The site was formerly a year-round camp for Native Americans gathering pine nuts.[2]
Prior names for the settlement had been Mound Valley, Skelton, and Hylton—unfortunately, all at the same time. Since no one could seem to agree on a name, postal authorities chose a new name from a list submitted by local ranchers for the new post office to be established December 18, 1918. One of the names was Jiggs, a character in the Bringing Up Father comic strip, who was always bickering with his wife Maggie.[2][3][4]
The town was the headquarters for "King Fisher", a fictional character created by author Zane Grey.[2]
The town was featured in a 1965 Volkswagen advertising campaign in which the entire population (5 adults, 4 children and a dog) was shown comfortably seated inside a VW Bus.[5]