Fossil, Oregon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fossil, Oregon
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Main Street
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Location in Oregon
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| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| County | Wheeler |
| Incorporated | 1891 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.78 sq mi (2.03 km2) |
| • Land | 0.78 sq mi (2.03 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 2,654 ft (809 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 447 |
| • Density | 570.15/sq mi (220.23/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−8 (Pacific) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (Pacific) |
| ZIP code |
97830
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| Area code(s) | 541, 458 |
| FIPS code | 41-26650 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1120903 |
| Website | www.cityoffossil.org |
Fossil is a small city in Oregon, United States. It is the main town, or county seat, of Wheeler County. The city got its name from Thomas B. Hoover, its first postmaster. He found some fossil remains on his ranch, which led to the name "Fossil." In 2010, about 473 people lived there.
Contents
History of Fossil
The story of Fossil began on February 28, 1876. That's when the Fossil post office was first set up. It was on the ranch of Thomas Benton Hoover, near Hoover Creek. He decided to call the place Fossil because he had found ancient plant and animal remains, called fossils, in a clay-like rock on his land.
In 1881, Thomas Hoover and Thomas Watson opened a store. They moved the post office to this new store. When Fossil officially became a city in 1891, Thomas Hoover became its first Mayor.
Fossil Becomes County Seat
In 1899, Wheeler County was created. The Oregon Legislature chose Fossil to be the temporary county seat. This meant it was the main town for the county government.
In 1900, people in the county voted to pick a permanent county seat. Fossil won with 436 votes. Other towns like Twickenham and Spray also received votes.
Early Businesses and Events
In the early 1900s, Fossil grew. Winlock W. Steiwer and George S. Carpenter started the first bank in the city. Fossil also had a flour mill, a blacksmith shop, a drug store, and other shops. There was even a place to keep horses, called a livery stable.
In the 1920s, a famous speaker named William Jennings Bryan visited Fossil. He spoke at a special event called a Chautauqua meeting. Later that decade, a company tried to find oil in Fossil, but they were not successful.
Geography and Climate
Fossil is located in north-central Oregon. It sits where two main roads, Oregon Route 19 and Oregon Route 218, meet. A creek called Butte Creek, which flows into the John Day River, runs through the city.
The city covers about 0.79 square miles (2.03 square kilometers) of land. There is no water area within the city limits.
Nearby Attractions
A very interesting place near Fossil is the Clarno Unit of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. It's about 18 miles (29 km) west of Fossil along Route 218. This area is famous for its ancient fossils.
Fossil is also about 30 miles (48 km) northwest of Spray. It's about 20 miles (32 km) south of Condon if you travel along Route 19. Larger cities like Bend and Portland are a few hours' drive away.
Weather in Fossil
The weather in Fossil changes throughout the year.
- In January, the average temperature is about 34.0°F (1.1°C).
- In August, it's warmer, with an average of about 64.5°F (18.1°C).
The hottest temperature ever recorded in Fossil was 111°F (44°C) on July 29, 2003. The coldest was -26°F (-32°C) on January 26, 1957. Fossil has a climate that is like a warm-summer Mediterranean climate. This means it has warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters.
