Rose Lodge, Taft, Oceanlake, Cutler City – when you learn the stories about how these towns came to be, the Post Office plays a central role. In the early 1900s, there were only two methods of communicating long distance: by telegraph and the U.S. Postal Service. When our rural townsites had enough residents, they would petition their congressperson to establish a postal route in their community. Once approved, they would open a post office. It took more time for home delivery to reach rural residents of North Lincoln County, making the post office an important community hub. People would make their daily trek to check their mail, and catch up with their neighbors, which fostered a strong sense of community identity.
First post office in Oceanlake, L to R Arthur Deuel, H. E. Warren, & E. M. Feynolds, c. 1927
Our next rotating exhibit in our main hall will walk us through the history of the U.S. Postal Service in North Lincoln County. We’ll look at the lives of rural mail carriers like Archie Stephens, who traversed mud, sand, forests, and rivers, usually in the rain, to keep residents connected with family and friends from near and far. The exhibit will contain some of the letters that people wrote, showing examples of how people communicated before text messages and phones. We will explore how towns from Depoe Bay up to Otis and Rose Lodge got their post office, and sometimes their name.
As part of the exhibit we will be partnering with Oregon Humanities Dear Stranger program. “Dear Stranger is a recurring letter-exchange project that connects Oregonians through the mail to share experiences, beliefs, and ideas.” All while supporting the USPS! There will be prompts, letter writing supplies, and a drop box available throughout the year. Learn more HERE.
Come to the opening reception and Letter Night on April 3rd, from 5:00PM – 7PM. Bring a letter to share, or read one from NLCHM’s collection.
Lincoln City, Oregon, is commemorating its 60th anniversary in 2025, marking six decades since its incorporation on March 3, 1965. The city was formed by uniting the communities of Oceanlake, Delake, Nelscott, Taft, and Cutler City, along with several unincorporated areas. The name “Lincoln City” was chosen through a contest among local schoolchildren, aiming to represent the unified community without favoring any single area.
We’re excited to announce a generous $700,000 donation from the Jones Living Trust to the North Lincoln County Historical Museum! This incredible gift will help fund our preservation efforts, educational programs, and exhibit expansions, allowing us to better serve our community.
This donation is especially meaningful given the Jones family’s deep ties to the museum. Some of you may remember them, both active community members, and early supporters of NLCHM, even helping shape its foundation in the 1980s. Their passion and countless volunteer hours have left a lasting impact on the museum, and we’re thrilled to see their legacy continue.
A big thank you also goes to Peggy and Stephen Shambaugh, whose dedication and support in managing the Jones Living Trust made this gift possible.
We’re so grateful for the Jones Living Trust’s support. This donation ensures we can keep preserving local history and creating valuable learning opportunities for our community. The board of directors is actively working on determining the best way to allocate the funds, to help guarantee a future for NLCHM as a place to celebrate and learn about our local history.
