Yachats, Oregon, is a town on the Oregon Coast, located in Lincoln County. As of 2020, the population was around 800 people, although since Yachats has a large population of tourists and temporary residents, it is much larger than that might suggest.
Before European contact, the area was inhabited by different indigenous peoples, although from my research, it seems that the exact inhabitants were unclear. Oregon Geographic Names, usually a reliable source, lists the name as being from the language of the Siletz People, but other sources I read said the area was inhabited by a band of the Alsea People. As like so many other areas in the Pacific Northwest, the native culture is sadly lost.
The history's European settlement follows a familiar pattern in Oregon: what begun as a natural resource based settlement has turned into a center for tourism. Unlike towns to the north, however, Yachats was never a major timber or fishing center. It was isolated, even by the standards of the Oregon Coast. Today, is is the southernmost town in Lincoln County, and is also on a geographic inflection point: north of Yachats, despite some rocky areas, the coast is basically flat, with many beaches, and can be traversed easily. Near Yachats and Cape Perpetua, the coast becomes much harder to navigate. Yachats is on the political and geographical dividing line between the north and south parts of the Oregon Coast.
I visited here recently, and found it naturally beautiful, and charming. However, as is often the case with coastal towns in Oregon, its charm may wear off for people who live there and deal with the isolation of a small coastal town.