Twickenham, Oregon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Twickenham, Oregon
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Twickenham along the John Day River
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 Twickenham, Oregon
Location in Oregon
Twickenham, Oregon
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| County | Wheeler |
| Named for | Twickenham, a suburb of London, England |
| Elevation | 1,562 ft (476 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (PST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| Area code(s) | 541 |
| Coordinates and elevation from United States Geological Survey | |
Twickenham is a small, unincorporated community in Wheeler County, Oregon. An unincorporated community is a place that doesn't have its own local government like a city or town. It is located right along the John Day River. You can find it between the communities of Service Creek and Mitchell, Oregon. A bridge called North Twickenham Road crosses the river here.
Contents
How Twickenham Got Its Name
Twickenham has an interesting story behind its name. It was first called Contention. This name came from a disagreement between two important people who lived there.
From Contention to Twickenham
The first post office in the area opened in 1886 and was named Contention. Later, a daughter of one of the people involved in the original quarrel suggested a new name. She thought Twickenham would sound much better and more proper. This name came from a suburb of London, England.
The Contention post office closed in 1895. Then, a new post office opened in 1896 in the same general area. This new one was officially named Twickenham. It stayed open until 1917. After that, mail for Twickenham was sent through Fossil, which is about 20 miles (32 km) north.
Twickenham's Role in County History
After Wheeler County was formed in 1899, Twickenham was considered as a possible county seat. A county seat is the main town where the county government offices are located.
The County Seat Election
In 1900, people across the county voted to decide where the county seat should be. The election results showed:
- Fossil received 436 votes.
- Twickenham received 267 votes.
- Spray received 82 votes.
So, Fossil became the county seat. At that time, Twickenham was a busy little place. It had a store, a hotel, a blacksmith shop, and a ferry that helped people cross the river.
