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Hart, Moses and Mary, Stone House and Ranch ComplexHart, Moses and Mary, Stone House and Ranch Complex · Photo: Ian Poellet · CC BY-SA 4.0
–Not graded
History · Harper

Harper’s post office opened in 1913, and 17% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1966 on.

1913first post office
0on the National Register
17%homes built before 1940
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Harper began

When was Harper founded?

1913

The Harper post office opened in 1913, the earliest record of the town by name.

2020 census: 113113 years
Founding year: the first Harper post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).

What stands out about Harper’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 Harper are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Harper’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Harper’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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The story so far

Harper, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Harper yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Harper is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Malheur County, Oregon, United States. It has a post office with ZIP code 97906. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 113.

Its first post office opened in 1913. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 109 to 113 (+4%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

By decade

Harper, decade by decade

Today4 recent
Mule deer in eastern Oregon2016Mule deer in eastern OregonMule deer in eastern Oregon2016Mule deer in eastern OregonMule deer in eastern Oregon2016Mule deer in eastern OregonHarper, Oregon bus stop - Eastern POINT2011Harper, Oregon bus stop - Eastern POINT
On the map

Harper on the map, 1966 to 1990

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

Harper on the 1966 USGS mapHarper on the 1990 USGS map1966Harper 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 Harper.

Famous people

Famous people close to Harper

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

See all →
P
Phyllis McGinleyAmerican writer and poet · b. 1905
C. Ben RossAmerican politician · b. 1876
Denny SmithAmerican politician · b. 1938
Dave WilcoxAmerican football player · b. 1942
C
Charles BurtonAmerican amateur wrestler · b. 1973
Sally FlynnAmerican musician · b. 1946

Questions about Harper’s history

What year was Harper founded?

The Harper post office opened in 1913, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

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 (4), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) 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.