Seal Rock, Oregon
Encyclopedia
Seal Rock is an unincorporated
coastal
community in Lincoln County, Oregon
, United States
, between Newport
and Waldport
on U.S. Route 101
.
The community of Seal Rock is named for the Seal Rocks, a ledge of partially submerged rocks that parallel the shore for about 2.5 miles (4 km). In Chinook Jargon
the area was called Seal Illahe, meaning "seal place" or "seal home", while "Seal Rocks" is what the locality was called in pioneer times, when it was an early resort community. The name "Seal Rock" appears to refer to the one large rock, about 20 feet (6.1 m) above water, that was formerly where hundreds of seals and sea lions would rest.
Seal Rock was the terminus of the Corvallis & Yaquina Bay Wagon Road, which was the first road to reach the Oregon Coast
from the Willamette Valley
. The town of Seal Rock was platted in 1887 and three blocks of hotels were built, but development lagged and the assets of the road company were transferred to the promoter of the Oregon Pacific Railway, T. Egenton Hogg. Seal Rock post office was established in 1890.
Seal Rock State Recreation Site
is a day-use site that includes tidepools and a stretch of beach.
Seal Rock is also the name of an address-restricted archaeological site in the vicinity that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
coastal
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
community in Lincoln County, Oregon
Lincoln County, Oregon
-National protected areas:*Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge *Siletz Bay National Wildlife Refuge*Siuslaw National Forest -Demographics:...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, between Newport
Newport, Oregon
Newport is a city in Lincoln County, Oregon, United States. It was incorporated in 1882, though the name dates back to the establishment of a post office in 1868...
and Waldport
Waldport, Oregon
Waldport is a city in Lincoln County, Oregon, United States. The population was 2,050 at the 2000 census. The city is located on the Alsea River and Alsea Bay, south of Newport and north of Yachats.-Geography:...
on U.S. Route 101
U.S. Route 101 in Oregon
In the U.S. state of Oregon, U.S. Route 101, a major north–south U.S. Highway, runs through the state along the coastline near the Pacific Ocean. In Oregon, it runs from the Oregon–California border, south of Brookings, to the Oregon–Washington border on the Columbia River, between Astoria,...
.
The community of Seal Rock is named for the Seal Rocks, a ledge of partially submerged rocks that parallel the shore for about 2.5 miles (4 km). In Chinook Jargon
Chinook Jargon
Chinook Jargon originated as a pidgin trade language of the Pacific Northwest, and spread during the 19th century from the lower Columbia River, first to other areas in modern Oregon and Washington, then British Columbia and as far as Alaska, sometimes taking on characteristics of a creole language...
the area was called Seal Illahe, meaning "seal place" or "seal home", while "Seal Rocks" is what the locality was called in pioneer times, when it was an early resort community. The name "Seal Rock" appears to refer to the one large rock, about 20 feet (6.1 m) above water, that was formerly where hundreds of seals and sea lions would rest.
Seal Rock was the terminus of the Corvallis & Yaquina Bay Wagon Road, which was the first road to reach the Oregon Coast
Oregon Coast
The Oregon Coast is a region of the U.S. state of Oregon. It runs generally north-south along the Pacific Ocean, forming the western border of the state; the region is bounded to the east by the Oregon Coast Range. The Oregon Coast stretches approximately from the Columbia River in the north to...
from the Willamette Valley
Willamette Valley
The Willamette Valley is the most populated region in the state of Oregon of the United States. Located in the state's northwest, the region is surrounded by tall mountain ranges to the east, west and south and the valley's floor is broad, flat and fertile because of Ice Age conditions...
. The town of Seal Rock was platted in 1887 and three blocks of hotels were built, but development lagged and the assets of the road company were transferred to the promoter of the Oregon Pacific Railway, T. Egenton Hogg. Seal Rock post office was established in 1890.
Seal Rock State Recreation Site
Seal Rock State Recreation Site
Seal Rock State Recreation Site is a state park in the U.S. state of Oregon, administered by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department....
is a day-use site that includes tidepools and a stretch of beach.
Seal Rock is also the name of an address-restricted archaeological site in the vicinity that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
External links
- History of Seal Rock from sealrock.or.com
- Oregon Coastal Atlas: Seal Rock Rocky Shore Management Cell
- Seal Rock State Recreation Site from Oregon Parks and Recreation DepartmentOregon Parks and Recreation DepartmentThe Oregon Parks and Recreation Department , officially known as the State Parks and Recreation Department, is the government agency of the U.S. state of Oregon which operates its system of state parks...