Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Lakeview

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
A−History
History · Lakeview

Lakeview dates to 1869, and 25% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 75% of U.S. towns. What drives it

8 places in town are on the National Register. Below: 11 old photos and papers, maps from 1890 on, and the census since 1880.

1869founded
8on the National Register
25%homes built before 1940
11old photos & papers
10famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Lakeview’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Lakeview began

When was Lakeview founded?

1869

Lakeview dates its founding to 1869 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1880.

First census: 270 in 18802020 census: 2,418157 years

How historic is Lakeview?

A−

More historic than 75% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1874.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Lakeview’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Lakeview is more historic than 75% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.

A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Lakeview’s overall grade.
Founding era1869, from Wikidata: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 194025.0% of homes (±7.8) · typical OR town 5.3% · U.S. 8.4%A−National Register8 listings, 24.5 per 10,000 residents · typical OR town 2.9 · U.S. 2.4A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 75%
NewerOlder

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 Lakeview’s 24.5 sits above most of its state (84% of Oregon towns have fewer) while its 8 listings outnumber those of 74% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±7.8 points). Two sources give 1869.

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). 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 Lakeview’s past

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

Boom and bustPeaked at 3,260 in 1960; 2,418 people lived here in 2020.Mapped building by building4 fire insurance maps, 1890 to 1913, drew every building in Lakeview.Landmarks on the Register8 places on the National Register.Old housesHalf of Lakeview’s homes were built before 1957.
★ What stands out · People over time

Lakeview, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,50018801900192019401960198020002020Peak: 3,260

Peaked at 3,260 in 1960; 2,418 people lived here in 2020.

15 censuses, 1880–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Lakeview’s Wikipedia page.

Every building

Lakeview, building by building, 1890–1913

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.

Lakeview fire insurance map, 1890, sheet 11890Sheet 1 of 2
Edition
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

On the National Register

8 historic places in Lakeview

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
8
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
8
each building in a district counts
first listed
1977
Post and King Saloon
Post and King SaloonHeryford Brothers BuildingWilliam P. Heryford HouseNevada-California-Oregon Railway Passenger StationBailey and Massingill StoreJohn N. and Cornelia Watson HouseLake County Round Sale BarnAlger Theatre
Buildings

Architectural styles listings

Victorian1
Classical1
Commercial1
Colonial Revival1
Prairie School1
Italianate1
Post and King SaloonVictorian
Heryford Brothers BuildingClassical
William P. Heryford HouseColonial Revival
Nevada-California-Oregon Railway Passenger StationPrairie School
Bailey and Massingill StoreItalianate
John N. and Cornelia Watson HouseQueen Anne
Lake County Round Sale BarnVernacular
All 8 listings
Alger TheatreBuilding · listed 2024

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

The story

How Lakeview came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Lakeview.

Read it all →

Native Americans occupied the area around Lakeview as early as 14,000 years ago, as evidenced by artifacts found in the Paisley Caves north of Lakeview. When European explorers came through the Goose Lake Valley, Shoshone-speaking people were living in the area.

In 1827, Peter Skene Ogden led a brigade of Hudson's Bay Company trappers through the Goose Lake Valley. He was followed in 1832 by John Work and his trappers. Work noted the hot springs north of Goose Lake (now called Hunter's Hot Springs) in his journal. The hot springs are approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) north of the Lakeview town site.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Lakeview, 1869 to 1980

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1869
    FoundingLakeview is established
  3. 1874Post officeThe Lakeview post office opens
  4. 1887Born hereCobina Wright is born here
  5. 20th century
  6. 1910In the archiveStreet scene
  7. 1945Born hereRick Sanders is born here
  8. 1949Born hereChuck Mawhinney is born here
  9. 1960CensusPopulation peaks at 3,260
  10. 1964On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  11. 1980Born hereKayte Christensen is born here
By decade

Lakeview, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1910s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1910s11 items
Street scene1910Street sceneLakeview Mineral Hot Springs, Central Oregon1910Lakeview Mineral Hot Springs, Central OregonStage arriving1910Stage arrivingThe Central Oregon Overland arriving at Hotel Lakeview1910The Central Oregon Overland arriving at Hotel LakeviewBoiling stream, two miles north of Lakeview, Central Oregon1910Boiling stream, two miles north of Lakeview, Central …Lakeview, Ore1910Lakeview, OreLakeview, Ore1910Lakeview, OreLakeview, Ore1910Lakeview, OreThe Overland arriving at Lakeview, Central Oreon1910The Overland arriving at Lakeview, Central OreonLakeview, Oregon1911Lakeview, OregonLakeview, Oregon1911Lakeview, Oregon
1920s–1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Today1 recent
Collins Pine sawmill, Lakeview, Oregon, 20112011Collins Pine sawmill, Lakeview, Oregon, 2011
On the map

Lakeview on the map, 1964 to 2004

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

Lakeview on the 1964 USGS mapLakeview on the 1975 USGS mapLakeview on the 2004 USGS map1964Lakeview NE 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 Lakeview.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Street scene
Retake this viewStreet scene, 1910

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Lakeview’s page.

Retake this view · +15
Famous people

10 famous people were born in Lakeview

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Rick SandersOlympic wrestler from the United States · b. 1945
Chuck MawhinneySniper for the United States Marine Corps · b. 1949
Kayte ChristensenAmerican basketball player and commentator · b. 1980
Cobina WrightAmerican actress · b. 1887
Jim RookerAmerican baseball player · b. 1942
Reub LongAmerican writer · b. 1898
Places that used to be

Places now gone and burying grounds

Lakeview’s post office has been open since 1874.

Gone or out of use
Bullard SchoolschoolHay SchoolschoolMcDonald Schoolschool
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Lakeview
Independent Order of Odd FellowsSunset

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Help out

Finish Lakeview’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewStreet scene: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10

Questions about Lakeview’s history

What year was Lakeview founded?

In 1869, according to Wikidata. Lakeview’s post office opened in 1874, and the census of 1880 counted 270 people here.

How does Lakeview rank for history?

Lakeview is more historic than 75% of U.S. towns. 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.

What is on the National Register in Lakeview?

8 listings: 8 buildings, among them the Post and King Saloon (listed 1977, the first).

How old are the homes in Lakeview?

25% of Lakeview’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.8 points), against a typical 5.3% for an Oregon town; the median home was built in 1957.

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).

From Wikimedia Commons (2), the Library of Congress (10), the National Register of Historic Places (8), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.