Finn Rock, Oregon
Encyclopedia
Finn Rock is an unincorporated community
in Lane County
, Oregon
, United States
. It is located on Oregon Route 126 and the McKenzie River
, between the communities of Nimrod
and Blue River
, in the Willamette National Forest
.
community, and is named after an unusual rock formation
on Route 126 near the mouth of Finn Creek. Although the rock resembles a shark
's fin, the rock was named for Benjamin Franklin Finn, an early settler of the area. Ben Finn was known as "The biggest liar in on the McKenzie River," and claimed to be the inspiration for Mark Twain
's Huckleberry Finn. Finn Rock post office operated from 1947 until 1961. The 1929 general store
building that also served as the post office is now a restaurant.
The Finn Rock Rest Area, formerly known as Howard Morton State Park, is located near Finn Rock.
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 Lane County
Lane County, Oregon
-National protected areas:*Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge *Siuslaw National Forest *Umpqua National Forest *Willamette National Forest -Government:...
, 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...
. It is located on Oregon Route 126 and the McKenzie River
McKenzie River
The McKenzie River is a tributary of the Willamette River in western Oregon in the United States. It drains part of the Cascade Range east of Eugene and flows into the southernmost end of the Willamette Valley. It is named for Donald MacKenzie, a Scottish Canadian fur trader...
, between the communities of Nimrod
Nimrod, Oregon
Nimrod is an unincorporated community in Lane County, Oregon, United States, on the McKenzie River. It is located along Oregon Route 126, between Vida and Blue River, 35 miles east of Eugene, in the Willamette National Forest. As of 2003, its population was roughly 190. Nimrod is the site of a...
and Blue River
Blue River, Oregon
Blue River is an unincorporated community in Lane County, Oregon, United States. It is located on Oregon Route 126 along the McKenzie River, between the communities of Finn Rock and Rainbow. It is in the Willamette National Forest, where the Blue River empties into the McKenzie...
, in the Willamette National Forest
Willamette National Forest
The Willamette National Forest is a National Forest located in the central portion of the Cascade Range of US state of Oregon.It comprises 1,675,407 acres making it one of the largest national forests. Over 380,000 acres are designated wilderness which include seven major mountain peaks...
.
Background and history
Finn Rock was once a loggingLogging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
community, and is named after an unusual rock formation
Monolith
A monolith is a geological feature such as a mountain, consisting of a single massive stone or rock, or a single piece of rock placed as, or within, a monument...
on Route 126 near the mouth of Finn Creek. Although the rock resembles a shark
Shark
Sharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago....
's fin, the rock was named for Benjamin Franklin Finn, an early settler of the area. Ben Finn was known as "The biggest liar in on the McKenzie River," and claimed to be the inspiration for Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
's Huckleberry Finn. Finn Rock post office operated from 1947 until 1961. The 1929 general store
General store
A general store, general merchandise store, or village shop is a rural or small town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, sometimes in a small space, where people from the town and surrounding rural areas come to purchase all their general...
building that also served as the post office is now a restaurant.
The Finn Rock Rest Area, formerly known as Howard Morton State Park, is located near Finn Rock.
