Nimrod, Oregon

Nimrod
—  Unincorporated community  —
Closed bridge in Nimrod
Nimrod Location within the state of Oregon
Coordinates: 44°6′52″N 122°25′19″W / 44.11444°N 122.42194°W / 44.11444; -122.42194Coordinates: 44°6′52″N 122°25′19″W / 44.11444°N 122.42194°W / 44.11444; -122.42194
Country	United States
State	Oregon
County	Lane
Time zone	Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
– Summer (DST)	PDT (UTC-7)
ZIP code	97488
Area code(s)	458 and 541
FIPS code
GNIS feature ID

Nimrod is an unincorporated community in Lane County, Oregon, United States, on the McKenzie River. It is located along Oregon Route 126, between Vida and Blue River, 35 miles east of Eugene, in the Willamette National Forest. As of 2003, its population was roughly 190.^[1] Nimrod is the site of a former ferry that crossed the McKenzie. Nimrod is served by the Vida, Oregon 97488 post office.

History and name

The earliest reference to Nimrod in the locality was the Nimrod Inn, opened in the early 1900s by Alfred Parkhurst. Some historians think that the inn was named for the biblical character Nimrod, whose name was synonymous with "mighty hunter", in recognition of the excellent fishing on the McKenzie River.^[1] The community also may have been named after a fishing lure, to recognize the prowess of a local hunter or fisherman, or for one of Lane County's earliest settlers,^[2] Nimrod O'Kelly, who settled in the area in 1847.^[3] Nimrod is one of the few locations in Oregon not listed in Oregon Geographic Names, because a source for the name's origin has not been verified.^[1]

Because of the community's unusual name, now generally associated with the derogatory usage "fool" or "idiot", the main sign marking the location is a popular spot for photos, and is bolted to discourage street sign theft.^[1]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Cooper, Matt. "Nimrod's Mysterious Allure". The Register-Guard, Eugene, Oregon, October 7, 2003. Pg D1.
2. ^ Cooper, Matt. "Hamlet's Name Traced—Maybe". The Register-Guard, Eugene, Oregon, October 10, 2003.
3. ^ Lansing, Ronald B., Nimrod: Courts, Claims, and Killing on the Oregon Frontier, Washington State University Press, Pullman, 2005

External links

• Historic photo of Nimrod ferry crossing