Oretown, Oregon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Oretown
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 Oretown
Location in Oregon
Oretown
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| County | Tillamook |
| Elevation | 39 ft (12 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| GNIS feature ID | 1147268 |
| Coordinates and elevation from Geographic Names Information System | |
Oretown is a small, quiet place in Tillamook County, Oregon, in the United States. It's called an "unincorporated community," which means it's not officially a city or town with its own local government. You can find Oretown along U.S. Route 101, about 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Neskowin and south of Nestucca Bay.
How Oretown Got Its Name
In 1877, two settlers named James B. Upton and S. H. Rock wanted a mail route and a post office for their community. They asked Senator John H. Mitchell for help.
Upton had a special stamp, or "seal," that said "Oregon City." He thought they could name the new post office "Ore City" and change his stamp to use it. However, Senator Mitchell knew this would be confusing. There was already a big city called Oregon City.
So, Senator Mitchell suggested the name "Oretown" to the postal authorities instead. This name was accepted, and the Oretown post office opened in 1877. It served the community for many years, finally closing in 1954. Today, people in Oretown get their mail through a Cloverdale mailing address.
What Oretown Was Like
Long ago, Oretown was a busy little place. It had a factory that made cheese and another factory that canned salmon. These businesses were important for the people living there.
Today, Oretown is much quieter. You can still see a historic church, the Oretown Bible Church, which was built in 1913. There's also a Grange hall that was built in 1907. A Grange hall is a community building where local farmers and their families used to meet. Besides these historic buildings, there are only a few houses left in the community.
