Gibbon, Oregon

Gibbon, Oregon
Gibbon, Oregon is located in Oregon
Gibbon, Oregon
Gibbon, Oregon
Location within the state of Oregon
Coordinates: 45°41′58″N 118°21′54″W / 45.69944°N 118.36500°W / 45.69944; -118.36500
CountryUnited States
StateOregon
CountyUmatilla
Elevation1,759 ft (536 m)
Time zoneUTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (PDT)
Area code(s)458 and 541
GNIS feature ID1142712[1]

Gibbon is an unincorporated community in Umatilla County, Oregon, United States.[1] It is about 20 miles (32 km) east of Pendleton on the Umatilla Indian Reservation, near the Umatilla River.[2][3]

Gibbon is a station on the Union Pacific railroad that was named for Major General John Gibbon, who was in command of the Department of the Columbia based in Vancouver, Washington, in 1885–86.[4][5] At the time the railroad was being constructed, a station at or near Gibbon was named Mikecha, made up from the names of three civil engineers named Mink, Kennedy, and Chalk.[4] At the beginning of the 20th century, the name of the station was changed to Bingham Springs, because it served the Bingham Springs resort, which is 8 miles (13 km) east up the Umatilla River.[4] The name of the post office, however, remained Gibbon.[4] Gibbon post office ran from 1892 through 1966.[4] At some point, the name of the railroad station was changed back to Gibbon.[4] Today, Gibbon has an Adams mailing address.

As of 1940, Gibbon had a school that served both Native American and other children.[3]

  1. ^ a b c U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Gibbon, Oregon
  2. ^ Oregon Atlas & Gazetteer (7th ed.). Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. 2008. p. 74. ISBN 0-89933-347-8.
  3. ^ a b Writers' Program of the Work Projects Administration in the State of Oregon (1940). Oregon: End of the Trail. American Guide Series. Portland, Oregon: Binfords & Mort. p. 259. OCLC 4874569.
  4. ^ a b c d e f McArthur, Lewis A.; McArthur, Lewis L. (2003) [1928]. Oregon Geographic Names (7th ed.). Portland, Oregon: Oregon Historical Society Press. pp. 83–84, 400, 523–524. ISBN 978-0875952772.
  5. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 137.