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 Wagontire, Oregon

note: submitted to Rogue Valley Times for possible publication

 

 

 

 

audio clip

poem version 

 

Wagontire Oregon 1973

In 1973, I embarked on a road trip with my father. We left Berkeley, heading toward Yakima, where my father owned a summer cabin. As a college professor, he enjoyed the luxury of July and August off, and our dysfunctional family spent those summers together in the mountain cabin from 1968 to 1978. Our annual pilgrimage was both a trip to hell and a journey back.

My father and I shared a wanderlust—a love for exploring new places. This trip turned out to be one of our best. Surprisingly, we got along, which was unusual given our typically tense relationship. We were vastly different, but during this journey, we became friends..

We drove east along Highway 395, entering the high mountain desert of eastern Oregon. The road stretched ahead, almost deserted. Then we saw the sign: Wagontire, Oregon, 100 miles ahead. We counted down the signs, mile after mile, as dusk settled around us. We speculated Wagontire must be a giant truck stop—an oasis in the middle of nowhere.

Interspersed with the Wagontire signs were Burma Shave signs. Highway 395 was one of the last highways to still have these signs, which had been phased out in most places by 1966 or so.

Burma shave signs were written in rhyming couplets or quatrains cowboy poetry style, ending with the tag line Burma Shave. Here are two examples:

“Shaving brushes

You’ll soon see ’em

On a shelf

In some museum

Burma-Shave”

 

“Within this vale

of toil

and sin

your head grows bald

but not your chin–use

Burma-Shave”

 

 

 

 

 

We counted down the miles  until at last we pulled into town.  But when we pulled into town, reality struck. There was nothing but a gas station, a motel, and a cafe. Last gas for 100 miles, according to the highway sign. I chatted with the owner, who was the sheriff, fire chief, and owner of the only business in town. The sign outside read: “Welcome to Wagontire, Oregon. Population:  200,000 sheep, 10 dogs, two and one half humans..”

Curiously, I asked who was the half-human, and the sheriff replied, “My idiot son.”

I did not know it, but this was my last big solo road trip with my father. We drove to and from the cabin a few more times, last time in 1984, but this trip was special and one I will always remember. Mainly because my dad and I finally became “friends” during this trip and got along great. Unfortunately, that moment did not last, and we soon re-entered our difficult relationship, but during that trip, we got along famously.

 

2016 Revisiting Wagontire

 

Fast forward to 2016. My wife and I drove through eastern Oregon as part of an epic cross-country trip—31 states, 100,000 miles in three months to celebrate my retirement from 27 years of serving the country in the U.S. Foreign Service working overseas in 10 countries.  We thought it was time to see America.

 

We followed Highway 395, revisiting the memories of my trip with my father 40 years earlier. But Wagontire had changed. The signs were gone, the motel abandoned, and the town reduced to ruins—a ghost town.

As we reflected on Wagontire and other “nothing burgs,” we pondered the heart of Trump’s forgotten America—the flyover country that often escapes our attention.

Reflections on my visit to Wagontire, Oregon, in 1973 and 2016.

 

Prose Poem Version

 

Wagontire Oregon 1973, 2016

In 1973,

I went on a road trip
With my Father,

We left Berkeley

to go to Yakima
Where my father

had a summer cabin.

He was a college professor
And had July and August off

And we spent our summers,
Every summer from 68 to 78
In that mountain cabin,

 

and hanging with my Uncle

who had inherited the family

apple farm in Yakima.

Our whole dysfunctional family
Our annual trip

to hell and back

And we did not

get along at all.

We decided to drive

through Eastern Oregon
Just my Father and me.

Just for the hell of it
The rest of the family

was already there,

My father and I shared a travel lust
Loved to go to new places
One of the few things we shared.

This was one of our best trips
We actually got along
Which was unusual.

Normally our relationship
Was fraught with tension
As we were so different.

We left Klamath Falls
A real noting burg in those days
And headed east along Highway 395.

As we entered the

desert  of Eastern Oregon

America’s Outback lands

We entered a different world

High mountain  desert
Almost no one on the road

Then we saw the signs

Wagontire Oregon

100 miles ahead
99 miles
98 miles

intersperse with the signs

were Burma Shave signs

 

one of the last highways

to have these cowboy poetry

advertisements

 

Just a few examples

for those who have never

seen these lost Americana signs

common from 1915 to 1975

 

Shaving brushes

You’ll soon see ’em

On a shelf

In some museum

Burma-Shave

 

Within this vale

of toil

and sin

your head grows bald

but not your chin – use

Burma-Shave

 

 

 

 

 

We counted down the signs

Mile after mile

 

Wagontire

Burma shave add

 

Wagontire

Burma Shave

 

every mile

counting down

.

As we drove

into the gathering dusk,

We speculated that Wagontire

Must be a giant truck stop

 

An oasis in the desert

In the middle of nowhere,

 

We pulled into town

Nothing but a gas station

Motel and cafe

 

We stopped

Last gas for 100 miles

According to the highway sign

 

In the morning

We chatted with the owner.

 

He was the sheriff, fire chief

rancher and Owner

of the motel gas station.

