Oxbow, Oregon is the southern gateway to the Hells Canyon Recreation Area. It’s name reflects the U-shaped bend in the Snake River named after this agricultural implement.

The present-day community of Oxbow was established in the early 1960s during the construction of the Oxbow Dam by the Idaho Power Company. It is located near the former site of the infamous town of Copperfield (learn more below).

The Oxbow post office was established on May 1, 1965, after moving the office from Homestead six miles to the north.

Copperfield (present-day Oxbow), originally called “Copper Camp,” was established in the late 1890s along the west bank of the Snake River, downstream from a bend in the Snake River known as an oxbow.. Though the name suggests copper wealth, Oregon writer Stewart Holbrook claimed “there was no copper in Copperfield”; instead, the town existed to satisfy the “uninhibited appetites” of over two thousand workers engaged in nearby construction projects.

Law enforcement in Copperfield was minimal at best, despite having a town marshal and a four-cell jail on the second floor of the dance hall, which doubled as city hall. Saloons freely served liquor on Sundays, gambling ignored state prohibition laws, and organized brawls became common entertainment—particularly among rival groups of power-plant and railroad workers who clashed with a gentleman’s agreement to avoid knives and guns. The disorder prompted Oregon Governor Oswald West to impose martial law on January 2, 1914, sending his private secretary and five militiamen to restore order, in what became known as the “Copperfield Affair,” a scandal that drew national attention. [At left, Copperfield foot bridge across Snake River]

Despite a growing population and promise of prosperity, Copperfield’s future was short-lived. A devastating fire in 1915 destroyed most of the town, with a second blaze two years later leaving only the post office and schoolhouse. The post office closed in 1927, the railroad halted in 1931, and the school finally consolidated with Homestead in 1945. [At left, Copperfield Store]

The hatchery was constructed in 1962 by Idaho Power Company as part of its operating license for Brownlee, Oxbow, and Hells Canyon dams on the Snake River. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission requires Idaho Power to operate this facility to conserve fish runs that were impacted by the construction of the three dam complex. These dams were built without fish passage facilities with the idea that salmon and steelhead would be trapped and trucked around the dams. When this program failed, Idaho Power provided funds to build Oxbow Fish Hatchery. Idaho Power Co. is rebuilding the fish hatchery starting Spring of 2023. Work is expected to be completed the end of 2024.

In the late 1950s, the Oxbow area experienced a revival when Idaho Power constructed three major dams on the Snake River: Brownlee Dam, Oxbow Dam, and Hells Canyon Dam. According to Idaho Power, “in a normal water year, the three plants provide approximately 70% of Idaho Power’s annual hydroelectric generation and approximately 30% of the total energy generated.” Unfortunately, the Hells Canyon Complex dams do not offer a passage for migrating salmon, resulting in the blockade of anadromous salmonids’ access to a section of the Snake River drainage basin extending from Hells Canyon Dam up to Shoshone Falls, known as the upper Snake River basin.

The Snake River originates in Wyoming and runs 1,078 miles to the Columbia. The Hells Canyon region of the Snake River are the ancestral lands of the Shoshone and Nez Perce tribes. According to the Nez Perce tribe, Coyote (a mythical figure in Indian folklore) created the Snake River Canyon in a single day to shield the people on the west side of the river from the Seven Devils, a group of malevolent spirits living in the mountain range to the east. In the late 1800s, the military forcibly removed the Native Americans, and settlers began ranching and mining in the canyon. Today, boaters can explore the area’s archaeological sites and historic homesteads, all of which contribute to the canyon’s colorful and fascinating history.

In 1906, the Northwestern Railroad Company was founded as a short-line railroad, laying tracks from Huntington, OR, along the Snake River. The preliminary work for this railroad spur included a 2,100-foot tunnel through the neck of the oxbow in the river. At the same time, the predecessor of Idaho Power Company began construction of the power plant that included a dam to divert water. In 1910 and 1911, the company was sold in two separate transactions to the OWR&N. It remains uncertain whether the 58-mile stretch of railway to Robinette, Brownlee, Copperfield, and Homestead was ever run independently or solely operated under the OWR&N.

Homestead lies about 4 miles north of Oxbow. It was platted around 1898 along a Northwest Railway Company line that never developed. It thrived because of the patronage of the miners from the Iron Dyke Mine and because it was the railhead for local orchards. The community was named for the homestead claim of Frank E. Pearce. The Homestead post office operated until May 1, 1965 when it was relocated to Oxbow. Image circa 1915 – 1925.

Copper Creek TH is a gateway into Hells Canyon Wilderness. Designated in 1975, Hells Canyon Wilderness is approximately 219,000 acres, and is a subset of the larger Hells Canyon National Recreation Area. This trailhead offers access to a rugged 8 mile out and back hike into the heart of the Oregon side of Hells Canyon Wilderness.