Halfway, Oregon

Halfway, Oregon
City
View from the south side of Halfway, looking north toward the Wallowa Mountains
Location in Oregon
Coordinates: 44°52′42″N 117°6′38″W / 44.87833°N 117.11056°W / 44.87833; -117.11056Coordinates: 44°52′42″N 117°6′38″W / 44.87833°N 117.11056°W / 44.87833; -117.11056
Country	United States
State	Oregon
County	Baker
Incorporated	1909
Government
• Mayor	Sheila Farwell[1]
Area[2]
• Total	0.37 sq mi (0.96 km2)
• Land	0.37 sq mi (0.96 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation	2,651 ft (808 m)
Population (2010)[3]
• Total	288
• Estimate (2012[4])	284
• Density	778.4/sq mi (300.5/km2)
Time zone	Pacific (UTC-8)
• Summer (DST)	Pacific (UTC-7)
ZIP code	97834
Area code(s)	458 and 541
FIPS code	41-31650[3]
GNIS feature ID	1143208[5]

Halfway is a small town in Baker County, Oregon, United States. This town took its name from the location of its post office, on the Alexander Stalker ranch, half way between Pine and Cornucopia. The population was 288 at the 2010 census.

During the dot-com boom, Halfway agreed to rename itself as Half.com, Oregon for a year as a publicity stunt for the e-commerce company of the same name.^[6]

History

The area was originally used as hunting territory by the Nez Perce, Umatilla and Shoshone tribes.

It was explored and mapped by Benjamin Bonneville in the 1830s and first settled by Euro-Americans in the 1860s. The smaller national forests, now combined into the local Wallowa–Whitman National Forest, were created in 1908.

While a post office was established in 1887, the town was platted in another location in 1907, the post office moved there in 1908,^[7] and it incorporated in 1909.

The town has always been primarily a farming and ranching community. There was a small gold rush to nearby Cornucopia, now a ghost town, and some timber industry in the early 20th century. Major employer, the Idaho Power Company, now operates three hydroelectric dams on the Snake River.

Half.com name change

Halfway earned a place in the history of the dot-com era in December 1999, when it received and accepted an offer to rename itself as Half.com, Oregon, after the e-commerce start-up, for one year in exchange for $110,000; 20 computers for the school; and other financial subsidies. It became the first city in the world to rename itself as a dot com.^[6] Among the less obvious reasons the town was chosen were its small population size (and thus its likelihood to accept such an offer) and the city's location, which fit perfectly into Half.com's marketing scheme. "They're within four miles of the 45th parallel which makes it halfway between the equator and the North Pole".^[8] The proclamation did not legally change its name.^[9] The city created and posted two signs at its borders that greeted visitors with "America's First Dot-com City". The city auctioned one of these off in September 2007 for $1000; the winner was Half.com's founder Josh Kopelman.^[10]

Half.com was bought by eBay in February 2001.^[11]

The original financial hardships that led to the city accepting Half.com's offer returned in 2004, when a company owning a promissory note secured by its fairgrounds and improvements demanded payment of over $530,000.

Geography

Wallowa–Whitman National Forest, with Halfway at center lower-right near the map's legend

Halfway is located 54 miles (87 km) east of Baker City, along Oregon Route 86, half way between Pine and Cornucopia, which gave the town its name.^[12] The city's geographic coordinates of 44°52′42″N 117°6′38″W (being close to 45° N) were part of the reason for Half.com to choose the town for its advertising gimmick.^[8]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.37 square miles (0.96 km²), all of it land.^[2]

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Halfway has a dry-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dsb).

Demographics

US Bank building in Downtown Halfway on the corner of Main Street and Grove Lane

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 288 people, 153 households, and 76 families residing in the city. The population density was 778.4 inhabitants per square mile (300.5/km²). There were 199 housing units at an average density of 537.8 per square mile (207.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.1% White, 1.7% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 1.4% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.5% of the population.^[3]

There were 153 households of which 19.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.6% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 0.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 50.3% were non-families. 46.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 19% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.88 and the average family size was 2.63.^[3]

The median age in the city was 52.7 years. 17.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 11.7% were from 25 to 44; 41% were from 45 to 64; and 23.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.9% male and 53.1% female.^[3]

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 337 people, 159 households, and 86 families residing in the city. The population density was 789.5 people per square mile (302.6/km²). There were 196 housing units at an average density of 459.1 per square mile (176.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.25% White, 2.97% Native American, 0.30% from other races, and 1.48% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.08% of the population.^[3]

There were 159 households out of which 24.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.4% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.3% were non-families. 39.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 24.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.12 and the average family size was 2.91.^[3]

In the city the population was spread out with 25.2% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 20.5% from 25 to 44, 26.1% from 45 to 64, and 23.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 86.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.3 males.^[3]

The median income for a household in the city was $17,212, and the median income for a family was $27,813. Males had a median income of $23,750 versus $13,194 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,997. About 24.5% of families and 28.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 40.2% of those under age 18 and 29.5% of those age 65 or over.^[3]

Economy

In 2001, the three largest employers in Halfway were the Pine Eagle School District, the Idaho Power Company, and the U.S. Forest Service, which combined to employ over 125 people.^[16]

Notable people

• Babette Beatty, the first Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover model^[17]
• Barnaby Keeney, former president of Brown University^[18]
• Robert S. Summers, professor at Cornell Law School^[19]
• Inga Thompson, former Olympic cyclist^[20]

References

External links

Media related to Halfway, Oregon at Wikimedia Commons

• Entry for Halfway in the Oregon Blue Book
• Halfway information from Hells Canyon Chamber of Commerce
• Archive of Hells Canyon Journal, Halfway's local newspaper

Municipalities and communities of Baker County, Oregon, United States
County seat: Baker City
Cities	Baker City Greenhorn Haines Halfway Huntington Richland Sumpter Unity
Unincorporated communities	Bridgeport Brownlee Carson Dixie Durkee Encina Hereford Homestead Hutchinson Jimtown Keating Lime Little Alps McEwen New Bridge Oxbow Pine Pleasant Valley Rock Creek Rye Valley Salisbury Sparta Weatherby Whitney Wingville
Ghost towns	Auburn Bourne Copperfield Cornucopia Nelson Robinette Pocahontas