Treat the status as unknown until a guide confirms it.

Map

Where Shelburn is

USGS topographic map around Shelburn
USGS topographic map, The National Map (public domain). The pin marks the coordinates in the record; old townsites are often a little off.

Historic maps

14 historic USGS maps cover Shelburn

Topographic sheets from the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain), oldest first. Older sheets often show the camp, mines and roads while the place was alive. The downloads are large map scans; USGS topoView shows them in the browser.

Directions

Getting there

Google Maps directionsApple MapsOpenStreetMap

Before you go

  • Many ghost town sites are on private land, active mining claims or tribal land. Check land status and ask permission.
  • Roads to old townsites are often unmaintained dirt. Map apps may route over closed or impassable tracks.
  • Removing artifacts from public land is illegal under federal and most state laws.

Nearby

Other sites near Shelburn

Straight-line distance to other mapped sites in our Oregon index.

Sources

Sources

  1. ghosttowns.com, "Shelburn": county, roads, climate, best time to visit, remains.
  2. Wikipedia, "Shelburn, Oregon": coordinates and summary.
  3. Wikidata Q85800769.
  4. USGS 3D Elevation Program, elevation at the coordinates.
  5. USGS The National Map and Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain).