Wolf Creek, Oregon
Encyclopedia
Wolf Creek is an unincorporated community
in Josephine County, Oregon
, United States
, just off Interstate 5
. Its ZIP code
is 97497.
There are a number of creeks in Oregon named Wolf Creek, after the wolves
that were once abundant in the state. Wolf Creek post office was established 1882, while a railroad station called "Almaden" was located in the same place in 1883. The station was renamed to match the post office in 1888, and in 1895 the post office was renamed to "Wolfcreek" until 1951.
The pioneer-era "Six Bit House" was an inn located on the Applegate Trail
that passed through Wolf Creek area long before it had a post office. The original Six Bit House was probably built in 1853, near a hairpin turn
of the Southern Pacific Railroad
. The inn went through several incarnations until the present Wolf Creek Tavern was built in about 1883. The site, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
, is now run by the Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department as the Wolf Creek Inn State Heritage Site
and is the oldest continuously operating hotel in the state.
in the contiguous United States is Interstate 5 near Wolf Creek.
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 Josephine County, Oregon
Josephine County, Oregon
Josephine County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. According to Oregon Geographic Names, the county is probably named after a stream in the area called Josephine Creek, which in turn is probably named after Virginia Josephine Rollins Ort. In 2010, its population was 82,713...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, just off Interstate 5
Interstate 5
Interstate 5 is the main Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific Ocean coastline from Canada to Mexico . It serves some of the largest cities on the U.S...
. Its ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
is 97497.
There are a number of creeks in Oregon named Wolf Creek, after the wolves
Gray Wolf
The gray wolf , also known as the wolf, is the largest extant wild member of the Canidae family...
that were once abundant in the state. Wolf Creek post office was established 1882, while a railroad station called "Almaden" was located in the same place in 1883. The station was renamed to match the post office in 1888, and in 1895 the post office was renamed to "Wolfcreek" until 1951.
The pioneer-era "Six Bit House" was an inn located on the Applegate Trail
Applegate Trail
The Applegate Trail was a wilderness trail through today's U.S. states of Idaho, Nevada, California, and Oregon, and was originally intended as a less dangerous route to the Oregon Territory.-Background:...
that passed through Wolf Creek area long before it had a post office. The original Six Bit House was probably built in 1853, near a hairpin turn
Hairpin turn
A hairpin turn , named for its resemblance to a hairpin/bobby pin, is a bend in a road with a very acute inner angle, making it necessary for an oncoming vehicle to turn almost 180° to continue on the road. Such turns in ramps and trails may be called switchbacks in American English, by analogy...
of the Southern Pacific Railroad
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
. The inn went through several incarnations until the present Wolf Creek Tavern was built in about 1883. The site, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, is now run by the Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department as the Wolf Creek Inn State Heritage Site
Wolf Creek Inn State Heritage Site
Wolf Creek Inn State Heritage Site is a state park in the U.S. state of Oregon, administered by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. The inn was built along the Applegate Trail in 1883 for Henry Smith, a local entrepreneur. It is the oldest continuously operating inn in the Pacific...
and is the oldest continuously operating hotel in the state.
Points of interest
The westernmost section of the Interstate Highway SystemInterstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, , is a network of limited-access roads including freeways, highways, and expressways forming part of the National Highway System of the United States of America...
in the contiguous United States is Interstate 5 near Wolf Creek.
External links
- Historic images of Wolf Creek from Salem Public Library