Bonanza is a city in Klamath County, Oregon, United States near Klamath Falls. Take a look below for 10 interesting and obscure facts about Bonanza, Oregon, United States.
1. The population was 415 at the 2010 census.
2. Bonanza is at an elevation of 4,127 feet (1,258 m) in southern Klamath County near the Oregon–California border.
3. The city is at the east end of Oregon Route 70, a spur off Oregon Route 140.
4. By highway, Bonanza is about 21 miles (34 km) from Klamath Falls and 300 miles (483 km) from Portland.
5. The Lost River flows through Bonanza.
6. The city, in a farming district, was named after the Spanish word for prosperity (literally smooth sea), apparently because of the good springs found nearby. The Bonanza post office was established in 1875.
7. J. P. Roberts founded the community in 1876 and opened a store there.
8. Bonanza was formally platted in 1878. By around 1900, it was considered the third most important city in Klamath County, after Klamath Falls and Merrill. Daily mail arrived by stagecoach.
9. The chief products of the region were cattle, horses, grain, hay, fruits, and vegetables.
10. Bonanza is an agricultural community with large areas of alfalfa, cattle, and dairy farm use. The Lost River runs near downtown where the Bonanza Big Springs are located. Low water levels have caused groundwater contamination through the springs and added to the regional controversies over water use, endangered suckers (fish) and struggling salmon species, and farming.