Otis, Oregon

Otis is an unincorporated community located in Lincoln County, Oregon on State Highway 18. It is believed that this community was named for major-general Elwell Stephen Otis (1838-1909), who was the one-time military governor of the Philippines.

The post office was established on April 24, 1900 with the current name. Currently Otis consists of the Otis Cafe (a former tavern), the post office, a market, a woodcarving gallery, a corn dog stand, two houses, a big barn, a community club and an all-purpose building. The Salmon River flows close by.

The 190 acres the community is located on was bought in 1910 for $5,000 by the current owner, Vivian Lematta, who has lived in Maryland since 1957. Only three acres is zoned for commercial development; the rest is restricted to timber or agricultural use. Lematta has put the land up for sale twice, once in 1999 when the Today Show considered featuring it in an episode, and then again in 2004. The price of the 190 acres is set at $3 million.