Kerby, Oregon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kerby, Oregon
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 Kerby, Oregon
Location in Oregon
Kerby, Oregon
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| County | Josephine |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.62 sq mi (6.77 km2) |
| • Land | 2.58 sq mi (6.68 km2) |
| • Water | 0.04 sq mi (0.09 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,267 ft (386 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 628 |
| • Density | 243.32/sq mi (93.96/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code |
97531
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| Area code(s) | 458 and 541 |
| FIPS code | 41-38900 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1144563 |
Kerby is a small community in Josephine County, Oregon, United States. It is north of Cave Junction along U.S. Route 199. In 2020, about 628 people lived there.
Even though Kerby has people and businesses, some tourist guides call it a "ghost town." This is because many old buildings from its gold mining days are still standing. Kerby first started to grow between 1854 and 1857.
Contents
History of Kerby
Kerby was named after James Kerby, who sometimes spelled his name Kerbey. The community began during the time when gold mining was very popular in Josephine County. In its early years, the town had many different names and spellings.
Choosing a County Seat
When Josephine County was created on January 22, 1856, people needed to choose a new main town for the county government. This main town is called the county seat. The first county seat was a place called "Sailor Diggings," which later became Waldo.
One of the places where people could vote was called "Kirbey's Ranch." James Kerby and his business partner, Samuel Hicks, owned a general store. They likely started the town of "Kerbeyville" to try and make it the new county seat. In June 1857, the town was chosen as the county seat.
Kerby's Name Changes
On December 18, 1856, the Oregon Territorial Legislature changed the town's name from "Kirbeyville" to "Napoleon." This might have been because of the link between Napoleon and the name Josephine.
However, the new name "Napoleon" was not popular with the people. A bill was introduced to change the name back. The bill passed in the House of Representatives but got stuck in the Senate. Even though county leaders used the name "Napoleon" for a short time, they went back to calling it "Kerbyville" around April 1860. The name "Kerbyville" was used officially for many years. Later, the name was simply changed to "Kerby." In 1886, Grants Pass became the new county seat.
Kerby Post Office History
The history of the Kerby post office is simpler. The Kerby post office opened in September 1856. Later, it became a smaller branch of the Cave Junction post office. There were plans to close the post office in 2009.
Geography of Kerby
Kerby is located in the southwestern part of Josephine County. It sits along U.S. Route 199 on the east side of the Illinois River valley. The Illinois River flows north and eventually joins the Rogue River.
Kerby is right next to the city of Cave Junction to its south. US 199 goes northeast about 27 miles (43 km) to Grants Pass. If you go south on US 199 through Cave Junction, it's about 55 miles (89 km) to Crescent City, California.
The Kerby community covers an area of about 2.6 square miles (6.7 square kilometers). Almost all of this area is land.
Kerby Population
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2020 | 628 | — | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2020, the population of Kerby was 628 people.
Points of Interest
- Kerbyville Museum, which opened in 1959.
Kerby's Climate
Kerby has a type of climate called a warm-summer Mediterranean climate. This means it has warm, dry summers. The average monthly temperatures in summer do not go above 71.6°F (22°C). The winters are usually mild and wet.
See also
In Spanish: Kerby (Oregón) para niños
