Pamplin puts historic hotel up for sale

The tiny Central Oregon town of Shaniko was surprised to learn recently that its historic hotel is up for sale. This morning's Madras Pioneer has the story. The newspaper reports that the hotel's owner, businessman Robert Pamplin Jr., is at odds with city officials over the use of water from Pamplin's private well.

"It happened pretty fast and I'm kind of shocked," said Shaniko city councilman Byron Jacobus. "(Pamplin) invested in the town and has done an awful lot for the community. Why he pulled out, I don't know. But sitting down at a table (to talk) is better than dropping the hat and walking away," he added.

Pamplin had drilled a well on his property near the old wool barn in February 2007 and proposed constructing a 25- to 30-house subdivision there a few months later, purportedly to provide more employees for the hotel and other town businesses, and to enliven it with more residents. Shaniko currently has a population of 40, and 10 to 12 seasonal businesses.
