 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.