| Climate data for Fossil, Oregon, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1945–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 70 (21) |
76 (24) |
78 (26) |
87 (31) |
100 (38) |
108 (42) |
111 (44) |
106 (41) |
100 (38) |
98 (37) |
75 (24) |
70 (21) |
111 (44) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 59.7 (15.4) |
61.8 (16.6) |
67.8 (19.9) |
75.4 (24.1) |
84.3 (29.1) |
91.1 (32.8) |
98.1 (36.7) |
96.6 (35.9) |
90.7 (32.6) |
79.8 (26.6) |
65.9 (18.8) |
56.9 (13.8) |
99.6 (37.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 42.2 (5.7) |
46.1 (7.8) |
52.2 (11.2) |
57.9 (14.4) |
66.3 (19.1) |
73.0 (22.8) |
84.5 (29.2) |
84.2 (29.0) |
74.3 (23.5) |
62.8 (17.1) |
48.1 (8.9) |
40.6 (4.8) |
61.0 (16.1) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 34.0 (1.1) |
35.8 (2.1) |
40.0 (4.4) |
44.6 (7.0) |
51.8 (11.0) |
57.5 (14.2) |
65.0 (18.3) |
64.5 (18.1) |
57.1 (13.9) |
48.1 (8.9) |
38.3 (3.5) |
32.5 (0.3) |
47.4 (8.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 25.8 (−3.4) |
25.5 (−3.6) |
27.8 (−2.3) |
31.3 (−0.4) |
37.3 (2.9) |
41.9 (5.5) |
45.5 (7.5) |
44.7 (7.1) |
39.9 (4.4) |
33.4 (0.8) |
28.4 (−2.0) |
24.3 (−4.3) |
33.8 (1.0) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 10.9 (−11.7) |
11.9 (−11.2) |
19.7 (−6.8) |
23.2 (−4.9) |
28.0 (−2.2) |
34.4 (1.3) |
38.4 (3.6) |
38.3 (3.5) |
32.1 (0.1) |
21.4 (−5.9) |
16.3 (−8.7) |
10.8 (−11.8) |
1.2 (−17.1) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −26 (−32) |
−22 (−30) |
2 (−17) |
12 (−11) |
15 (−9) |
25 (−4) |
25 (−4) |
28 (−2) |
18 (−8) |
3 (−16) |
−16 (−27) |
−24 (−31) |
−26 (−32) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.40 (36) |
1.17 (30) |
1.51 (38) |
1.35 (34) |
2.12 (54) |
1.32 (34) |
0.44 (11) |
0.58 (15) |
0.55 (14) |
1.47 (37) |
1.38 (35) |
1.76 (45) |
15.05 (383) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 1.9 (4.8) |
1.4 (3.6) |
0.4 (1.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.3 (0.76) |
1.1 (2.8) |
1.8 (4.6) |
7.1 (18.06) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 4.9 | 4.7 | 5.7 | 5.4 | 6.2 | 4.4 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 2.4 | 5.0 | 5.9 | 3.9 | 51.9 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 3.2 |
| Source 1: NOAA (snow/snow days 1981–2010) | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service | |||||||||||||
People of Fossil
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 100 | — | |
| 1890 | 153 | 53.0% | |
| 1900 | 288 | 88.2% | |
| 1910 | 421 | 46.2% | |
| 1920 | 519 | 23.3% | |
| 1930 | 538 | 3.7% | |
| 1940 | 532 | −1.1% | |
| 1950 | 645 | 21.2% | |
| 1960 | 672 | 4.2% | |
| 1970 | 511 | −24.0% | |
| 1980 | 535 | 4.7% | |
| 1990 | 399 | −25.4% | |
| 2000 | 469 | 17.5% | |
| 2010 | 473 | 0.9% | |
| 2020 | 447 | −5.5% | |
| source: | |||
In 2010, the city of Fossil had 473 people living in 224 households. About 18.8% of these households had children under 18. The average age of people in Fossil was 56.1 years. About 18.6% of the residents were under 18, and 32.1% were 65 or older.
Arts and Culture
Fossil has some fun events and interesting places to visit.
Annual Events
- Wheeler County Fair and Rodeo: This big event happens every year on the second weekend in August.
- Wheeler County Bluegrass Festival: On the first weekend of July, you can enjoy bluegrass music on the courthouse lawn.
- Motorcycle Rallies: The American Bikers Aimed Toward Education (ABATE) of Oregon holds motorcycle rallies in late May.
- Golf Tournaments: Golf fans can play in tournaments at a six-hole golf course near Fossil, in a place called Kinzua.
Museums and Points of Interest
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- Public Fossil Field: Fossil is home to Oregon's only public fossil field! It's located behind Wheeler High School. Here, you can find fossils of ancient animals and plants, like the Metasequoia tree. For many years, finding fossils was free. Now, there's a small fee (it was $5 in 2011), and you can collect up to three fossils.
- Oregon Paleolands Institute (OPLI): The main office and exhibition hall for OPLI are in Fossil, close to the courthouse. OPLI is a non-profit group that teaches people about the area's geology (how the Earth is made) and paleontology (the study of fossils). They offer tours, hikes, and workshops.
Education
Fossil is part of the Fossil School District 21J. The city has two schools: Wheeler High School and Fossil Elementary School. In the 2011–2012 school year, about 50 students were in grades 7 through 12, and about 35 were in kindergarten through grade 6.
Notable People
- Bill Bowerman: He was a famous coach and one of the people who started Nike, Inc., the big sports company. Bill Bowerman lived in Fossil when he was a boy. He was also a direct descendant of Thomas Benton Hoover, who founded the Fossil post office.
See also
In Spanish: Fossil (Oregón) para niños
