Durkee, Oregon

For many, many years, my family would travel to Walla Walla, Washington, where my parents' families were from. We could travel through eastern Oregon, up to near Pendleton, where we would cut off on the Indian reservation to go to Walla Walla. Just before Baker City, we would go past Lime, Oregon, which was a big factory, and this little community of Durkee. I was always charmed by the little church we could see off in the distance. When I was little, it was painted pink, then a little later, in my teenage years, a mustard color. On the trip to Portland, I asked K if we could stop for a closer look. We tried to stop on the way, but missed it--"I thought there were TWO exits...". We stopped on the way back, where the church is now painted a sand color.

I have to honestly say that Durkee looked a lot better from far away. There's hardly any information available for Durkee. Wickipedia says its "an unincorprated community in Oregon. It has a post office..." but doesn't even list population. There were a couple of trailer homes and one bigger home, and the post office, and a restaurant nearby, the Long Redneck Cafe, but we never saw it.

It was little on the sad side.