Kerby is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Josephine County, Oregon, United States, north of Cave Junction upon U.S. Route 199. As of the 2010 census the population was 595. Despite its population and numerous businesses, it is often listed in tourist guides as a ghost town, because of the number of historic buildings left from its days as a gold-mining town. Kerby came into existence amongst 1854 and 1857.

Kerby was named for James Kerby (or Kerbey, as he sometimes spelled his name). The community was founded during the heyday of Josephine County gold mining and went through numerous herald changes (and various spellings) in its in front years. When Josephine County was established on January 22, 1856, a other county chair was to be agreed in the adjacent county election. The indigenous county seat was a place called “Sailor Diggings” (which was eventually renamed Waldo). One of the polling places listed was called “Kirbey’s Ranch”. James Kerby and Samuel Hicks, partners in a general mercantile and supply business, probably founded the town of “Kerbeyville” for the county chair race, and the town was selected in the election of June 1857.

An engagement of the territorial legislature of December 18, 1856, changed the herald from “Kirbeyville” to “Napoleon”, possibly because of the connection of Napoleon with the broadcast Josephine. The additional name was not popular, and a balance was introduced in the adjacent legislature that would fine-tune it back. The balance passed the House but was then held taking place in the Senate judiciary committee. Though the county commissioners used the name “Napoleon” for a hasty time, they reverted to calling the place “Kerbyville” in just about April 1860. The name “Kerbyville” was used officially for many years despite the failure of the legislature to remodel it. The pronounce was finally misused to “Kerby” for the sake of simplicity. Grants Pass became the county seat in 1886.

The archives of the declare of the publicize office in this locale is simpler: Kerby declare office was customary in September 1856; it was superior made a rural station of Cave Junction. The publish office was proposed to be closed in 2009.^{[citation needed]}