The North Coast times-eagle., March 21, 1980, Page 8, Image 8

THE NORTH COAST TIMES EAGLE, FRIDAY, 21 MARCH 1980
Page 8
HOTEL MOORE O N THE BEACH AT BROADWAY (ABOVE)
O P E N IN G DAY OF THE SEASIDE PROM, 1921 (RIGHT)
S E A S ID E
But, (yet a ray of hope) the proposal was defeated in
the election by 57 votes. There was obviously still a fac­
tion of residents who did not want or need more tourists.
The chamber was unable to understand their attitude.
“ There must be some sort of misunderstanding,” was
the explanation.
The “ Big Ideas" men were still determined, during
the Forties, to remake the natural environment for the
sake of the holy vacationer. In 1940 Seaside requested
the U.S. Army Engineers to consider improvement of the
Necanium Kiver, which would involve the dredging of a
sailing basin and a channel to the head of the tidewater,
and a dam at the mouth of the river. Why? After all,
Seaside was the “ most important summer resort on the
Pacific Coast with a seasonal population of 40-thousand
people.” The river improvements would “ serve the
tourist better and increase patronage.”
In 1944 the criteria for success had not changed. And
Seaside was successful. Bank deposits showed that in
money volume, Labor Day weekend business had been
the heaviest in the history of the city, “ Hundreds slept
on the beach and in cars and every cabin and apartment
was full, full to the overflowing.”
Perhaps it was the war.
C o n t in u e d
fro m
Page
Seven
By the 1950’s Seaside had arrived. It was the beach
resort town with something for everybody — including
parking meters. Still, the Chamber of Commerce con­
tinued its relentless struggle to corner every last warm
breathing body of the tourist trade, and in 1951 it est­
ablished a committee to work on a program to increase
the flux of newlyweds and make Seaside the “ Honeymoon
Center of the Pacific Coast.”
Apparently though, more honeymooners did not create
a big enough market to compete with technology, and in
January of 1955 it was discovered that the volume of
business for 1954 had been slightly off from 1953. This
distressed the businessmen greatly, who felt their in­
dustry had been affected in part by large expenditures
of the people for television sets. Immediately they
struck for revenge, and for the first time in Seaside
history the city sponsored television advertising, start­
ing with a promotion of that year’s clam tides.
It worked.
Il
1
M
$$$
Building permits for 1944 totaled $480,035, a record
high.
$$$
In 1940, (there’s no hope now, folks) Seaside received
the exclusive sponsorship of the Miss Oregon Contest.
Deposits at the bank exceeded $4,000,000 for the first
time in its history.
$$$
In 1947 the assessed value of the city jumped from
$1,691,442 to $2,007,359.
In 1958 the Seaside Chamber of Commerce sponsored
an advertisement in a Spokane, Washington newspaper
which was distributed in Montana, Idaho and Washing­
ton. There were a lot of rich farmers in that area and
all they needed was to be made aware of Seaside as a
place io spread their money around, Once again, suc­
cess. That season Seaside was visited by 52,290 peo­
ple from the Inland Empire.
$$$
And those heartily welcomed folks spent $261,450 per
day.
$$$
Amazingly, in 1948 the little people were still hanging
on. The business license tax levy to promote advertis­
ing was once again defeated. To the continuing and great
puzzlement of the Chamber of Commerce.
But the effort finally won out in 1949 and an ad spread
in Sunset Magazine brought 1,313 written inquiries for
accomodations during the spring and summer.
$$$
Three hundred thousand dollars were spent in three
days during the 1949 July Fourth weekend in Seaside.
$ $ $
_____
The Seaside tourist industry has continued to grow
through the last two decades and probably will in the
next, but Seaside doesn’t get it all anymore. Cannon
Beach is diverting a lot of the trade and might even
surpass Seaside someday. To the south Manzanita
and Nehalem are beating their drums.
Let’s see . . . maybe if we flattened that dune over
there and put up some condominiums . . . cleared out
all those trees and put in a trailer court over there
. . . let in just a little bit of gambling here and there
(think what it would do for our faxes!) . . .
Hmmm . . . !
Help Us Get Food Through
To CAMBODIA!
Food provided by the American Friends
Service Committee (Quakers) has arrived at the
Cambodian seaport o f Kompong Som. It is now
being distributed to the civilian population o f
Cambodia, who are threatened with starvation.
This first Quaker shipment o f rice—con­
tributed by persons o f many faiths—was enough
food to feed more than 30,000 people for a month.
But the Quaker delegation which has just
visited Cambodia reports that much, much more is
needed. We are urging our government to carry
out the pledges it has made to help all the people
o f Cambodia. Our own efforts w ill continue to get
food, seeds, agricultural and fishing equipment
there. We are cooperating with O X F A M in Britain
and America, U NICEF and the International
Committee o f the Red Cross to get food to the
people who desperately need it. We are also
sending vitamins and medicines by air.
Help us now to help the stricken people o f
Cambodia.
To: American Friend, Service Committee
A
1817 N E 17th Avenue • Portland. Oregon
VES. I W ANT T f) IIE I P!
97212
$___ ____
I want to help this appeal (or food * \ / ^
and medicine Here is my contribution to the
AFSC Emergency Relief Fund
y
□
I will urge ihe President, my Representative and Senators to
speed up government aid to Cambodia without political
conditions.
□
Send me your delegation report on Cambodia
M i name is
.. .
--------
My address
_____________________________ Zip ----------
< oritnbutionuu the A fS l are deductible for income ta« purpo»«
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