Eola is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

Polk County Polk County is the name of twelve counties in the United States, all except two named after president of the United States James Knox Polk: * Polk County, Arkansas * Polk County, Florida * Polk County, Georgia * Polk County, Iowa * Polk Count ...

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

, United States four miles west of Salem on

Oregon Route 22 Oregon Route 22 is an Oregon state highway that runs between the Oregon Coast community of Hebo, to an interchange with U.S. Route 20 near Santiam Pass in the Cascade Mountains. OR 22 traverses several highways of the Oregon state highway ...

at the confluence of

Rickreall Creek Rickreall Creek is a stream in Polk County, Oregon, United States rising on Laurel Mountain in the Central Oregon Coast Range and draining into the Willamette River west of Salem at Eola. The creek passes through the city of Dallas and the unin ...

and the

Willamette River The Willamette River ( ) is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States. Flowing northward b ...

. For statistical purposes, the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

has defined Eola as a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

(CDP). The census definition of the area may not precisely correspond to local understanding of the area with the same name. The population of the CDP was 60 at the 2020 census. It is part of the

Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area The Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is a Metropolitan Statistical Area consisting of two counties in western Oregon, Marion and Polk. The principal city is Salem, the state capital, which h ...

. The

Eola Hills The Eola Hills are a range of hills northwest of Salem, Oregon, United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It ...

rise north of the community and were named after it.

History

Eola was originally named Cincinnati in 1844 by

settler A settler is a person who has human migration, migrated to an area and established a permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. A settler who migrates to an area previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited may be described as a ...

s Joshua "Sheep" Shaw and his son, A. C. R. Shaw, who thought the site resembled

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

, where Joshua once lived. Joshua Shaw earned his nickname by being the first person to bring sheep overland to the

Oregon Country Oregon Country was a large region of the Pacific Northwest of North America that was subject to a long dispute between the United Kingdom and the United States in the early 19th century. The area, which had been created by the Treaty of 1818, co ...

via the

Oregon Trail The Oregon Trail was a east–west, large-wheeled wagon route and Westward Expansion Trails, emigrant trail in the United States that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon. The eastern part of the Oregon Trail spanned part of what ...

, also in 1844. Cincinnati post office was established in 1851, the first stop on a 70-mile mail route that included Nathaniel Ford's home in Rickreall and Nesmith's Mills at Ellendale. The

Oregon Territorial Legislature Oregon's Territorial Legislature was a bicameral legislative body created by the United States Congress in 1848 as the legislative branch of the government of the Oregon Territory. The upper chamber Council and lower chamber House of Representati ...

incorporated the community with the name "Eola" in 1856. The name comes from ''

Aeolus In Greek mythology, Aeolus or Aiolos (; grc, Αἴολος , ) is a name shared by three mythical characters. These three personages are often difficult to tell apart, and even the ancient mythographers appear to have been perplexed about which A ...

'', Greek god of the winds, though the reason for the name change is disputed. Cincinnati post office was also renamed. Eola post office ran until 1901 and was later reestablished from 1955 to 1965. The first school in Eola (then Cincinnati) was built in 1853.Our History of Education
Miss Abigail J. Scott, best known by her married name as the suffragist Abigail Scott Duniway, was the first teacher. The original school burned down and was replaced by a school at Second and Mill streets in 1858. This school served the community until 1937, and at the time was the oldest schoolhouse still in use in the state. In 1937, a new school was built using a

Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...

grant. This building served as a public school facility until 2003.''

Itemizer Observer The ''Polk County Itemizer-Observer'' is a weekly newspaper published in Dallas, Oregon, United States, and covering Dallas, Monmouth, Independence, Falls City and the surrounding area. It was established in 1875 and is owned by SJ Olson Publishi ...

''
Eola, Oak Grove schools face closure
April 29, 2003. Accessed March 15, 2009. Today the building is used as a church.

Geography

According to the

, the CDP has a total area of , all of it land.

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, there were 49 people, 29 households, and 6 families residing in the CDP. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 767.0 people per square mile (315.3/km²). There were 36 housing units at an average density of 563.5 per square mile (231.7/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 89.80%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 8.16% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 2.04% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 8.16% of the population. There were 29 households, out of which 3.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 20.7% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, and 75.9% were non-families. 69.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.69 and the average family size was 3.14. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 10.2% under the age of 18, 4.1% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 49.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50 years. For every 100 females, there were 122.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 131.6 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $12,361 and the

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

was $9,489. There were no families and 29.8% of the population living below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including no people under eighteen and none of those over 64.

References

External links

*
Historic images of Eola
from Salem Public Library
Modern image of Eola School
fro

{{Authority control Census-designated places in Oregon Salem, Oregon metropolitan area Ghost towns in Oregon Unincorporated communities in Polk County, Oregon 1856 establishments in Oregon Territory Populated places established in 1856 Census-designated places in Polk County, Oregon Unincorporated communities in Oregon Populated places on the Willamette River