Necanicum, Oregon

Necanicum is a historic unincorporated community in Clatsop County, Oregon, United States.^[1] It is located about 13 miles southeast of Seaside on U.S. Route 26 in the Northern Oregon Coast Range, next to the Necanicum River. Necanicum Junction is about a mile east of the site of the former post office, at the intersection of U.S. 26 and Oregon Route 53.^[2][3] It is served by the Seaside post office.

The post office at this locale was originally named "Ahlers" after Herman Ahlers, a local resident and the first postmaster.^[4] Ahlers changed the name of the office to "Push" in 1899, because he expected the place to become an enterprising community.^[4] The name was changed to Necanicum in 1907, after the Necanicum River, and the office closed in 1916, with Ahlers still postmaster.^[4] "Necanicum" is one of many names in northwest Oregon beginning with ne, which is a Native American prefix indicating a place.^[4] Necanicum is derived from Ne-hay-ne-hum, the name of a Native American lodge upstream.^[4] The journal of the Oregon Pioneer Association gave the name as "Nekonikon" in 1887.^[4] Herman Ahlers said the name meant "a gap in the mountains".^[4] The current spelling was adopted by a decision of the United States Board on Geographic Names in 1915, as the most common local usage over "Necanacum" and "Nekanakum".^[1]

In 1915, Necanicum had a population of 50.^[5] As of 1990, there was a store and a café at Necanicum Junction.^[5]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Necanicum (historical)". Geographic Names Information System, U.S. Geological Survey. May 22, 1986. http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:1132345. Retrieved 2010-12-18. 
2. ^ Oregon Atlas & Gazetteer (7th ed.). Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. 2008. p. 20. ISBN 0-89933-347-8. 
3. ^ "Necanicum Junction". Geographic Names Information System, U.S. Geological Survey. May 22, 1986. http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:1639322. Retrieved 2010-12-18. 
4. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} McArthur, Lewis A.; McArthur, Lewis L. (2003) [First published 1928]. Oregon Geographic Names (7th ed.). Portland, Oregon: Oregon Historical Society Press. pp. 693-694. ISBN 9780875952772. OCLC 53075956. 
5. ^ ^{a b} Friedman, Ralph (1990). In Search of Western Oregon (2nd ed.). Caldwell, Idaho: The Caxton Printers, Ltd. ISBN 0-87004-332-3. http://books.google.com/books. 

Coordinates: 45°54′24″N 123°47′05″W / 45.9067768°N 123.7848551°W / 45.9067768; -123.7848551