Rice Hill, Oregon

Rice Hill is an unincorporated community in Douglas County, Oregon, United States.^[2] It is located about 10 miles (16 km) north of Oakland on Interstate 5.^[3] Rice Hill has complete tourist facilities, including a truck stop, motels, and restaurants.^[4][5] It has long been a popular spot to stop for ice cream.^[6][7]

Rice Hill, Oregon
Unincorporated community
Rice Hill, Oregon Show map of Oregon Rice Hill, Oregon Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 43°32′19″N 123°17′24″W
Country	United States
State	Oregon
County	Douglas
Elevation	456 ft (139 m)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code	97462
Area code(s)	458 and 541
GNIS feature ID	1158447[1]

History

Rice Hill was named either for Isadore F. Rice, who settled in the area in the 1850s, or for William S. Rice, who had a Donation Land Claim at the north end of Rice Valley at about the same time.^[8] Rice Hill post office was established in 1892, and soon renamed Ricehill.^[8] The office closed in 1908.^[8] The steep grade of Rice Hill was an obstacle for pioneer travelers and it also created problems for the construction of the railroad.^[9]

Geography

Rice Hill is a summit that divides the watersheds of Elk Creek and the Umpqua River.^[8] A two-mile long valley stretches south from the community of Rice Hill.^[10] Southern Pacific Railroad (today Central Oregon and Pacific Railroad) has a station on its Siskiyou Line at the summit named Rice Hill.^[8] The community has an elevation of 710 feet (220 m). It rises 325 feet (99 m) in 3 miles (4.8 km).^[8][11]

References

1. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
2. "Rice Hill". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. November 28, 1980. Retrieved January 9, 2011.
3. Oregon Atlas & Gazetteer (7th ed.). Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. 2008. p. 46. ISBN 978-0-89933-347-2.
4. Friedman, Ralph (1990). In Search of Western Oregon (2nd ed.). Caldwell, Idaho: The Caxton Printers, Ltd. p. 537. ISBN 0-87004-332-3.
5. "Truck Stops on Major Routes". Oregon Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on October 23, 2010. Retrieved January 9, 2011.
6. Richard, Terry (June 20, 2009). "Next time I'll go for six scoops of Umpqua ice cream's Oregon's 150; here's to statehood". The Oregonian. Retrieved January 9, 2011.
7. Thompson, John (June 7, 1983). "Oregon's Biggest Dipper". The Register-Guard. Retrieved January 9, 2011.
8. McArthur, Lewis A.; McArthur, Lewis L. (2003) [1928]. Oregon Geographic Names (7th ed.). Portland, Oregon: Oregon Historical Society Press. p. 808. ISBN 978-0875952772.
9. Writers' Program of the Work Projects Administration in the State of Oregon (1940). Oregon: End of the Trail. American Guide Series. Portland, Oregon: Binfords & Mort. p. 318. OCLC 4874569.
10. "Rice Valley". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. November 28, 1980. Retrieved January 9, 2011.
11. Munford, Kenneth (1978). "The Oregon and California Railroad". Horner Museum Tour Guide Series. Benton County Museum. Archived from the original on March 7, 2012. Retrieved January 9, 2011.

External links

• Images of Rice Hill from Flickr