Downtown Elberton gets historical sign

Gazette Reporter

A sign with a brief description of the history of Elberton was recently erected in the former town, which is now a county park along the North Fork of the Palouse River.

Park board member Dennis Cartwright of Elberton installed the sign June 6. At the June 9 park board meeting, he shared a picture of the new sign with park board members.

Cartwright lives in Elberton and has sat on the park board for the past five years.

The area has been without a sign for almost 10 years.

A portion of the sign reads as follows:

“In the 1870s, attracted by the river and abundant timber, Giles D. Wilbur built a water powered sawmill here that provided lumber for many early area barns and homes. In the next decade, the Oregon Railway and Navigation Co. extended a rail line through the valley. The town was plated in 1886 by Sylvester Wait and named in honor of his son, Elbert. By 1888, Elberton had a flour mill, post office, two general stores, a blacksmith and wagon shop, two grain houses a livery stable and a church.

“The 1890s saw continued growth, and the planting of fruit trees as a major crop. At the turn of the century, Elberton had a population of more than 400, the “world’s largest prune dryer”, the flour mill and the county’s poor farm. The Elberton picnic, commemorating the town’s founding, was held for three days in June from 1893 until 1924. It was one of the annual highlights for county old timers.

“After the timber was all cut down, the sawmill moved to Idaho. Following a devastating fire in 1908, and serious flooding in 1910, Elberton began to decline, giving in to increased competition from other towns.”

The sign is installed next to the old church which still stands in Elberton.

Elberton’s attraction as a recreation spot goes back to the early years of the last century when the river valley site was the scene of the famous Elberton picnic. Many visitors traveled to the scene via the railroad which became part of the Union Pacific.