Gaston

 

 

 

For about two decades now, there has been no gas in Gaston. Named after a railroad baron, the town was known for its onions, but the fertile land created by draining Wapato Lake a century ago is no longer as fertile. So, more recently, the federal government has been buying up land with an eye on restoring the old lake as part of the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. Also in recent decades, you no longer see the police parked along Oregon 47 waiting to ticket people speeding by town between McMinnville (or Yamhill/Carlton) and Forest Grove. Also of note, Gaston’s school and fire districts include Cherry Grove.