Early Shot of Austin on the Sumpter Valley Ry.

This photo I think it looking more or less west at Austin, Oregon on the Sumpter Valley Ry. Austin was the terminus of the Sumpter Valley Ry. for a little while until the line was extended to Prairie City in 1910. It remained an important location with a 4 stall engine house, depot and water tank. I have hesitated to share this early image, because I find it confusing in terms of relating to the present day. Over to the distant right side of the shot is the Oregon Lumber Co. mill. You can make out a large building just this side of the mill proper which from other photos was probably their shop and engine house. I can't make out anything related to the SVRy. I would say that is near the far side of the shot just this side of the hill. The mainline coming from Baker would be coming down the hill from the right and heading toward Prairie City to the left side of the shot. The photo may have been taken before the railroad was extended to Prairie. The road in the photo doesn't seem to match the present road, nor an extension of the present road that is abandoned across the meadow. I am inclined to think that the WHEccles mill location would be behind the photographer, but the photo may predate its construction. It would be neat sometime to get permission to wander around out in the meadows around Austin with copies of old photos in hand. The scan is from the SVRR Archive.