Linslaw, Oregon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Linslaw, Oregon
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 Linslaw, Oregon
Location in Oregon
Linslaw, Oregon
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| County | Lane |
| Elevation | 305 ft (93 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code |
97490
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| Area code(s) | 458 and 541 |
Linslaw is a small, quiet place in Lane County, Oregon, in the United States. It's not a big city or town with its own government, but rather an "unincorporated community." This means it's a group of homes and buildings that are part of the larger county, not a separate city. You can find Linslaw about eight miles west of a place called Walton, right along Oregon Route 126 and next to the beautiful Siuslaw River.
Contents
The Story Behind the Name
Have you ever wondered how places get their names? For Linslaw, it's a bit of a mystery! In 1917, people living in the area wanted to open a post office there. A post office is where you send and receive mail, and it was very important for communities back then.
How Linslaw Got Its Name
When the request for the post office was sent to the United States Post Office Department, it was approved with the name "Linslaw." But here's the interesting part: nobody in the area could really explain where the name came from!
A writer named Lewis A. McArthur, who wrote a famous book called Oregon Geographic Names, had a clever idea. He thought that the name was actually supposed to be "Siuslaw," like the nearby river. He believed that someone's handwriting on the official request might have been a bit messy, and the name "Siuslaw" was misread as "Linslaw." It's like a historical typo!
Post Office Closes
The Linslaw post office served the community for many years. However, it eventually closed its doors in 1957. This often happens when communities change, and people might start using post offices in nearby towns instead.
Railroad Connections
Linslaw was also an important stop for trains. The Coos Bay Line, which belonged to the Southern Pacific Railroad, had a station right here. Train stations were busy places where people could get on and off trains, and goods could be loaded and unloaded.
Modern Railroad Use
Today, the same railroad line is still in use, but it's owned by a different company called the Central Oregon and Pacific Railroad. Even though the post office is gone, the railroad continues to connect Linslaw to other places.
