Antelope, Oregon
In the early 1980s, hundreds of members of the Rajneesh movement moved in and built a small city in previously unoccupied land they purchased.The Antelope Valley was probably named by European-American members of Joseph Sherar's party, who were packing supplies to mines in the John Day area.[7] In the mid-19th century, Antelope began as a station along the wagon road connecting The Dalles on the Columbia River with gold mines near Canyon City.[12] The railroad timetable for September 9, 1900, lists a daily stagecoach run from the train terminal in Shaniko to Antelope and beyond.The town attempted to disincorporate in April 1982 to avoid a takeover by the Rajneesh followers, who registered to vote in Antelope en masse and rejected the measure.[14] The organization collapsed in 1985 following the discovery by the authorities of criminal activities, such as a bioterror attack a year prior that exposed non-Rajneeshees in Wasco County to salmonella to prevent them from voting.[7] Subsequent to the collapse of the commune, the property reverted to ownership by the State of Oregon for non-payment of taxes, and was sold to Montana billionaire Dennis Washington in 1991 for $3.65 million.
OregonCountryCountyIncorporatedTime zonePacificZIP codeArea codeFIPS codeWasco CountyRajneesh movementa small cityvoter registrationsmass food poisoning attackaborted plot to assassinate a U.S. AttorneyRajneeshJoseph SherarJohn DayDeschutes RiverBarlow RoadpronghornsThe DallesColumbia RiverCanyon CityThe Dalles Military RoadAntelope SchoolHoward MaupinMaupin, OregonColumbia Southern RailwayShanikoOregon Legislative AssemblyRajneeshpuramBhagwan Shri Rajneeshbioterror attacksalmonellaU.S. Postal ServiceDennis WashingtonYoung Lifeparachurch organizationForensic FilesNetflixWild Wild CountryOregon Route 218Oregon Route 293MadrasPortlandUnited States Census BureauKöppen climate classificationwarm-summer Mediterranean climateKöppenprecipitationcensuspopulation densityNative Americanmarried couplesMcArthur, Lewis A.Oregon Historical SocietyNewspapers.comPacific Historical ReviewOregon Blue BookOregon Geographic NamesThe Oregon EncyclopediaDarkSky InternationalWasco County, OregonCounty seatCitiesMaupinMosierChenowethPine GrovePine HollowRowenaSportsmans ParkTygh ValleyOthercommunitiesBakeovenCelilo VillageClarnoCriterionEndersbyFairbanksFriendNanseneSimnashoSouth JunctionWapinitiaGhost townsKingsleyOrtleyIndian reservationWarm Springs Indian ReservationMa Anand SheelaPratiksha ApurvMa Prem HasyaDavid Berry KnappJane StorkPhilip ToelkesThe Dalles, Oregon1984 Rajneeshee bioterror attack1985 Rajneeshee assassination plotByron v. Rajneesh Foundation InternationalMy Life in OrangeRebellious FlowerSearching for SheelaAir Rajneesh