Image provided by: Cape Blanco Heritage Society; Port Orford, OR
About Port Orford news. (Port Orford, Curry County, Oregon) 1958-current | View Entire Issue (April 3, 1969)
April 1969 Fabulous 50 Mlles Recreation Guide—3 R ecreation A rea settled on a homestead approx Bandon became fully incorpor imately midway between Port ated as a city and the 1900 cen Orford and Bandon. About 1880, sus showed a population of 645. O. W. Briggs wrote in 1936: Frank Langlois, one of Wil liam's sons, entered into a “ The city came into promin partnership with A. H. Thrift ence between 1905 and 1910, in the establishment of a store five sawmills and one or two on the Langlois farm, a mile shipyards. The city for 2 or or so west of the present com 3 years was the most pros munity. A year later, they perous in Coos County. Then that region in the autumn of moved the store to a location the R a n d o lp h mills b u r n e d Ttie history of the Coos and evading supposedly hostile hr The fire came from the on the main road, where a post down; the P a r k e r s b u r g mill Curry county towns oi Port dians and aided by some friend 1868. and Elk rivers, spread office was established April 4, also burned; the Johnson mill Orford. Langlois and Bandon ly ones, until they reached Um Sixes ing through much of the town 1881, with Frank Langlois as suspended operations, leaving is full of flavor and spice. pqua City. of Port Orford. the postmaster, and Langlois the i n d u s t r i a l situation un After returning to Battle Rock It was hard to settle this In 1918, during a visit to took the family name which it certain and discouraging. Ban and finding the men gone, Tich- great scenic country. In the don at this time had a popu the little city, the publisher of enor, presuming they w e r e carries to this day. early 185O’s, Indians roamed magazine reported Merchandise for the store lation of over 1800.” the countryside and settlers dead, went back to Portland . . . a that timber In 1908, the first .d i r e c t he felt Curry County tim came from San Francisco by found the same trouble that where he later learned that his ber should be shipped from lo boat, usually as far as Ban steamer line between Bandon today’s Western movies por men were still alive. De termined not to give up his cal ports. The local newspaper, don. From there, it had to be and Portland was established. tray . . . In 1911, Bandon had 2 banks, Orford Tribune, started hauled by wagon or pack In all the land of Coos and plans to build a settlement at a Port campaign for a port district horses. Freight rates were high. 3 good hotels, one of which, Curry county, Port Orford was Port Orford, Tichenor gath which was formed in a short The store carried the cus the Gallier, had 9,126 regist the first to be settled by the ered a new crew and once time. Lumber shipments did not tomary merchandise for farm rations in 1912. again landed at Port Orford. whites. On June 9, 1851. nine In 1913, Bandon began to ers, gold miners, loggers, mill Obtaining a Donation Claim, materialize, however, as ex men were landed a few miles draw tourists. Picturesque sce and when high seas workers and hunters. south of Cape Blanco, brought Tichenor lost little time in pected, away the wharf, the Frank Langlois platted his nery, an outstanding panoramic down the coast from Portland plotting the town, and city lots washed sold the prop land as a town site, giving view of the h a r b o r , river, by Captain William Tichenoron were soon offered for sale to commissioners erty and dissolved the organi it the name which the post of beach, bar and ocean and hunt the little steam schooner “ Sea the public. zation. fice already carried. In the ing and fishing attracted vaca Federal agents came to est Gull.” In due time, however, the following years, the business tionists and sportsmen. The settlers, landing on the ablish peace and to make a town recorded somegrowthwith On June 11, 1914, a severe beach just below Battle Rock, treaty with the Indians, and the opening of several lumber changed hands several times. fire swept Bandon’s business In 1920, William J . Sweet troops were sent to protect noted a “few Indians” In sight in the area. took over the store and post district causing an estimated who appeared to be friendly. the white settlers who began mills Though most of the lumber office, turning over the busi $200,000 damage. to build blockhouses and log Setting up camp, the white By 1936, Bandon was a sub was shipped by truck from the ness later to his brother, Al men wasted no time erecting cabins. stantial community of a b o u t There were several Indian area, some did go by sea from fred Sweet. the cannon, commanding the harbor. Perhaps no other single item 1500. Dairy and stockraising narrow passageway—the only wars in the years that fol the Tbe surrounding territory added to town remains small to approach to their camp on the lowed, but few white men lost day. A plywood mill on Elk has given Langlois the wide- the stability of the community. range publicity as that of the their lives because of the pro rock. Bandon was headquarters for River and fishing Interests at Langlois Cheese Makers,which The Indians were the first tection offered by forts. the harbor continue to employ shipped cheese