Agness, Oregon

Agness is an unincorporated community in Curry County, Oregon, United States. It is located near the confluence of two Wild and Scenic rivers—the Lower Rogue and the Illinois. Agness post office was established October 16, 1897. It was named after Agnes, the daughter of the first postmaster, and subsequently misspelled. The Agness area is popular for fishing and hiking. Agness is in the Rogue River – Siskiyou National Forest and was threatened by the Biscuit Fire in 2002. Agness is served by one of only two rural mail boat routes still operating in the U.S. The other is along the Snake River in eastern Oregon. The mail boat runs on the Rogue River between Gold Beach and Agness. Rogue River Ranch, east of Agness, is on the National Register of Historic Places, and it and Lucas Lodge in Agness are in the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office historic sites database. The Agness-Illahe Museum is open from May through September. Agness has a kindergarten–sixth grade (K–6) "one-room school", which actually consists of two rooms. It is kept open by the Central Curry School District because of its "geographical remoteness": approximately 30 miles (48 km) from Gold Beach up a "winding and sometimes dangerous" road. This road is a continuation of Bear Camp Road, which has been the site of several incidents that have resulted in the deaths of travelers.