Tangent was mentioned as early as 1880-81 in McKinney’s Pacific Coast Directory. In R. L. Polk’s Gazetteer for Oregon, Washington & Idaho for 188 the place was listed as settled in 1871 on the Oregon & California Railroad, six miles south of Albany, with mail daily and J. J. Beard, postmaster — evidently a son of Z. Beard who ran a general merchandise store many years earlier. There was a grain warehouse of 100,000 bushels capacity, a church and a district school, and the population was given as 70 (160). During the years the inhabitants of Tangent have been variously estimated at 175, 185, and as high as 250. However, Rand—McNally in 1941 gives the population as 140. The Oregon Almanac of 1915 said of Tangent that the town lay at an elevation of 304 feet, had 185 people, was on the main line of the Southern Pacific, shipped grain, hops, livestock, fruit and wool, had a high and graded public school and Methodist and Episcopal churches. U. S. Census of 1940 credits Tangent precinct with a population of 679. The name originated because of the more than twenty miles of straight railroad tracks that runs from the town north and south (161).

 Tangent Quick Facts

Location:  Twp 12S, Rge 3W, Sect 7

Name Origin:  Descriptive of long stretch of rail tracks in area.

Post Office Established:  17 Sept 1872

First Postmaster:  Thomas J. Beard

Incorporation Date:  1893

Population 1999:  1060

Photos & Sketches: J. Beard, George W. Luper, map of Tangent

Fox Valley was in the middle 1880s a post office on the North Santiam, and Oregon and Pacific Railroad, about 30 miles northeast of Albany, with a population of 45, weekly mail and a sawmill. Later the population dwindled and the post office was discontinued (162). Rand—McNally’s Commercial Atlas of 1941 credits the place with a population of 10, located on the Southern Pacific Railroad, with mail received at Lyons, two and one-half miles away.

Fox Valley Quick Facts

Location:  Twp 9S, Rge 2E, Sect 27

Name Origin: 

Post Office Established: 

First Postmaster: 

PO Discontinued: 

Jordan was in the 1880’s a village on Thomas Creek about six miles southwest of Lyons, the nearest railroad point, with a post office and a population of 15. As the population grew, mail arrived tri—weekly instead of weekly, and finally daily. There was wheat growing, general farming, and livestock was raised. A flour mill was built. Then the population dwindled and the post office was discontinued. At one time there were, more than 50 people in the town (163), but at present there is but 20 (164).

Jordan Quick Facts

Location:  Twp 10S, Rge 1E, Sect 4

Name Origin:  Valley of Jordan, Holy Land

Post Office Established:  10 Aug 1874

First Postmaster:  Elias Forgery

PO Discontinued:  21 Oct 1905

Munkers was a station on the Oregon Pacific, later the Corvallis & Eastern, and now the Southern Pacific Railroad, about 12 miles east of Albany. The place once had a post office, which was later discontinued. At present mail comes from Scio, three miles away (165).

Munkers Quick Facts

Location:  Twp 10S, Rge 2W, Sect 11

Name Origin:  Munkers family, early settlers.

Post Office Established:  13 Dec 1895

First Postmaster:  Edwin V. Smith

PO Discontinued:  29 Sept 1904

Burlington, long since passed into oblivion, was founded in 1851. John Smith established a ferry here and built a house, and John Donald opened a store. The town site was mapped on February 12, 1853, by James Freeman, deputy surveyor, who noted that: “The town of Burlington is situated on the right bank of the Willamette and contains two dwellings, two stores, a blacksmith shop and a schoolhouse; has a good landing and ferry.” In 1854 Burlington was named as the terminus of a road connecting with the Territorial Road leading up the valley, however, most roads passed it by, steamships ignored it, and the river channel shifted, leaving the town to dwindle away to nothing. Burlington Precinct is the only reminder that such a town ever existed (166).

Burlington Quick Facts

Location:  Twp 12S, Rge 4W, Sect 20 (approx.)

Name Origin:  Possibly Burlington, Iowa

Post Office Established:  17 Nov 1855

First (and only) Postmaster

Discontinued:  7 Nov 1857

Pine was in the middle 1880’s a post office five and one-half miles southeast of Harrisburg, with a population of 15 (167).

Pine Quick Facts

Location:  Twp 15S, Rge 3W, Sect 

Name Origin:  Descriptive of yellow pines in the area.

Other Names:  See Latshaw's Mill.