products far thefleet of fishing boats during With the discovery of gold on to appear hostile . . . making most of the men in the com and wide by parcel post until the fishing season. Salmon fish the initial attempt to climb the the beaches and in the creek munity. and river beds, Port Orford the plant burned down a few ing was an item of importance rock, so the history books re in the Coquille river. The city A new jetty built this year years ago. became the scene of great cord. also was the center of the pro protects the harbor better than Many Indians were killed that activity. Hotels, stores and ever before and the fishing mising cranberry industry. day at Battle Rock, and thus saloons lined the streets and fleet continues to grow in the BANDON T h e n suddenly d i s a s t e r The history of Bandon is a began the history of Port Or for a few years did a flourish struck once again on Sept. 26, harbor. ing business. long and harried one. ford. 1936; a forest fire swept in On March 25, 1855, a post The earliest known white men and for all practical purposes Now, in order to stave the BEGINNING OF LANGLOIS office was established in Port Indians off, the white men told wiped the city out of exist- The name “ Langlois” in in the lower Coquille River re them that a steamer was coming Orford. ance. Only 16 buildings out Curry County dates back to gion were Hudson’s Bay trap In spite of its gold and open to pick them up in 14 days . . . the time when it required half pers, under the leadership of of nearly 500 remained after which actually wasn’t true. harbor, its timber and salmon a day to drive to Bandon or Alexander McLeod, who ex the fire. When the Indians discovered fisheries, its prospects of coal Port Orford . . . a distance now plored the area in 1824. Four But with indestructable faith that on the fifteenth day the and copper . . . the town failed of about 14 miles either way. years after McLeod’s first the people of Bandon recovered visit, Jedldiah Smith led a band white men were still there . . . to prosper. William V. Langlois had come and rebuilt the city. But the faithful ones stayed of American trappers north they crowded back down on the Today, the little town is grow from the Willamette Valley ward on and life once again came to from California trav beach, and it was during the en ing again, due much to the lo sometime in the 1850’s. After Port Orford. ersing Coos County. The party suing battle that the chief of Port Orford was at least operating a store for a while camped July 2, 1828, on the cation next to some of the most the tribe was killed. beautiful beaches in the State of in Port Orford, thefamily mov holding its own during the six The Indians having given up, ed north some 15 miles and high bluffs just south of the Oregon. Once more, travelers the white men headed north, ties, until disaster struck all site of Bandon. are coming to Bandon for an In 1851, a party of men under enjoyable stay. the leadership of Captain J. M. Kirkpatrick escaped from the Indian attack at Battle Rock (near Port Orford) crossing the river a mile or two above where Bandon now stands. In 1852, men from the scho oner Captain Lincoln, wrecked on the beach just north of the Coos Bay bar, crossed the lo wer river on their way to Port Orford. Among the crew was Henry H. Baldwin, who was so i m p r e s s e d by the location, which is now Bandon, that he returned to live here. Baldwin reportedly had been a close friend of George Ben nett in Ireland whom he induced to come and locate here too. Both of these men were from Bandon, Ireland, and they were instrumental in bringing the name here. In 1853, gold seekers were ramps in the Fabulous s w a r m in g the beaches, both 50 Boat are easily accessible north and south of the Coquille at Miles several lakes and rivers. river. is a ramp at Bradley George Bennett w rote"..... There Lake south of Bandon, at Flor the site of the town of Bandon as Lake south of Langlois and was taken up, not for the gold at Garrison Lake in Port Or that glittered in the front of it ..... but because of a con ford. On the Coquille River, boat venient place for a ferry, and ramps are located on the Ban from its admirable position for don waterfront, at Bullards commercial purposes. In 1874, a voting place was Beach State Park, at Randolph at Riverton. established south of the river and TTiere are also launching fa and was named Bandon Pre cilities at the Port of Port cinct. According to the “ Rose dock for ocean fishing. burg Review" of Feb. 14,1889:” Orford Although the precinct has been Roads leading down to several areas on the Sixes and Elk named Randon since 1874, the congregation of h o u s e s and rivers also provide e a s y other buildings that constitute launching of small boats and the town was called Averhill rubber rafts. All are in good condition until 1889.” u r iu iig u o a i u i o and ready for your boat this SKIMMING along the south S of K ir plywood The Bandon post office was line, provides thrills and spills or fiberglass . . . ern Oregon beaches is pop which, when established in 1877. In 1891, summer. applied to the for the younger set. ular sport for youngsters. A Ru/jqwl et R mcó G m Aw à F«M ej Ram Skimming Is Popular Sport Many Boat Ramps In Fabulous 50
