Geographic Place Names K-R
Curry County Geographic Names K-R


Kimball Hill; Located 7 miles east of the Pacific near the Rogue River. Named for early settlers, Ira and Amanda KIMBALL. Kimball Creek is named for the same family.

Lakeport; A ghost town near Floras Lake. The community was planned in 1894, with an idea to dig a canal from the lake to the ocean and to develop the area as a seaport. Due to differences in elevation, the plan was unable to be carried out----without an elaborate and costly system of locks, a canal would drain the water from the lake into the ocean! The post office was established in 1910 with Emil BURG as first postmaster; it was abandoned in 1915, along with the rest of the town. No trace of the town remains today. Other names: Crittenden and Pacific City.

Langlois; Located near Floras Creek, between Denmark and Port Orford. Named for William V. LANGLOIS, early settler, and native of the Island of Guernsey, English Channel.

Lawson Creek; Named for an early prospector, this creek heads on Fairview Mountain.

Lobster Creek; Located near Wedderburn, this stream (which was named for crayfish or crawdads common in its waters) is a tributary of the Rogue River.

Lone Ranch Creek; This creek empties into the Pacific south of Cape Ferrelo. It was named for Lone Ranch, the homestead of John CRESSWELL, founded in 1860.

Lookout Rock; A large landmark several hundred feet high, located just west of Highway 101, four miles south of Humbug Mountain. Indian name is "Nog-gi-sa".

Lucky Creek; Located near Mount Billingslea in the Siskiyou Mountains, this stream flows into Tincup Creek. It was named by firefighters who used its waters to fight the 1938 Chetco fire.

Mack Arch; This natural arch, located one mile offshore, 13 miles south of Gold Beach, is probably named for William P. McARTHUR, a USCS surveyor. Mack Point, Mack Reef, and Mack Cove nearby also derive their names from this source.

Macklyn Cove; Located near the mouth of Mill Creek in Brookings, this cove was named for homesteader Elza J. MACKLIN.

Madden Butte; Named for Ohio native Cyrus MADDEN who settled near the butte, north of Sixes in 1865.

Marial; This locality was named for Marial BILLINGS, the daughter of Thomas W. BILLINGS, the first postmaster of the site.

McGribble Guard Station; Located three miles northeast of Humbug Mountain, this cabin was built in 1906 by US Forest Service employees MACDUFF and GRIBBLE.

McVay Rock; Named for early settler William R. McVAY. The rock is located south of Brookings.

Milbury Mountain; Located 10 miles southeast of Port Orford, south of Elk River. It was named for USFS ranger, William MILBURY. Elevation 2,600 feet.

Morton Butte; Located six miles north of Brookings; named for homesteader William MORTON.

Mount Avery; Located near the headwaters of Sixes River. Named for rancher Frederick S. AVERY. Elevation 2, 613 feet.

Mount Billingslea; Located about 20 miles northwest of Kerby (Josephine County), south of Illinois River. Named for Siskiyou National Forest supervisor James H. BILLINGSLEA. Elevation 4, 181 feet.

Mount Bolivar; Located in the southeast corner of Coos Co. and northeast corner of Curry Co. Named for pioneer and Coos County surveyor Simon Bolivar CATHCART, who was in turn named after the liberator of Colombia, Peru and Ecuador, South American patriot Simon Bolivar. Elevation 4, 319 feet. Possibly the highest peak in the Coast Range north of Rogue River.

Mount Emily; Located east of Chetco Peak. Name is possibly derived from Indian name "Emney" (meaning unknown) and is also shown on maps as Mount Emery. In September of 1942, incendiary bombs were dropped from a small Japanese airplane onto the mountain's Wheeler Ridge.

Mule Creek; Located in the northeast corner of Curry County, this creek flows into the Rogue River. According to an account by William PACKWOOD, the stream was named when a mule (named John) owned by Lt. R. S. WILLIAMSON was let loose to graze near the water and never returned. First name was John Mule Creek. Mule Mountain nearby is named for the same incident.

Mussel Creek; Located south of Humbug Mountain and north of Sisters Rocks, this stream flows into the Pacific and was possibly named for a small band of Tututni Indians.

Myers Creek; Located south of Cape Sebastian. Named for a miner named MYERS who settled near the stream in the 1850s.

Nellies Cove; Located just west of the bay at Port Orford, the middle of three prominent coves in this area. IT was named for Sarah Ellen TICHENOR, beloved daughter of Port Orford founder Capt. William TICHENOR.

North Fork Smith River; The major tributary of Northern California's Smith River, which was named for early explorer Jedediah Strong SMITH. The headwaters for the tributary are just west of Chetco Creek.

Ophir; Located near Euchre Creek, between Gold Beach and Port Orford. Supposedly named for the biblical location of Ophir, which was famed for its gold. The post office was established in 1891 with Elizabeth BURROW as first postmaster.

Palmer Butte; Located five miles northeast of Brookings. Named for homesteader D. H. PALMER.

Patrick Creek; Located west of Carpenterville. Name for a Mrs. PATRICK who owned land nearby.

Pearse Peak; Located four miles east of Humbug Mountain. Named for homesteader and Cape Blanco lightkeeper Charles H. PEARSE.

Pilot Knob; Located about ten miles southeast of Port Orford. Also known as Bald Mountain.

Pistol River; Located between Gold Beach and Brookings. The stream, which flows into the Pacific Ocean, was supposedly named for the pistol which James MACE lost in its waters in 1853. The town nearby is named accordingly.

Port Orford; Located about seven miles south of Cape Blanco. Port Orford was originally named Cape Orford by Capt. George VANCOUVER in honor of his friend George, Earl of Orford. Another name shown on early maps was Ewing Harbor.

Quail Creek; Named for prospector Peter QUAIL, this creek is a tributary of the Rogue River.

Quosatana Creek; The name for this stream is derived from the Indian word "Quosaten" which meant "beautiful or fine creek". Quosatana Butte nearby is named in a similar manner.

Ragic: Ragic post office, established in 1898, was named by G. W. MESERVEY for the word "cigar" spelled backwards. Located nine miles up the Rogue River from Wedderburn and a mile west of the mouth of Lobster Creek. The first postmaster was John McELHANEY.

Ransom Creek; Named for homesteader Hiram C. RANSOM, this creek was a tributary of Bravo Creek near Palmer Butte.

Ransom Creek; Named for homesteader Edwin RANSOM (son of Hiram C. RANSOM of the Ransom Creek near Palmer Butte), this creek flows into the Pacific on the north edge of Brookings. It was originally named Iler Creek for the ILER homestead on its banks, which was bought by the RANSOMs before World War I.

Reinhart Creek; Named for homesteaders Herman and Charles REINHART. The creek is located three miles north of Sisters Rocks and flows into the Pacific Ocean.

Riley Creek; This stream flows into the Pacific Ocean at Gold Beach. Named for Judge Michael RILEY.

Rogue River; The headwaters of this famous and historic river are in the extreme northwest corner of Klamath County near Crater Lake and flows into the Pacific Ocean at Gold Beach and Wedderburn. Supposedly named "La Riviere aux Coquins" (The Rogue River) by French fur trappers who had much trouble with the Indians who lived along its banks.

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