Kinton, Oregon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kinton
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The Kinton Grange hall
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 Kinton
Location in Oregon
Kinton
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| County | Washington |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code |
97007
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| Area code(s) | 503 and 971 |
Kinton is a small, quiet community in Washington County, Oregon, United States. It's not a city with its own government. Instead, it's an unincorporated community. This means it's a place where people live, but it's managed by the county government, not its own local city hall.
Kinton is located near the Tualatin River. You can find it close to where Oregon Route 210 and River Road meet. This area is about eight miles north of Newberg. It's also six miles southwest of Beaverton and seven miles southeast of Hillsboro.
Long ago, Kinton was important for a ferry. This ferry, called the Scholls Ferry, helped people cross the Tualatin River. It connected Kinton with a nearby place called Scholls. Even though a bridge replaced the ferry a long time ago, Oregon Route 210 is still known as Scholls Ferry Road. Kinton is also in Oregon's wine country, which means there are many vineyards and wineries nearby.
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Kinton's Early History and Naming
Kinton got its name from an early pioneer named Peter Kindt. He was one of the first settlers in the area. Peter Kindt claimed land nearby under a special law. This law was called the Donation Land Claim Act.
Kinton used to have its own post office. It operated from 1894 to 1903. Today, if you send mail to Kinton, it will have a Beaverton mailing address.
How Kinton's Land Was Formed
The land around Kinton has a very interesting past. About 20 million years ago, lava flowed from eastern Oregon. This lava traveled down the Columbia River. It created a layer of basalt lava in what is now Washington County.
Later, during the last ice age, huge floods happened. These were called the Missoula floods. They covered the region many times. These floods left behind rich silt and topsoil. This made the land very fertile for farming.
The Donation Land Claim Act and Settlers
A few thousand years after the floods, a new law was passed. It was the Donation Land Claim Act of 1850. This law was made to encourage people to move to the Oregon Territory. Many people came to Oregon using the Oregon Trail.
This law helped many families get land. Before it ended in 1855, over 7,400 land claims were given out. One of these claims went to Peter Kindt. His land was near the Tualatin River. That's why the community of Kinton was named after him.
The Important Scholls Ferry
Kinton was lucky to be near a ferry crossing. Peter Scholl built this ferry around 1848. It helped people cross the Tualatin River. Mr. Scholl ran the ferry for many years. Later, he built a toll bridge instead. This covered bridge was used until at least the 1920s, but it is gone now.
The road that goes through Kinton to Scholls is still called Scholls Ferry Road. Today, this road (Oregon Highway 210) and SW River Road are important routes. They are also very scenic to drive. You can see historic houses and barns along the way.