Post Office Established:  3 Jan 1855

First Postmaster:  Thomas M. Weger

PO Discontinued:  7 Oct 1887

Plainview is on the Springfield branch of the Southern Pacific Railroad north of Brownsville. The name is descriptive (168). It was founded in the 1880’s, had a post office for some years, when it was abandoned. From the beginning there was a United Brethren church and a graded public school. Grain and farm produce was shipped (169). Population never varied much; Rand-McNally’s Commercial Atlas of 1941 gives the place 30 people. At present mail comes from Shedd.

Plainview Quick Facts

Location:  Twp 12S, Rge 3W, Sect 35

Name Origin:  Descriptive of geographic area.

Post Office Established:  26 Nov 1886

First Postmaster:  Horace J. Healy

PO Discontinued:  24 Apr 1906

In the latter 1880’s Rowland was a station on the Oregonian Railroad, six miles northeast of Harrisburg. Poultry, butter and eggs were shipped. The town supported two saloons and had a dairy. School children of the district numbered 42, attending a graded public school. The post office was discontinued sometime between 1904 and 1909 (170). In 1941 the population of the place is only 3 persons; mail comes from Harrisburg.

Rowland Quick Facts

Location:  Twp 15S, Rge 3W, Sect 5

Name Origin:  Rowland family, local residents.

Post Office Established:  29 Dec 1886

First Postmaster:  Jere Rowland

Santiam originated in the 1880’s on the Cascade Wagon Road and South Santiam River. It was located in a grass, grain, and berry country, and stages ran to Lebanon, Sweet Home and Waterloo. Distance from Lebanon was 10 miles. There was a post office which was discontinued about 1906, when mail came from Waterloo. There was also a public school. The town does not exist any more (171).

Santiam Quick Facts

Location:  Twp 13S, Rge 1W, Sect 15

Post Office Established:  16 Jan 1887

First Postmaster:  James Hatchett (Matchett?)

PO Discontinued:  26 Apr 1906

Spicer is a ghost town. In the 1880’s it was a village on the east side division of the Oregonian Railway, nine miles southeast of Albany, with a population of 25. There was a grain warehouse. Some time between 1905 and 1910 the station was abandoned and the post office discontinued. For a short while the place got its mail from Lebanon, four and one-half miles away (172). Spicer was once known as Lengs. Mr. Anthony M. Baltimore of Albany added this information: “I went to school at what was then known as the Burkhart Schoolhouse, but which is now called ‘Spicer’ school. The name Spicer comes from a little railroad station which was formerly situated on the Linn County ‘Narrow Gauge’ Railroad which was built through that neighborhood in 1880. Later, when the bridge across the South Santiam was washed out ant its site proved to be too treacherous for rebuilding, the ‘Narrow Gauge’ was rerouted by way of Lebanon and the line abandoned through Spicer. The ‘Narrow Gauge’ has of course long since been altered to standard gauge.

Spicer Quick Facts

Location:  Twp 11S, Rge 2W, Sect 28

Name Origin:  Local resident, W. E. Spicer

Other Names:  Lengs

Post Office Established:  17 Aug 1886

First Postmaster:  Adam A. Basher

Tallman, also known as Narrowgauge Crossing or Lebanon Junction, in the late 1880’s was a post office and a station on the Oregonian Railway, and later at the crossing of the east side division and the Lebanon branch of the Southern Pacific Railroad. In 1891 the population was 12 and grew to about 45 in 1910, then dwindled to 30 in 1920 and to nothing some years later. There was a Baptist church and a graded public school (173). The place was named after James Tallman, an early settler, and is located four miles northwest of Lebanon (174). When the post office was discontinued mail came from Lebanon.

Tallman Quick Facts

Location:  Twp 11S, Rge 2W, Sect 32

Name Origin:  Local settler James Tallman

Post Office Established:  19 Jul 1886

First Postmaster:  Elvis E. Hammack

PO Discontinued:  15 Aug 1923

Thomas in the 1880’s was a small settlement on Thomas Creek, three miles north of Crabtree, the nearest post office. Later it became a station on the Corvallis & Eastern Railroad and a post office was established. The place is 10 miles northeast of Albany. Population grew to about 25 in 1920. There was a graded public school. The post office was discontinued and the settlement dwindled (175). Thomas Creek was named by the settlers after Frederick Thomas who took up a donation claim on its banks in 1846 (176). 

 Thomas Quick Facts

Location:  Twp 10S, Rge 2E, Sect 7

Name Origin:  Fredrick Thomas of Thomas Creek.

Post Office Established:  4 May 1898

First Postmaster:  William Price