Photo: Anonymous-232 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Depoe Bay, the small harbor town between Lincoln City and Newport, is named for a Siletz man known as Charley DePoe.
A name from a job
According to local history, he worked at an army depot during the reservation era and became known as “Depot Charley.” Over time the name became DePoe.
Land near the bay
When reservation land was divided into allotments, DePoe’s family received land near the bay. The town that grew there in the early 20th century took his name.
A reminder of the Siletz
The name is a reminder that the central coast was home to many tribes long before the towns were built. The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians remain an important part of Lincoln County today.
Silas Kerrigan covers business, the tourism economy and household finance in Lincoln County.
