Dixie, Washington County, Oregon facts for kids

Dixie is a small, historic community located in Washington County, Oregon, United States. It's known as an unincorporated area. This means it doesn't have its own city government or mayor. Instead, the county government helps manage the area.

What is Dixie?

Dixie is a quiet place with a interesting history. It's found about five or six miles southwest of a town called Scappoose. Even though it's not a big city, it has a special story about how it got its name.

The First Post Office

The story of Dixie began in 1887. That year, a post office was opened in the area. A man named John Dix became the very first postmaster. A postmaster is the person in charge of a post office.

How Dixie Got Its Name

The post office was named "Dixie" to honor John Dix and his family. It's important to know that the name "Dixie" here is not connected to the "Dixie" often used to refer to the southern United States. It was purely a local name, chosen to remember the Dix family who lived there.

The Name Returns

The original Dixie post office closed down in 1924. Years later, around 1933, people started selling land in the area. They needed a name for the community to help with marketing and to give the place an identity.

A Community Vote

To decide on a name, the community held a special vote. This happened at a picnic around 1936 or 1937. Many people attended, and 80 of them voted for the name "Dixie." They chose this name to remember the old post office and its first postmaster, John Dix. This is how the historic name "Dixie" came back to the area.