Wilbur is an unincorporated community in Douglas County, Oregon, United States. Wilbur is located along Interstate 5 and Oregon Route 99 north of Winchester.[2] It was originally named Bunton's Gap, but the town was renamed Wilbur after James H. Wilbur. Wilbur started a school on his own land in Bunton's Gap in 1854; in 1857, under the name Umpqua, the college was chartered by the Oregon territorial legislature and also affiliated with the Methodist Church. A new two-story school was built, and Wilbur deeded his land to the academy's trustees.[3]

Wilbur, Oregon
Wilbur, Oregon is located in Oregon
Wilbur, Oregon
Wilbur, Oregon
Wilbur, Oregon is located in the United States
Wilbur, Oregon
Wilbur, Oregon
Coordinates: 43°19′15″N 123°20′26″W / 43.32083°N 123.34056°W / 43.32083; -123.34056
CountryUnited States
StateOregon
CountyDouglas
Elevation
469 ft (143 m)
Time zoneUTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code
97494[1]
Area code541
GNIS feature ID1166724[2]

For many years, Umpqua Academy was the only higher education institution between Salem and Sacramento. It closed in 1900. A group for former students and faculty, Umpqua Academy Association, existed from the 1870s until about 1930. The Association's papers are held at the University of Oregon.

Wilbur today includes a church, a store, a post office within the store, and a graveyard.

References edit

  1. ^ "Wilbur ZIP Code". zipdatamaps.com. 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Wilbur". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. November 28, 1980. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
  3. ^ "Oregon Historical Quarterly, volume 19".