Sixes is an
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either hav ...
in
Curry County,
Oregon
Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idah ...
, United States. It is along
U.S. Route 101
U.S. Route 101, or U.S. Highway 101 (US 101), is a north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs through the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, on the West Coast of the United States. It is also known as (The Royal R ...
and the
Sixes River
The Sixes River flows about through coastal forests in southwestern Oregon in the United States. It drains a rugged region of the Klamath Mountains along the Pacific north of Port Orford.
It rises in the mountains of northern Curry County, so ...
, east of
Cape Blanco and the
Cape Blanco Lighthouse.
Accounts vary as to the origin of the name "Sixes". The community was named after the river. One local postmaster said Sixes was named for a
Native American chief. Another source said that in 1851, the river was usually called the "Sikhs River" after the
Chinook Jargon word for "friend", and on maps it was called the "Sequalchin River". Another source says the Native American name for the river was "Sa-qua-mi". Hodge's ''Handbook of American Indians'' says that one of the variants of the name of the local tribe, the
Kwatami (a subdivision of the
Tututni
The Tututni tribe is a historic Native American tribe, one of Lower Rogue River Athabascan tribes from southwestern Oregon who signed the 1855 Coast Treaty, and were removed to the Siletz Indian
Reservation in Oregon. They traditionally lived a ...
), was "Sik-ses-tene", which is said to mean "people by the far north country". Though this is most likely the real source of the name, the spelling "Sixes" was probably used by miners drawn to the Oregon
gold rush
A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, New Z ...
who were familiar with the Chinook word "sikhs". The current spelling was used as early as 1855, and Sixes' post office was established in 1888.
The Sixes post office has since closed.
See also
*
List of places with numeric names
This is a list of places with numeric names.
0
* :nl:Nulde, (zero), Netherlands, old name for a hamlet in Putten
* Nullarbor, locality in South Australia (Latin: no trees)
* Nullarbor Plain, desert region in Western and South Australia (Latin ...
References
External links
Sixes community site: sixes.net
Oregon Coast
Unincorporated communities in Curry County, Oregon
1888 establishments in Oregon
Populated places established in 1888
Unincorporated communities in Oregon
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