In this occasional feature, we explore the origins of Central Oregon place names. To suggest a place name for explanation, contact Julie Johnson, jjohnson@bend bulletin.com or 541-383-0308.

What: Antelope

Where: 30 miles northeast of Madras

The Antelope Valley — home of the town of Antelope and miles and miles of undulating High Desert terrain — gets its name from the herds of pronghorn antelope that were thick during pioneer times, according to author Lewis McArthur in his book “Oregon Geographic Names.” The animals still live in the vicinity.

In the 1980s, though, the town of Antelope was home to one of the strangest and most fascinating chapters in the history of Central Oregon.

Followers of an Indian guru bought the former Big Muddy Ranch in Wasco County, just outside of Antelope, in 1981. The mysterious, bearded Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and his meditating disciples launched a plan to turn the arid ranch into a mecca for his red-clad followers, and soon Rancho Rajneesh was formed. The ranch became a small city of about 6,000 residents, swelling to about 15,000 during a World Celebration in 1984. By contrast, only 40 people lived in Antelope before the arrival of the guru.

The Rajneeshees incorporated the ranch into a town called Rancho Rajneesh, Rajneeshpuram. They also had enough members living in the town of Antelope that they won the majority of seats on the Antelope City Council in 1982. Then, they promptly changed the name of the town to Rajneesh and legalized nudity in the city park.

Legal and other troubles ended the rule of the Rajneeshees by 1985. Members threatened people who challenged them. Rajneeshee “peace officers” began carrying submachine guns. Several followers were convicted of plots to kill Wasco County and federal officials.

Rajneeshee leaders, known already to be stockpiling weapons, had grown salmonella and other bacteria at the commune. They unleashed salmonella in The Dalles, slipping it onto salad bars, fruits, vegetables and coffee creamers at 10 restaurants. About 750 fell ill and 45 were hospitalized in what is still the largest germ warfare attack in U.S. history. The group’s Oregon presence finally collapsed in 1985 amid numerous state and federal investigations and the deportation of the guru. Several Rajneeshee officials were jailed on charges ranging from food poisoning and arson to attempted murder and immigration fraud. Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh died in India in 1990.

The ranch is now a summer church camp.

One more thing: In November 1985, the citizens of Antelope voted to return to the original name of their town, a name which, in any case, was still official, as far as the U.S. Postal Service was concerned.

Relying on the efficiency of the 97001 ZIP code, and not the name of the town itself, postal officials had never recorded the town’s name change, according to McArthur.

— Julie Johnson, The Bulletin