From Catfish to Oregon: One of Lancaster County’s Many Peculiar Names

Lancaster County has no shortage of peculiar names, but Oregon may be one of the more unexpected. After all, hearing someone mention Oregon in Lancaster County sounds less like a trip to Manheim Township and more like a journey across the continent.

But this village did not begin as Oregon. For much of its early history, it was known as Catfish — a name said to come from a mill pond in the area where catfish were plentiful. It may not have been elegant, but it was certainly descriptive. You knew exactly what you were getting.

Sometime in the mid-19th century, however, the village traded in Catfish for something a bit more ambitious. The new name appears to have been inspired by the national excitement surrounding the Oregon Question, the famous boundary dispute over the Pacific Northwest. As that issue filled newspapers and political conversation, the people here seem to have decided their little Lancaster County settlement could borrow the name for itself.

And really, who could blame them? Oregon has a certain boldness to it. Catfish, by comparison, sounds more like the name of a fishing spot or a roadside tavern than a village. That old name suited the place well enough, as the community was once home to the Catfish Wayside Inn, then Reflections Restaurant, and now the Wayside Public House.

The old name may be gone from the map, but not entirely from memory. Some old-timers, it seems, still remember the area as Catfish Hole. And honestly, that may be even more peculiar than Oregon.

Read about other Lancaster County towns with peculiar names, such as Blue Ball, Intercourse, and Paradise.

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Resources

• Reflections Restaurant
• Olde Oregon Farmhouse FAQ
• Reflections of a Historic Property in Township
• Our Present Past