Lookingglass, Oregon
Encyclopedia
Lookingglass is an unincorporated community
in the Lookingglass Valley of Douglas County
, Oregon
, United States
, about nine miles southwest of Roseburg
. The valley was named in 1846 by surveyor Hoy Flournoy, who said the beautiful green grass of the valley reflected light almost as well as a mirror. Flournoy later returned to settle in the area. Lookingglass is considered a suburb of Roseburg.
The Lookingglass Store, built circa 1875, was once the terminus for the Oakland
to Lookingglass stage
and freight road. It was also the beginning of the Coos Bay Wagon Road. Today the store continues to serve as the hub of the community. Lookingglass also has a school, a grange hall, a church and a fire station. Lookingglass post office closed in 1942.
In the 1970s, Lookingglass, population 40, received national media attention for installing a two-horse parking meter
, a telephone booth
, and a fire hydrant
. Lookingglass became a minor tourist attraction. When the fire hydrant was dedicated in 1971, it was accompanied by two manhole cover
s, which covered nothing, donated by a Eugene, Oregon
iron company and the mayor of Cedar Rapids, Iowa
.
David Brinkley
anchored his segment of the NBC Nightly News
from the steps of the Lookingglass Store in about 1970. Chet Huntley
, David Brinkley's co-anchor of the Huntley-Brinkley Report
, was the great-grandson of the Lookingglass area's first settler, Daniel Huntley, who arrived in 1851.
Lookingglass Elementary School is part of the Winston-Dillard School District. It was founded in 1898 and currently serves grades kindergarten
through six
.
The James Wimer Octagonal Barn near Lookingglass was built in 1850 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in the Lookingglass Valley of Douglas County
Douglas County, Oregon
-National protected areas:* Crater Lake National Park * Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest * Siuslaw National Forest * Umpqua National Forest * Willamette National Forest -Adjacent counties:* Lane County, Oregon -...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, about nine miles southwest of Roseburg
Roseburg, Oregon
Roseburg is a city in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is the county seat of Douglas County. The population was 21,181 at the 2010 census.-History:...
. The valley was named in 1846 by surveyor Hoy Flournoy, who said the beautiful green grass of the valley reflected light almost as well as a mirror. Flournoy later returned to settle in the area. Lookingglass is considered a suburb of Roseburg.
The Lookingglass Store, built circa 1875, was once the terminus for the Oakland
Oakland, Oregon
Oakland is a city in Douglas County, Oregon, United States located two miles from Interstate 5. The population was 954 at the 2000 census.-History:...
to Lookingglass stage
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
and freight road. It was also the beginning of the Coos Bay Wagon Road. Today the store continues to serve as the hub of the community. Lookingglass also has a school, a grange hall, a church and a fire station. Lookingglass post office closed in 1942.
In the 1970s, Lookingglass, population 40, received national media attention for installing a two-horse parking meter
Parking meter
A parking meter is a device used to collect money in exchange for the right to park a vehicle in a particular place for a limited amount of time. Parking meters can be used by municipalities as a tool for enforcing their integrated on-street parking policy, usually related to their traffic and...
, a telephone booth
Telephone booth
A telephone booth, telephone kiosk, telephone call box or telephone box is a small structure furnished with a payphone and designed for a telephone user's convenience. In the USA, Canada and Australia, "telephone booth" is used, while in the UK and the rest of the Commonwealth it is a "telephone...
, and a fire hydrant
Fire hydrant
A fire hydrant , is an active fire protection measure, and a source of water provided in most urban, suburban and rural areas with municipal water service to enable firefighters to tap into the municipal water...
. Lookingglass became a minor tourist attraction. When the fire hydrant was dedicated in 1971, it was accompanied by two manhole cover
Manhole cover
A manhole cover is a removable plate forming the lid over the opening of a manhole, to prevent anyone from falling in and to keep unauthorized persons out....
s, which covered nothing, donated by a Eugene, Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
iron company and the mayor of Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...
.
David Brinkley
David Brinkley
David McClure Brinkley was an American newscaster for NBC and ABC in a career lasting from 1943 to 1997....
anchored his segment of the NBC Nightly News
NBC Nightly News
NBC Nightly News is the flagship daily evening television news program for NBC News and broadcasts. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is located in the center...
from the steps of the Lookingglass Store in about 1970. Chet Huntley
Chet Huntley
Chester Robert "Chet" Huntley was an American television newscaster, best known for co-anchoring NBC's evening news program, The Huntley-Brinkley Report, for 14 years beginning in 1956.-Early life:...
, David Brinkley's co-anchor of the Huntley-Brinkley Report
Huntley-Brinkley Report
The Huntley-Brinkley Report was the NBC television network's flagship evening news program from October 29, 1956 until July 31, 1970. It was anchored by Chet Huntley in New York City, and David Brinkley in Washington, D.C...
, was the great-grandson of the Lookingglass area's first settler, Daniel Huntley, who arrived in 1851.
Lookingglass Elementary School is part of the Winston-Dillard School District. It was founded in 1898 and currently serves grades kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
through six
Sixth grade
Sixth grade is a year of education in the United States and some other nations. The sixth grade is the sixth school year after kindergarten. Students are usually 11 – 12 years old...
.
The James Wimer Octagonal Barn near Lookingglass was built in 1850 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
External links
- Historic images of Lookingglass from Salem Public Library
- http://boundless.uoregon.edu/cdm4/results.php?CISOOP1=all&CISOFIELD1=CISOSEARCHALL&CISORESTMP=results.php&CISOVIEWTMP=item_viewer.php&CISOMODE=thumb&CISOGRID=thumbnail%2CA%2C1%3Btitle%2CA%2C1%3Btitlea%2CA%2C0%3Btitlev%2C200%2C0%3Bnone%2CA%2C0%3B20%3Btitle%2Cnone%2Cnone%2Cnone%2Cnone&CISOBIB=title%2CA%2C1%2CN%3Btitlea%2CA%2C0%2CN%3Btitlev%2C200%2C0%2CN%3Bnone%2CA%2C0%2CN%3Bnone%2CA%2C0%2CN%3B20%3Btitle%2Cnone%2Cnone%2Cnone%2Cnone&CISOTHUMB=20+%285x4%29%3Btitle%2Cnone%2Cnone%2Cnone%2Cnone&CISOTITLE=20%3Btitle%2Cnone%2Cnone%2Cnone%2Cnone&CISOHIERA=20%3Btitlea%2Ctitle%2Cnone%2Cnone%2Cnone&CISOSUPPRESS=0&CISOBOX1=Lookingglass&CISOROOT=%2Farchpnw&x=6&y=5Images of the James Wimer octagonal barn in Lookingglass] from University of OregonUniversity of Oregon-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
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