On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Crooked River Ranch is among the newest of U.S. towns, #134 of 142 in Oregon. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
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HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Crooked River Ranch’s overall grade.
Oregon towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Oregon town has 2.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Crooked River Ranch’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (18% of Oregon towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share (±0.8 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: our sources. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Crooked River Ranch’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Prior to European Colonialism, this area was populated by groups of people from what is now known as the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.
In 1910, Hillsboro politician Harry V. Gates bought the Crooked River Ranch property from local homesteaders and named it "Gates Ranch". The main ranch house was built in 1916 and is currently in use as a senior center. The property was named "Crooked River Ranch" as early as 1934. In 1961 the ranch was sold to the Thomas Bell family, who operated it as the Z-Z Cattle Co. for the next 10 years. In 1972 Crooked River Ranch was sold and developed as a recreational site. In 1980, the ranch's zoning changed from recreational to rural/residential. In 1992, the site was rezoned as a residential subdivision.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Crooked River Ranch. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1962Opal City sheet · 1:24,000
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Crooked River Ranch.
Famous people
Famous people close to Crooked River Ranch
Nobody well known was born in Crooked River Ranch itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Crooked River Ranch’s history
How does Crooked River Ranch rank for history?
Crooked River Ranch is among the newest of U.S. towns, #134 of 142 in Oregon. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Crooked River Ranch?
0.0% of Crooked River Ranch’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 5.3% for an Oregon town; the median home was built in 1998.
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).
From Wikimedia Commons (6), 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.
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