How Pistol River Got Its Name:
Pistol River got its name from James Mace, who in spring of 1853 was bucked off his horse and lost his pistol in the stream when crossing a few miles up from the mouth. In 1890, Mrs. Clara Clarke, grandmother of Robert Ismert, found the pistol and it being many years later, the barrel was very much rusted and pitted. The butt of the gun had a frame of something like German silver around it, but the sides of the butt were gone. Mrs. Clarke did a lot of walking when going visiting or to attend someone who was ill. She would take her medical bag and start out on foot if no other means were handy.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pistol River (Tolowa: chvt-ler’sh-chvn-dvn taa-ghii~-li~’) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Curry County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 84. It is near the Pistol River and the Pistol River State Scenic Viewpoint, just to the east of U.S. Route 101.
The community of Pistol River takes its name from the stream that flows past it. James Mace, a militia soldier, lost a pistol in the river in 1853, during a skirmish of the Rogue River Wars, and it has been known as the Pistol River since then. The Pistol River post office was established in 1927.
The Pistol River area is known for its windsurfing, and the International Windsurfing Tour holds the Pistol River Wave Bash there annually. Many say that Pistol River has the best windsurfing in the state.
Pistol River has a concert association that has hosted a monthly concert, often featuring nationally known acts, since 1982.
In 1984 John Kirkland of The World (of Coos Bay, Oregon) described Pistol River as having a "pioneer spirit" and "simplicity". Kirkland added that the community could be considered "a throwback to an earlier point in American history."