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Gravelford, Oregon
Gravelford, Oregon is located in Oregon
Gravelford, Oregon
Gravelford, Oregon
Location in Oregon
Gravelford, Oregon is located in the United States
Gravelford, Oregon
Gravelford, Oregon
Location in the United States
Country United States
State Oregon
County Coos
Elevation
56 ft (17 m)
Time zone UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-7 (PDT)
GNIS feature ID 1121336

Gravelford is a small, unincorporated community in Coos County, Oregon, in the United States. An "unincorporated community" means it's a place where people live, but it doesn't have its own local government like a city or town. It's located about 8 miles (13 km) northeast of Myrtle Point. Gravelford sits right where two rivers meet: the North Fork Coquille River and the East Fork Coquille River.

Gravelford's Name and History

How Gravelford Got Its Name

The name Gravelford comes from a natural "ford" in the stream. A ford is a shallow place in a river or stream where you can cross by walking or driving. This particular ford had a lot of gravel, which gave the community its name.

The Old Post Office

A post office was opened in Gravelford in 1878. It was first called Gravel Ford (two words). Solomon J. McCloskey was the very first postmaster. Even though official post office records used the two-word spelling, maps from the post office and the USGS (United States Geological Survey) often showed it as one word, "Gravelford." The post office eventually closed in 1934. After that, people in Gravelford received their mail through Myrtle Point.

What Gravelford Was Like

In 1915, Gravelford was a busy little community. It had two factories that made cheese, two churches, and even an Adventist school. There was also a public school for the local children.

Gravelford Today

Today, Gravelford is much smaller than it used to be. By 1990, only two houses remained from the original community. However, Gravelford still has a volunteer fire department. This fire station is a satellite, or smaller branch, of the Myrtle Point fire department. The Gravelford Cemetery, where many early residents are buried, was started in 1884.

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