Hugo, Oregon facts for kids

Hugo is a small, unincorporated community located in Josephine County, Oregon, in the United States. Being an "unincorporated community" means it's a place where people live together, but it doesn't have its own local government like a city or town. Instead, it's managed by the larger county government. Hugo is situated north of the city of Grants Pass.

Hugo's Story

Early Days and the Railroad

Hugo was first known by a different name: "Gravel Pit." It began in 1883 as a special stop for trains called a "flag station." A flag station was a simple place where trains would only stop if someone waved a flag to get on, or if a passenger on the train told the conductor they wanted to get off there. Before the railroad arrived, a person named Charles U. Sexton settled on the land that would later become Hugo. He "homesteaded" it, meaning he claimed and lived on the land to make it his own.

In the early days, before cars were common, many people from nearby areas like what is now Sunny Valley would travel to Hugo. They would catch the train there to go to bigger towns like Grants Pass, Medford, or Glendale. The railroad was a very important way for people to travel and connect with other places.

How Hugo Got Its Name

The community got its current name thanks to Mrs. May Hall Henny. In December 1895, she applied for a post office for the area. She suggested the name "Hugo," which was chosen to honor a long-time farmer in the area named Hugo Garbers. Official postal records show that the post office moved from its first spot to a new location on August 22, 1896.

Farming and Community Life

For a long time, the Hugo area was famous for growing a lot of cherries. This continued well into the 20th century. Farming was a big part of life for the people living there. A respected county judge named Garrett Crockett owned farms nearby for many years, showing the importance of agriculture in the community's history.