Wheeler County ~ Fossil
The founding of Fossil Oregon
A Story By Joan Conn (elefon@pioneer.net)
My great grandfather, Thomas Benton Hoover and my great grandmother, Mary Jane Chambers Hoover were living in a log cabin on the Hoover Creek. Their home also served as a post office. My great grandfather was the post master and my great grandmother was the post mistress. One night while they were asleep they heard a roaring sound. It was like an earthquake and the whole slide (Which is now known as Juniper Slide) came down and unearthed camelope bones, dinosaur bones, and other types of bones. My great grandfather knew Thomas Condon, a very well known archeologist that was in The Dalles at the time and asked him to come out and see what bones were found. Thomas Condon took the bones back East and took the credit for the finding. In the meantime my great grandfather Hoover decided to call his post office Fossil because of the finding of the Fossils. That is how Fossil got its name. I found this to be a fascinating story and am very proud that he was my great grandfather. Now many, many people can enjoy Fossil and know the story of how it got its name.
City of Fossil Web Page
