Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Black Butte Ranch

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
–Not graded
History · Black Butte Ranch

Half of Black Butte Ranch’s homes were built after 1979

Most of Black Butte Ranch was built recently: 0.0% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1979. Below: maps from 1959 on.

0on the National Register
0.0%homes built before 1940
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: Tedder · CC BY 3.0

What stands out about Black Butte Ranch’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Black Butte Ranch are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Black Butte Ranch’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Black Butte Ranch’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story

How Black Butte Ranch came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Black Butte Ranch.

Read it all →

The planned community of Black Butte Ranch was developed starting in 1970 by Brooks Resources, a subsidiary of Brooks-Scanlon Lumber Company on the site of the former Black Butte cattle ranch directly south of Black Butte. The first residents arrived in 1971 and Black Butte Ranch post office was established the same year.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Black Butte Ranch, decade by decade

Today18 recent
2017-07-09 Black Butte Ranch 1120172017-07-09 Black Butte Ranch 112017-07-09 Black Butte Ranch 1020172017-07-09 Black Butte Ranch 102017-07-09 Black Butte Ranch 0920172017-07-09 Black Butte Ranch 092017-07-09 Black Butte Ranch 0820172017-07-09 Black Butte Ranch 082017-07-09 Black Butte Ranch 0720172017-07-09 Black Butte Ranch 072017-07-09 Black Butte Ranch 0620172017-07-09 Black Butte Ranch 062017-07-09 Black Butte Ranch 0520172017-07-09 Black Butte Ranch 052017-07-09 Black Butte Ranch 0420172017-07-09 Black Butte Ranch 042017-07-09 Black Butte Ranch 0320172017-07-09 Black Butte Ranch 032017-07-09 Black Butte Ranch 0220172017-07-09 Black Butte Ranch 022017-07-09 Black Butte Ranch 0120172017-07-09 Black Butte Ranch 01View of2013View ofMcKensie Loop Drive, Black Butte Ranch, OR 8-29-13zzq2013McKensie Loop Drive, Black Butte Ranch, OR 8-29-13zzqHorses at2013Horses at2013-07-28 View from Black Butte toward20132013-07-28 View from Black Butte towardBlack Butte Ranch lodge and Mount Bachelor2010Black Butte Ranch lodge and Mount BachelorBlack Butte Ranch - Mount Washington2009Black Butte Ranch - Mount WashingtonHouse at the ranch2007House at the ranch
On the map

Black Butte Ranch on the map, 1959 to 1988

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Black Butte Ranch. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Black Butte Ranch on the 1959 USGS mapBlack Butte Ranch on the 1988 USGS map1959Sisters sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Black Butte Ranch.

Famous people

Famous people close to Black Butte Ranch

Nobody well known was born in Black Butte Ranch itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
River PhoenixAmerican actor and musician (1970–2026 · b. 1970
Ian BoswellAmerican racing cyclist · b. 1991
Jacoby EllsburyAmerican baseball player · b. 1983
William A. NiskanenAmerican economist · b. 1933
K
Kiki CutterAmerican alpine skier · b. 1949
G
George M. CampbellUnited States Navy Navy Cross recipient · b. 1907

Questions about Black Butte Ranch’s history

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (18), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.