Alder, Oregon facts for kids

Alder is a small, unincorporated community located in Benton County, Oregon, United States. It's not a city or town with its own government, but rather a group of homes and buildings without official borders. Alder is found near U.S. Route 20 in Oregon, southeast of a place called Blodgett, Oregon. It sits right on the Marys River (Oregon) within the beautiful Central Oregon Coast Range.

The area around Alder once had a post office, but it wasn't called Alder. Instead, it was named Hipp.

How Alder Got Its Name (and Its Post Office)

A railroad station named Alder was set up in 1911 by the Southern Pacific Transportation Company. This railroad line, which goes to Toledo, Oregon, is now owned by the Portland and Western Railroad.

However, in 1922, when people wanted to open a post office for the community, the United States Post Office Department said no to the name "Alder." Why? Because there were already many other post offices with the same name, and they wanted to avoid confusion.

So, the manager of a nearby company called Climax Lumber Company suggested the name "Hipp." It's believed that this unique name was created using the first letters of the names of the people who owned the mill. The "Hipp" post office served the community until 1930.

Another Alder in Oregon

It's interesting to know that there was also another historic community named Alder in Wallowa County, Oregon. However, this Alder never grew very big or successful. It was too close to a more thriving town called Enterprise, Oregon, which became the main hub for that area.