Fossil Map
Fossil is a city in and the county seat of Wheeler County, Oregon, United States. The name was chosen by the first postmaster, Thomas B. Hoover, who had found some fossil remains on his ranch. The population was 473 at the 2010 census.
The Fossil post office was established on February 28, 1876. The city was incorporated in 1891 and became the county seat upon the creation of Wheeler County in 1899. Winlock W. Steiwer and George S. Carpenter founded Steiwer & Carpenter Bank, the first bank in both the city and the county.
Although named the temporary county seat by the Oregon legislature in 1899, Fossil had competitors for the permanent designation. A county-wide election held in 1900 produced 436 votes for Fossil, 267 for Twickenham, and 82 for Spray.
Nearby cities include Condon.