Wolf Creek post office was established on June 29, 1882. When the railroad was opened to Grants Pass in December 1883, a station named Almaden was established at this point. The railroad finally changed to Wolf Creek in 1888. The post office was changed to Wolfcreek in 1895, and the disparity continued until 1951, when it was changed back to two words to conform to the railroad and community. There were plenty of wolves in Oregon in early days, and a number of streams are known as Wolf Creek.