Alder is an unincorporated community

Unincorporated area

In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...

 in Benton County

Benton County, Oregon

-National protected areas:*Siuslaw National Forest *William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 78,153 people, 30,145 households, and 18,237 families residing in the county. The population density was 116 people per square mile . There were 31,980...

, Oregon

Oregon

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Alder lies near U.S. Route 20

U.S. Route 20 in Oregon

U.S. Route 20 in Oregon is a major east–west cross-state highway, especially east of the Cascade Mountains. It connects U.S. Route 101 in Newport on the central Oregon Coast to the Idaho state line east of Nyssa.- Route description :...

 southeast of Blodgett

Blodgett, Oregon

Blodgett is an unincorporated community in Benton County, Oregon, United States, where Oregon Route 180 meets U.S. Route 20 in the Central Oregon Coast Range 15 miles west of Corvallis. It is near the confluence of the Tumtum and Marys rivers. The population was 58 at the 2010 census.Blodgett was...

 on the Marys River

Marys River

Marys River is a tributary of the Willamette River in the U.S. state of Oregon. From its source at the confluence of its east and west forks near Summit, it flows generally southeast from the Central Oregon Coast Range to Corvallis.-Name:...

 in the Central Oregon Coast Range

Central Oregon Coast Range

The Central Oregon Coast Range is the middle section of the Oregon Coast Range, in the Pacific Coast Ranges physiographic region, and located in the west-central portion of the state of Oregon, United States roughly between the Salmon River and the Umpqua River and the Willamette Valley and the...

. The post office serving Alder was named Hipp.

Alder railroad station on Southern Pacific's Toledo

Toledo, Oregon

Toledo is a city located on the Yaquina River and along U.S. Route 20 in Lincoln County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 3,472...

 Line (now owned by the Portland and Western Railroad

Portland and Western Railroad

The Portland and Western Railroad is a Class II railroad serving the U.S. state of Oregon, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of shortline and regional railroad holding company Genesee & Wyoming Inc...

) was established in 1911, but in 1922 the Post Office Department

United States Post Office Department

The Post Office Department was the name of the United States Postal Service when it was a Cabinet department. It was headed by the Postmaster General....

 would not name the community's new post office "Alder" because of potential confusion with many other offices with the same name. The name "Hipp" was suggested by the office manager of the nearby Climax Lumber Company mill; the name was apparently made up from the initials of the first names of people who owned the mill. The office ran until 1930.

Wallowa County

There was also a historic community named Alder in Wallowa County

Wallowa County, Oregon

Wallowa County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is included in the 8 county definition of Eastern Oregon. According to Oregon Geographic Names, the origins of the county's name are uncertain, with the most likely explanation being that it is derived from the Nez Perce term for a...

.
The Wallowa County Alder never flourished, because of the proximity of the more successful Enterprise

Enterprise, Oregon

Enterprise is a city in and the county seat of Wallowa County, Oregon, United States. The population was 1,895 at the 2000 census, with an estimated population of 1,940 in 2007.- History :...

.