Mitchell
Wheeler County, 97750
Gateway to the Painted Hills!
We finally made it to Mitchell (May 2004). What a pleasant little town. Half of the place looks like a ghost town and the other half looks busy and prosperous. We liked both parts. This town, like Heppner, has a history of flooding as the "downtown" is built along Bridge Creek which, in a land of steep canyons, can be unruly. The lady at the Hotel Oregon told me the original hotel was swept away in 1904 and it is on the "up" side of main street. The replacement building burned in 1937 so they have quite a hard luck story. The present hotel is in great condition. Check out their web site at www.theoregonhotel.com (this link does not work any more. I hope the hotel is okay). The focal point seems to be "Henry" the black bear who lives in a large pen behind one of the gas stations.