 

The only business in town

And the only place open

For one hundred miles.

 

I noticed a sign outside

 

“Welcome to Wagontire, Oregon

Population 200,000 sheep.

and two and one half-humans.”

 

I asked the sheriff

“Who is the half-human?”

He said,

“My idiot son.”

 

And we left

200 miles

We finally

 left Eastern Oregon.

2016

 

In 2016, my wife

and I drove

through Eastern Oregon.

As part of our epic

Cross-country trip

to celebrate my retirement

from the U.S. Foreign Service.

 

31 states

10,0000 miles

in three months.

 

On the way

from Medford, Oregon

to Yellowstone,

 

We drove along

Highway 395,

40 years since

my trip with my father.

 

The signs for

Wagontire were gone

as were the Burma Shave signs.

 

As we drove through the town

The motel was abandoned

Nothing there at all.

 

The motel was in ruins

Just another ghost town.

 

And that sign was gone too

Just a small sign saying,

Wagontire, Oregon.

 

We speculated about wagon tire

And all the other nothing burgs

We drove through that summer.

 

Heart of Trump’s

Forgotten America

Fly over country.

 

background info on Burma Shave commercials by Microsoft Co-Pilot

Certainly! Burma-Shave was an American brand of brushless shaving cream, but it became even more famous for its unique advertising campaign. Let me share some interesting details and a few delightful Burma Shave poems with you:

1. History of Burma-Shave:
   • Introduced in 1925by the Burma-Vita company in Minneapolis, it was initially known for a liniment made from ingredients sourced from the Malay Peninsula and Burma.
   • Seeking wider appeal, they launched the Burma-Shavebrand of brushless shaving cream along with a clever advertising program.
   • At its peak, Burma-Shavewas the second-highest-selling brushless shaving cream in the US.
   • Unfortunately, sales declined in the 1950s, and in 1963, the company was sold to Philip Morris. The iconic roadside signs were removed at that time.
   • In 1997, the American Safety Razor Companyreintroduced the Burma-Shave brand with a nostalgic shaving soap and brush kit, although the original product was brushless¹.
2. The Iconic Roadside Signs:
   • Burma-Shavesigns were a brilliant advertising gimmick. They consisted of small sequential signs posted along highways.
   • Typically, six consecutive signs formed a verse, with the last sign revealing the brand name.
   • These humorous rhyming poems captured passing motorists’ attention during the early years of highway travel.
   • As the Interstate system expanded and speeds increased, the signs became less effective, and they were eventually discontinued when the company was acquired by Philip Morris¹.
3. Sample Burma Shave Poems:
   • Here are a couple of classic Burma-Shaveverses:
     • “If you want / Your girl to grin / Take those whiskers / Off your chin / Burma Shave” ²
     • “Cheer up, face – the war is over! / Burma-Shave” (from the first series) ¹
     • “If hugging on highways – Is your sport / Turn in your car – For a davenport! / Burma Shave” (a nostalgic reflection) ³

These witty and memorable poems left a lasting cultural impact, reminding us of a bygone era when highways were dotted with clever signs and a touch of humor. 🚗🌟

Background Info on Wagontire Oregon from Microsoft Co-Pilot

Wagontire, an unincorporated community in Harney County, Oregon, lies along U.S. Route 395. The name itself is intriguing—it conjures images of a remote outpost in the vast Oregon landscape.

Here are some fascinating details about Wagontire:

1. Origin of the Name:
   • The community was named after the nearby Wagontire Mountain.
   • Despite its modest size, the name carries a sense of adventure and history.
2. Historical Context:
   • In the late 1970s, Wagontirewas home to just two people: William and Olgie Warner.
   • The Warners owned a property that included a gas station, café, motel, general store, and an RV park.
   • Across the road from these buildings was Wagontire Airport, where planes would taxi across the highway and refuel at the gas station.
   • The signs outside humorously declared: “Welcome to Wagontire, Oregon. Population: 2½ humans, 10 dogs, 200,000 sheep.”
3. Changing Times:
   • Fast forward to 2016, and Wagontirehad transformed.
   • The signs were gone, the motel abandoned, and the town reduced to ruins—a ghost town.
   • It became a symbol of the heart of forgotten America, the flyover country often overlooked by travelers.
4. Education:
   • Wagontire falls within Suntec School District 10(Suntec School, grades K-8) and Harney County Union High School District 1J (Crane Union High School).

Wagontire—a place where time stood still, where echoes of the past whisper across the desert landscape. 🌵🚗

¹: Geographic Names Information System ²: United States Topographic Map ³: Moyer, Armond; Moyer, Winifred (1958). The Origins of Unusual Place-Names. Keystone Pub. Associates, p. 137. ⁴: Monroe, Bill (December 14, 1997). “Under the Desert Sky: Solitude for Sale.” The Oregonian. : Weber, first (July 11, 1993). “Everyone Stops At Wagontire (Pop. 2).” The New York Times. : Frazier, Joseph B. (April 2, 2000). “Life Takes on a Slow Pace in Wagontire.” Albany Democrat-Herald.

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