Azalea, Oregon
Azalea Oregon 97410

Douglas County is noted for its azaleas, and this post office was named on account of their abundance in that locality. There are two well-known members of the Ericaceae of this type in Oregon, the Azalea occidentalis, or western azalea, and Azaleastrum alhijlorum, or small white. The name Azalea has been used for post offices in Douglas County at two separate times and places, and the post offices Starvout, Booth, and Azalea have at different times all served more or less the same territory in upper Cow Creek Valley. Starvout post office was established February 18, 1888, with H. L. Miser postmaster. The name of the place was changed to Booth on August 24, 1907, probably because the name Starvout was suggestive of an unsatisfactory locality. The name of Booth post office was changed to Azalea on May 6, 1914. In the meantime, there had been another Azalea post office that was established October 17, 1899, with Joseph A. Wharton first postmaster. This post office was discontinued September 30, 1909. The postmaster at Azalea in 1925 told the writer that Maggie Picket suggested the present name of Azalea for the former Booth post office. The writer does not know who suggested the name of the original Azalea post office. It was on Cow Creek about 10 miles southwest of Riddle near the mouth of Doe Creek and the Southern Pacific Railroad station, Byars.

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