Canby

Canby - This area was settled in 1869 by the Hess family followed by the Pope’s in 1870. At that time it was called Warm Springs Valley, probably for the nearby hot springs. In 1874, the name was changed to Canby with the appointment of James Pope as the first postmaster. General E. R. S. Canby, for whom the town was named, was killed in 1873 during the Modoc Indian War at the Lava Beds.

This was and still is a ranching community, but in the middle 1930’s the timber industry played an important factor in the growth of the town, and it became more than just "a wide spot in the road." At one time there were two mills operating here, along with two logging camps, sixteen miles of rail logging and a gandy dancer crew, and Canby was on it’s way. The population grew to nearly 700 and there were over 100 students enrolled in the Arlington School. There was a cook and boarding house for the workers, a hotel, two stores, a service station, two bars and a community hall.

In 1966, the mill, then owned by Loveness Brothers, was destroyed by fire and Canby’s heyday was over. Families moved away in search of employment, but to those old timers who still live here, they have their memories of those days gone by. (Velma McCrary, 1997)

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