Illahe, Oregon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Illahe, Oregon
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 Illahe, Oregon
Location in Oregon
Illahe, Oregon
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| County | Curry |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code |
97406
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| Area code(s) | 458 and 541 |
Illahe is a small, quiet community in Curry County, Oregon, United States. It's not a city with a mayor or big buildings. Instead, it's a special place along the Rogue River. Illahe is about 8 miles (13 km) upriver from Agness.
Long ago, Takelma Native Americans lived here. Later, white settlers and Karok people also made it their home. Today, Illahe is part of a protected wilderness area. It's a popular spot for people who love the outdoors. Hikers, boaters, and other visitors often stop here. You can find a riverside lodge and a campground, both named Illahe.
Illahe is nestled in the Klamath Mountains. It is also part of the Rogue River – Siskiyou National Forest. A famous path called the Lower Rogue River Trail runs near the river. This trail is a National Recreation Trail. It stretches between Grave Creek and Illahe. This part of the Rogue River is 36 miles (58 km) long. It's known as a "Wild and Scenic" river. Many people consider it one of the best places in the United States for whitewater rafting.
Contents
Weather in Illahe
Illahe has a special kind of weather called a warm-summer Mediterranean climate. This means it has warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters. It's similar to the climate you might find in places like California or parts of Europe.
| Climate data for Illahe | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 67 (19) |
76 (24) |
83 (28) |
94 (34) |
99 (37) |
111 (44) |
112 (44) |
110 (43) |
111 (44) |
99 (37) |
75 (24) |
68 (20) |
112 (44) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 48.9 (9.4) |
53.8 (12.1) |
59.1 (15.1) |
65.3 (18.5) |
72.1 (22.3) |
79.4 (26.3) |
88 (31) |
88.2 (31.2) |
83.7 (28.7) |
68.4 (20.2) |
54.8 (12.7) |
49.2 (9.6) |
67.6 (19.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 36 (2) |
37.4 (3.0) |
38.2 (3.4) |
40.1 (4.5) |
44 (7) |
48.6 (9.2) |
52.1 (11.2) |
51.8 (11.0) |
48.7 (9.3) |
44.1 (6.7) |
40.2 (4.6) |
36.8 (2.7) |
43.2 (6.2) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 14 (−10) |
13 (−11) |
25 (−4) |
28 (−2) |
29 (−2) |
36 (2) |
37 (3) |
32 (0) |
31 (−1) |
23 (−5) |
17 (−8) |
6 (−14) |
6 (−14) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 14.36 (365) |
11.32 (288) |
9.98 (253) |
4.91 (125) |
3.2 (81) |
1.28 (33) |
0.29 (7.4) |
0.71 (18) |
1.89 (48) |
6.21 (158) |
12.83 (326) |
14.93 (379) |
81.9 (2,080) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 5.1 (13) |
2.6 (6.6) |
1.1 (2.8) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
1.5 (3.8) |
10.7 (27) |
| Average precipitation days | 17 | 15 | 16 | 11 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 14 | 17 | 119 |
Illahe's Past
Illahe was one of the first places to have a post office along the lower Rogue River. This was in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It was located between Marial and Agness.
Early Settlers
After the Rogue River Wars in 1855–56, many native people who lived along the river had to move. Then, new settlers began to arrive. Some of these pioneers were former gold miners. Many of them married Karok Indian women from the Klamath River area.
These settlers started gardens and orchards. They also raised animals like horses and cows. They received supplies that were brought in by mules over the mountains. For many years, these families were quite cut off from the rest of the world.
The First Post Office
In 1883, a man named Elijah H. Price suggested a mail route by boat. The mail would travel up the Rogue River from Ellensburg (now Gold Beach). It would go about 35 miles (56 km) upstream to Big Bend. Price told the government that this route would serve about 11 families.
The Post Office Department wasn't sure about the idea at first. But in 1895, they agreed to try the water route for one year. They set up a post office at Price's log cabin in Big Bend. Elijah Price became the postmaster. His job was to run the post office. He also had to make sure the mail boat made one round-trip each week. Price named the new post office Illahe. The name comes from a Native American word, ilahekh or iliʼi. It means "land," "earth," or "country."
More Post Offices and Changes
In 1897, another post office opened near the Illinois River. This was about 8 miles (13 km) downriver from Illahe. This place became known as Agness. A third post office, named Marial, opened in 1903. It was about 20 miles (32 km) upriver from Illahe.
Because of difficult rapids, mail carriers used mules or horses. They carried mail between Illahe and Marial. After 1908, most mail going beyond Agness was carried by pack animals to both communities. The Illahe post office finally closed in 1943. Later, in 1978, the Congress created the Wild Rogue Wilderness area. This helps protect the beautiful nature of the area.
