Kernville, Oregon facts for kids
Kernville is a small place in Lincoln County, Oregon, United States. It's called an "unincorporated community." This means it's a group of homes and businesses that isn't officially a city or town. Kernville is found where two main roads meet: U.S. Route 101 and Oregon Route 229. It's also right where the Siletz River flows into Siletz Bay.
There are actually two parts to Kernville: "old" Kernville and "new" Kernville. They are very close to each other. "Old" Kernville is now known as a ghost town. This means most people have moved away, and not much is left there.
Kernville's Early Days
"Old" Kernville was the first European settlement in this area. It began in 1896 thanks to Daniel and John H. Kern. They started a business called Kern Brothers Packing Company. This company was a salmon cannery, which means they processed and canned salmon. It was located on the north side of the Siletz River.
Back then, Kernville was very isolated. The only way to reach it was by boat. In 1907, the cannery was sold to new owners. They took the building apart and rebuilt it on the south side of the river. This new spot was easier to get to.
Moving the Town
The original sawmill, post office, and most of the community also moved to the south bank. Over time, the old town site on the north side was completely left behind. By 1945, "new" Kernville was about a mile downstream from the first location. It was near the old Oregon Coast Highway bridge.
In the 1980s, the main highway, U.S. Route 101, was changed. A new Siletz River Bridge was built. This meant new Kernville was no longer right on the main highway. The Kernville post office operated on and off from 1896 to 1968.
From Fishing to Forests
The fishing industry started to slow down in the 1920s. Because of this, Kernville's economy began to rely more on logging. Logging is the business of cutting down trees for wood.
For a while, Kernville was home to an important spruce mill. Spruce is a type of tree. During World War I, this mill provided wood for airplanes. The U.S. Army's Spruce Production Division used this wood to build planes for the war. During this time, Kernville was even known as "Millport."
Kernville in Movies
Kernville has even been featured in a movie! The 1971 film Sometimes a Great Notion was filmed there. This movie was about a logging family in Oregon. It was based on a book by Ken Kesey. A local Victorian style house in Kernville was used as the "Stamper House" in the film.
