Addressing the Oregon Coast Rumor: No, Taft is Not a Town Separate from Lincoln City

Published 01/23/25 at 7:15 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Lincoln City, Oregon) – Sometimes the most bizarre little arguments erupt online. The many social media groups out there about the Oregon coast all have differing levels of experience along these shores, and of course they're no stranger to off-the-wall misinformation. At times, that's propagated by random individuals simply commenting. Others, it's the posts themselves.

One of those spats that keeps popping up lately is regarding Lincoln City's Taft district. Periodically, someone pipes in on a photo of Taft and complains “that's Taft – not Lincoln City.” Even more bizarre, sometimes there are more of those wrong declarations than the corrections. Some folks are simply stuck in the impression that Taft is somehow a different town than the rest of Lincoln City.

Before 1964 that was true, but not now. Why should you trust this article on these facts?

Well, take it from Lincoln City's Urban Renewal Director Alison Robertson.

Yes, Taft is simply a district in Lincoln City. In fact, Cutler City – just south of there – is surprisingly still part of town.

“Yes, Taft and Cutler City and Roads End are all within City Limits,” Robertson told Oregon Coast Beach Connection. “Neotsu is outside the City Limits but located within the Urban Growth Boundary. Otis is outside both, and County Unincorporated Area.”

If you look at the map from city officials, you can see the city boundaries (in pink) surrounding Taft.

So, if you see someone getting bitchy online and trying to “correct” the original post by claiming Taft is a different town: nope. It's absolutely correct to call it Lincoln City. Yet if you're going to refer to it as Taft, it's best to add the fact it's Lincoln City – if nothing else, just for the newbs out there.

“Personally, I think it’s a good idea to refer to the areas as 'districts' so, something like 'Taft District, Lincoln City, Oregon' would be a clear label for a photo,” Robertson said.

Oregon Coast Beach Connection photo

Heck, there are even signs declaring Taft as a historic district, as well as other areas like Nelscott to the north.

Here's another bit of interesting Oregon coast trivia: the entire area was once called the “20 Miracle Miles.” Where Were the '20 Miracle Miles?' Quirky to Cool Central Oregon Coast History

They all used to be separate villages, however. Taft, Cutler City, Nelscott, Roads End, Oceanlake, Delake and Wecoma Beach were the original spots in the area, starting in the 1890s. Some never incorporated and were even gobbled up by others; some became their own towns.

According to Robertson and Lincoln City documents, Oceanlake came about in 1929 after Devil's Lake Park and Raymond merged.

“In 1935 an unsuccessful attempt was made to incorporate; 1945 brought successful incorporation,” she said.

Taft over 100 years ago - courtesy North Lincoln County Historical Museum

Delake incorporated in '49 – but the year before that a Legion Hall in Taft was bustling with a big meeting where they brought up the idea of piecing all the towns together. In fact, the suggestion for a name was Lincoln City. The idea was put to a vote but failed.

Also that year, Taft officially incorporated. Nelscott incorporated then too, and in '55 Oceanlake gobbled up Wecoma Beach – but there was a nasty legal fight over that one. Oceanlake won, however. Lincoln City Formed from Six Small Towns: Intricate History

In '64, Lincoln City was officially voted into existence, pulling together all these different burghs. It took a year or so to actually name it, and voting on this very nearly created a town called Surfland instead of Lincoln City. Naming Lincoln City was a Wobbly, Wacky Process

Oregon Coast Beach Connection photo

Another argument that has popped up online at times is whether Devil's Punchbowl is Otter Rock or not. Well, the state park's official address is Otter Rock, so if you call a photo as being from Otter Rock from the vantage points of the Punchbowl – you're still technically correct.

This, however, is nothing compared to the brouhaha that can erupt down on the south coast at Bandon: which rock structure is Wizards Hat Rock and which is Howling Dog Rock can become a heated argument. Some say the two are the same, while other locals say they're different (and that does make more sense).

However, the weird truth about Bandon's rock structures – except for Face Rock – is that many cannot agree on what they're called. Indeed, historical photos and newspaper articles 100 years ago or less show them named something else entirely, nicknames not used now at all.

Adding to the mystery is the fact the State of Oregon has not officially named any of them except for Face Rock – and even that's technically incorrect as local tribes had another name for that for maybe thousands of years. Bandon's Wizards Hat Rock, Komax or Howling Dog?

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