# Drewsey, Oregon

Drewsey is an unincorporated village in Harney County, in the U.S. state of Oregon. Drewsey is located along the main stem of the Malheur River, approximately 45 miles (72 km) east of Burns, two miles north of U.S. Route 20.

## Pre-history

The region around Drewsey was frequented by Paiute tribes long before white settlers arrived. They caught salmon in the river and its tributaries and hunted and foraged on the land. Subsequent clashes between the two cultures led to creation of the Malheur Indian Reservation, which included the Drewsey area, in 1872. There the Paiutes and others were expected to learn about white culture and to become farmers. After further clashes, the Indians were re-located from the Malheur region to reservations elsewhere in the West. By the early 1880s, settlers began establishing themselves in and around Drewsey.

## History

Abner Robbins opened a store here in 1883 and named the place "Gouge Eye" to commemorate a local dispute. When Robbins applied for a post office, postal authorities did not accept the original name, so he changed it to "Drusy". When the office was established in 1884, however, it was registered under the name "Drewsey".
Drewsey grew rapidly in the late 19th century, depending on farming and ranching for its economic base. The Pacific Livestock Company, two lumbers mills, and other businesses thrived here through the 1920s. However, bypassed by the nearest east−west railway as well as the main highway, Drewsey lost population during the Great Depression and after. In the 21st century, Drewsey consists of a small number of homes, a combined garage and store with a post office, a tavern and restaurant, two churches, and an elementary school.

## Geography
### Climate

Drewsey has a steppe climate (Köppen Csb).
Climate data for Drewsey, Oregon, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1970–2014 :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 60 (16) | 67 (19) | 78 (26) | 89 (32) | 100 (38) | 101 (38) | 107 (42) | 104 (40) | 100 (38) | 90 (32) | 75 (24) | 60 (16) | 107 (42) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 48.8 (9.3) | 54.2 (12.3) | 68.0 (20.0) | 78.5 (25.8) | 88.0 (31.1) | 94.2 (34.6) | 100.1 (37.8) | 98.8 (37.1) | 92.6 (33.7) | 80.7 (27.1) | 63.7 (17.6) | 49.7 (9.8) | 100.9 (38.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 35.4 (1.9) | 41.6 (5.3) | 52.3 (11.3) | 59.9 (15.5) | 69.5 (20.8) | 77.7 (25.4) | 89.7 (32.1) | 87.9 (31.1) | 78.7 (25.9) | 63.6 (17.6) | 45.9 (7.7) | 34.6 (1.4) | 61.4 (16.3) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 25.9 (−3.4) | 30.9 (−0.6) | 38.7 (3.7) | 44.3 (6.8) | 53.2 (11.8) | 60.5 (15.8) | 69.2 (20.7) | 66.7 (19.3) | 57.6 (14.2) | 45.3 (7.4) | 33.4 (0.8) | 24.9 (−3.9) | 45.9 (7.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 16.5 (−8.6) | 20.3 (−6.5) | 25.0 (−3.9) | 28.8 (−1.8) | 36.9 (2.7) | 43.3 (6.3) | 48.7 (9.3) | 45.6 (7.6) | 36.6 (2.6) | 26.9 (−2.8) | 21.0 (−6.1) | 15.2 (−9.3) | 30.4 (−0.9) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −4.8 (−20.4) | 0.4 (−17.6) | 12.4 (−10.9) | 16.2 (−8.8) | 22.0 (−5.6) | 31.3 (−0.4) | 36.6 (2.6) | 33.5 (0.8) | 22.5 (−5.3) | 12.4 (−10.9) | 4.3 (−15.4) | −5.4 (−20.8) | −14.7 (−25.9) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −27 (−33) | −33 (−36) | 2 (−17) | 9 (−13) | 13 (−11) | 25 (−4) | 29 (−2) | 26 (−3) | 11 (−12) | −5 (−21) | −17 (−27) | −36 (−38) | −36 (−38) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.52 (39) | 1.03 (26) | 1.01 (26) | 0.90 (23) | 1.11 (28) | 0.90 (23) | 0.37 (9.4) | 0.28 (7.1) | 0.44 (11) | 0.82 (21) | 1.17 (30) | 1.58 (40) | 11.13 (283.5) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 10.2 (26) | 7.1 (18) | 1.9 (4.8) | 0.6 (1.5) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.1 (0.25) | 3.6 (9.1) | 12.4 (31) | 35.9 (90.65) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 9.5 | 7.9 | 7.8 | 9.0 | 7.8 | 6.3 | 2.7 | 2.6 | 2.7 | 5.3 | 9.5 | 10.1 | 81.2 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 5.5 | 3.4 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.2 | 6.0 | 18.9 |
| Source 1: NOAA ||||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service (mean maxima/minima 1981–2010) ||||||||||||||

### Time zones

Although Drewsey is officially in the Pacific Time Zone, some residents choose to unofficially observe the Mountain Time Zone due to close proximity to Malheur County. Despite this, Pacific Time is strictly adhered to by businesses and the Oregon Department of Transportation

## Education

Drewsey Elementary School is in Drewsey. It serves children in kindergarten through grade 8. Pine Creek Elementary School also has a Drewsy address. In 1969 Pine Creek Elementary had 8 students.
High school students are zoned to Crane Union High School, of Harney County Union High School District 1J.
Harney County is not in a community college district but has a "contract out of district" (COD) with Treasure Valley Community College. TVCC operates the Burns Outreach Center in Burns.

## Infrastructure
### Transportation

In the 21st century, there is an unmanned park-and-ride bus stop two miles south of Drewsey on Route 20 at Drewsey Road, of the Eastern Public Oregon Intercity Transit (POINT) bus line between Bend and Ontario. The bus makes one stop per day in each direction.
Two roads for cars and trucks lead to the community. Drewsey Road links Drewsey to Route 20, to the south. Drewsey Market Road connects to rural locations to the west along the Malheur River.