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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Log shortage forces another round of layoffs at Rough & Ready ... House fire displaces west Medford family ... Wyden meets in Medford to discuss fight against opioid abuse ... Log shortage forces another round of layoffs at Rough & Ready ... House fire displaces west Medford family ... Wyden meets in Medford to discuss fight against opioid abuse ... SINCE YOU ASKED Since You Asked: Phoenix rose from the ashes of Gasburg name Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jan. 31, 2016 at 12:01 AM Posted Jan. 31, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News I've often wondered about the origins of the name for the city of Phoenix. Was it named for the mythical bird, the large city in Arizona or something else? — Rob, Medford Something else, Rob, and probably not what you would have guessed. Phoenix, Ore., was named by Sylvester M. Wait in the late 1850s, according to a couple of historical sources. Before that, the settlement went by the less-noble-sounding name of Gasburg, according to the book "Oregon Geographic Names." There are a couple of good reasons why Wait wouldn't have named the city after Phoenix, Ariz. According to his obituary, published in the Columbia Chronicle in Dayton, Wash., Wait was born in Vermont, moved to Wisconsin as a young man, spent a brief period of time in California and then settled in the Rogue Valley. No mention of any connections to Arizona. An even better reason: Phoenix, Ariz., wasn't founded until 1868, nearly a decade after Wait opened a post office in 1857 using the Phoenix name. As for getting the name from the mythological bird, known for rising from its own ashes — no, that's not it either. According to "Oregon Geographic Names," the provenance of Phoenix came from a much more pedestrian source: Wait, who owned a flour mill in the community, also was the local agent for the Phoenix Insurance Co., of Hartford, Conn. Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected]. To see a collection of columns, go to mailtribune.com/youasked . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jan. 31, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501