Bob Bennett poses with his cake, created by Jackie Wirth, that honors his military service in World War II. Bennett lives at the Pondosa Store, which is open daily to travelers who need a snack — or what to know about the history of Pondosa.

On the eve of his airplane flight above Baker County, Bob Bennett pondered another type of aerial stunt.

“He said last night ‘I think I’d like to jump out of an airplane,’ ” Lori Brock, Bob’s daughter, recounted as she waited at Baker Aircraft beside her father.

Her answer wasn’t no.

“Next year for your 100th birthday,” she said with a smile.

Bennett, who turned 99 on June 27, isn’t totally sold on the idea yet.

“I’m kind of iffy on it,” he said, a smile stretching across his face.

Then Bennett, a camera slung around his neck and a World War II veteran hat perched on his head, walked to the plane that would give him a bird’s eye view of his home.

That’s Pondosa, just across the Union County border along Highway 203, where he has lived since 1983.

Bennett’s hope, on this one-hour flight, was to capture a photo of Pondosa to compare to a 1950s aerial image on display in the Pondosa Store, where he lives.

The difference is stark.

Once home to 500 residents, many of whom worked at the sawmill, Pondosa changed dramatically in 1959 when the mill closed and houses were moved.

But the store, built in 1926, when Bennett was three, remains. It has 15 bedrooms, which were rented to single men during the mill’s operation.

Bennett’s wife Jean, who passed away in 2015, inherited the townsite from her brother, Lester Gaddy, who died in 1982.

Open for business

Although the town has since disappeared, the Pondosa Store is still open for travelers who need a refreshing drink or snack on the drive between Baker City and Union, a route that also accesses several popular Forest Service roads.

The store is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

And it’s busy, Brock said.

“We’re really busy — we got a liquor license so everyone’s stopping,” she said.

Campsites cater to weary travelers, and Brock said they are planning to add a yurt, as well.

She’s listed the camping on hipcamp.com. Recently, people from the Netherlands stayed in Pondosa for a week.

“They were just camping Oregon,” Brock said.

A delayed birthday

Bennett had to wait an extra week to celebrate his birthday thanks to the pesky virus that has disrupted life for more than two years.

His flight was Saturday, July 2. On Sunday, July 3, visitors were invited to stop at the Pondosa Store to wish him a happy birthday and have a piece of cake decorated to honor his service in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II.

Brock posted news of her dad’s birthday on the store’s Facebook page, and she hoped he would receive 99 birthday cards.

He’d opened about 25 by July 2, and those brightened his days, Brock said.

“He got cards from all over,” she said. “He thought that was neat, getting cards from strangers.”

Anyone who would like to mail a card can send it to Bob Bennett, 50281 Highway 203, Baker City, OR 97814.

For updates on the store, check the Facebook page: Pondosa, Oregon: the geographic center of the United States.