Wilbur, Oregon | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Wilbur, Oregon  Wilbur, Oregon | |
| Coordinates: 43°19′15″N 123°20′26″W / 43.32083°N 123.34056°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| County | Douglas |
| Elevation | 469 ft (143 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code | 97494[1] |
| Area code | 541 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1166724[2] |
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]
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.
