Wimer, OR

Wimer lies along Evans Creek in Jackson County, north of Rogue River, where East Evans Creek Road enters the foothills of southwestern Oregon. The community took its name from a relative of William Wimer, a newspaper editor in Grants Pass, and a post office operated here from the late nineteenth century into 1909. The landmark is the Wimer Covered Bridge, an 85-foot span over Evans Creek. A bridge stood here by 1892; the 1927 structure collapsed in 2003, and local labor and federal funding helped open a look-alike replacement in 2008. It remains Jackson County's only covered bridge open to vehicle traffic.

A small park sits beside the bridge, and the one-lane crossing still carries local travel across the creek. Wimer students are part of the Rogue River School District, which serves the city and outlying areas along Evans Creek. The Wimer Enterprise Community Association uses its historic Grange building for meetings, markets, classes, and other gatherings. Forested hills, ranch parcels, creek water, and the road to Rogue River shape the daily landscape. Wimer is a rural Oregon place whose most recognizable building still does a working job.