Maupin was named after Howard Maupin, a Kentucky-born stock raiser and farmer who came to Oregon in 1863. In 1872 Commodore Perry Maupin, Howard’s son, established a ferry across the Deschutes River. Mrs. W.H. Staats acquired the town site and, together with her husband, started preparing a town for the future railroads to be built up the Deschutes Canyon. Staats named the town site Maupin’s Ferry but the name didn’t last. Postal authorities shortened it to Maupin in 1909.

With a year-round population of about 490 residents (5,000 if you include the entire school district), Maupin is one of six incorporated cities in Wasco County and is situated in the “south county” which also includes the cities of Antelope and Shaniko. The “north county” cities of The Dalles, Mosier, and Dufur have a larger population as a whole, a result of their proximity to the Columbia River and quick access to metropolitan areas. The entire county has a population of approximately 23,791 people (2000 Census data).

With a total city area of only 1.4 square miles, the city of Maupin is actually situated on both sides of the Deschutes River. U.S. Highway 197 is one of the few spots, north of Madras, where vehicle crossing is possible. The nearest major highway is Interstate 84, 39 miles north. The nearest major city is The Dalles, also 39 miles north. Portland is 95 miles to the northwest, Salem (the state capital) 100 miles west (as the crow flies).

Demographically, Maupin’s median age is 44 years. Median family income in the city $38,854, per capita income $17,626 (2000 Census data).

Maupin’s economy is based almost entirely on its one major asset ― the Deschutes River. Important access points for whitewater rafters, kayakers, anglers, and bird watchers abound along the river and the community truly values its greatest natural resource.

But it wasn’t always a recreation-based economy. Until the mid-1980’s Maupin enjoyed a wood products industry base and was known as a “mill town” like many other Oregon rural communities.

“We’re a recreation town that can’t get away from the fact that we were a mill town. The mill closed in the mid-80’s and Maupin would be dead now if the river wasn’t here, it’s our greatest resource. We’re a young recreation town struggling to settle into becoming a recreation-based economy. Our problems revolve around jobs and affordable housing,” said Rob Miles, owner of the Imperial River Company, a lodge and recreation provider located right on the Deschutes River.

Although log home construction provided jobs in recent years, the recent recession put a damper on the construction industry leaving seasonal-dependent tourism jobs as residents’ only options. Some residents commute the 39 miles to The Dalles for work but, again, the recession has made jobs harder to find.

Lynn Harris, a longtime resident of Wapinitia, 15 miles west of Maupin, understood the challenge well. “I had been working for Oregon Log Homes as a bookkeeper and, when the economy slowed down, I thought to myself ― now what? I knew there were no jobs in South County, I figured it was time to get creative and follow my passions.”

The current recession (and much-publicized jobless recovery) has forced many rural Oregonians to consider other ways of making a living ― namely starting their own businesses or working for themselves ― right in their own communities.

But how does someone who’s always worked for others start their own business? Who do they turn to for advice, mentoring, and direction?

Typical economic development models in rural communities do not address the passions and desires of individuals who want to start a business. They concentrate instead on luring companies away from other locales, generally to achieve lower overall operation costs, or they try to help existing companies perform better. Their mission does not include the passionate entrepreneur who may (or may not) be the sole employee.

Non-profits like Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO) based in Bend have had successes attracting new businesses to the region. The recent acquisition of the Facebook data center to Prineville is a prime example. Up to 35 new jobs will be created as a result of EDCO’s hard work. Unfortunately for Prineville the net loss of jobs is much higher due to Les Schwab’s corporate headquarters move to Bend.

And let’s not forget Google’s data center in The Dalles. As widely reported, many cities campaign for and would love to have a Google facility (with upwards of 200 jobs) in their community.

“The typical economic development model says we should attract businesses that already exist in other areas. But that’s a zero-sum game. One community loses and another one wins. Are we going to play the ‘let’s screw our neighbor’ game?’ To some extent you have to keep your eye on those ‘redistribution’ opportunities like Facebook’s data center in Prineville. Maupin’s trying to keep industrial land available so that we can do both―attract new businesses while developing new ones through enterprise facilitation,” stated Rob Miles, Imperial River Company owner.

Typically referred to as “chasing smokestacks,” Maupin has done its share of trying to attract businesses offering living/family wage jobs but, to date has not been successful with it.

Denny Ross, Maupin’s charismatic Mayor since 2003, remembers one conversation with a fellow graduate of Maupin High School who was talking about several companies that would perhaps like to locate in Maupin.

“He asked me what kind of incentives the city could offer to make a sweeter deal. I told him to tell his company friends that, in Maupin, you can go fishing at 6:00 am, go to work at 10:00, work until 6:00 pm, and fish until dark. Maupin is the deal. The people we want here want to live in Maupin before they get here,” said Ross.

Many community colleges around the state offer “So you want to start a business” classes for aspiring business owners. Such classes are generally well-attended in urban areas but rural residents find it difficult to attend classes that can be many miles away. And then there’s the issue of cost, both travel and education costs, not your first priority in a rural community when you are trying to pay basic living expenses in a down economy.

Mary Merrill, Director of the Small Business Development Center at Columbia Gorge Community College, has even experienced challenges offering classroom instruction right in rural communities so that students wouldn’t have to travel over 40 miles to The Dalles or Hood River.

“We offered a class right in Maupin and I believe we only had three prospective students, it clearly wasn’t attractive to the community,” said Merrill.

So the dilemma remains―how does a small rural community like Maupin help residents with new business ideas develop those passions into viable businesses that fuel community economic development?

This is the first in a series of posts about the struggles and successes of a rural Oregon community. Look for the next installment by Bill Mintiens.

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