c
iT in v
OOKINGS-HARBOR PILOT'S
OF SOUTHWESTERN OREGON
SOUTHWESTERN OREGON IS NEW LAND OF
OPPORTUNITY FOR ENTERPRISING BUSINESS
. For those men who wish to invest capital in such Businesses as
fishing for commercial trade, or such small manufacturing plants to
turn out unpainted furniture, southwestern Oregon offers much. W ith
native woods, with plywood available, with lumber handy, there
is an abundant source of materials.
Fishing, in Pelican Bay, has never been touched to any extent by
commercial fishermen. If any activity were manifest along this line,
certain a small amount of work at the mouth of the Chetco would
offer fishermen a haven for their craft. Cedar Lane Cannery, now
doing some commercial canning as well as sportsmen’s canning, is
available for processing of fish from the sea.
It would be folly to attempt to convince people that this area is
fully developed—far from it—actually the area is still much in the
primitive state—lacking in adequate highway facilities which are
long over due for such a route as Highway io i —the scenic Oregon
Coast Highway which tourists know so little about.
This January 7, Brookings Plywood Corporation opened its oper
ations, which will employ about 400 in all its operations. There are
a number of sawmills in the area employing almost a like number
of men. These nulls will create the source of supplies for several by
products winch could be made profitable for the state’s economy.
Raising of New' Zealand flax, substitute for hemp, is potentially
another great industry for this area for this hardy plant grows ex
ceptionally well in this coastal climate—and especially this area.
£
B?ginning O f Plywood Plant Construction Last Summer
Z Jed Impeius To Industrial G rowth of Curry County
View Of Town Is
Out-dated; Growth
Pace Gets Faster
arbor filo!'
Tim e, tide— an d ra p id ity of all
ch an g es in this a r e a —w a it for no
m an. The p ictu re of B rookings,
b y X i p i ? v i ,^ e n » '''kfrom a n< H "
BROOKINGS, CURRY COUNTY, OREGON— Land of Opportunity For Many
B rookings. Since th en so m any
ch an g es have been w ro u g h t—so
much so th at the picture is
« ♦ y
ac Gold Beach, A t Turn of Century, Was Just Small V illage;
•
•
■
r
* • l
I
**
Boat Was Principal Mode of Freight To Those Pioneers
tu a lly out-d ated .
F irs t to catch th e eye is th e
R exall sign. F. A. A rrell m oved
to the new M anley B uilding, next
to th e P ine Cone th e a tre , in th e E
c e n te r of th e p ictu re. Since the
p ictu re w as t a k e n . F re e m a n ’s
M ark et has been com pleted and
is now serving th is area.
Most of th e ch an g in g scenery
of th e a re a n a tu ra lly w ill not be
includt d in the p ictu re of M ain
s tre e t, o r ( » ten A v e n u e , a s it
is s h o w n o n t h e c il> I 'l a t .
H ack
In
M arch,
1046,
at
th e
tim e th e P ilot w as launched, this
scene w as q u ite diff»J£.ht. At th at
tim e th e re
no G /^v sh el b u ild
«MMHmMeqoooc
ing, now housing th e post office,
Upon a firm foundation" now rests the mammoth structure which houses the M oore’s V ariety an d A pparel, and
«»kings Plywcxxl Corporation. This illustrates the beginning, last summer of the C hetco Hom e and A uto S upply
M oore’s V ariety and th e post
•iistruction of the plant which will mean much to the economy of southwestern office, then, w ere in th e building
at th e left, p u rch ased last y e a r
egon. I he plant is now in operation, employing several hundred people.
hv C u rry C ounty B ank.
Elsewhere hi this issue are pictures showing construction in the different stages, to At th e tim e th e P ilot cam e to
ve the reader a graphic picture of the size and scope of the new plant. Plans for th e area, th e p resen t B rookings
plant arc similar to the plant at Grants Pass. Orders for the product, according Markct was undcr c o n s t r u c ion.
ts
• 1
. »
r
1
1
0 ! At th a t tim e th e p resen t She
officials, assures a long-time economy for Southwestern Oregon.
sta tio n w as n o n -ex isten t; as w as
th a t w hole side of the s tre e t to
w a rd th e east, and including th e
Gold Beach, at the turn of this century, is graphically explained by this
buildings occupied by G a llag h e r,'
O. K. R u b b er W’elders, C hevron and does not resemble the county seat of Curry County today. No attempt
S tatio n .
made to give a history of Gold Beach, for this has been done more ably than
W hen the Pilot published its
fir s t issue, w h at is now th e H e n ited space of this edition would permit. Jt is, however, the attempt of this
d rick s P u i'd T g . then, w as a big show “how far everyone has come” in way of progress in recent years.
pile of dim ension lum ber. Such
w as p a rtia lly th e scene here.
Now, these of you who w alk
up th e M ain D rag, note th e
C ’inic b u i’ding; R dfie'd G rocery
and the Goezt b u i’ding, w h ere at
t h a t tim e stood the C hevron S ta
tion, a i d across th e stre e t w as
a sm all building housing C hetco
C afe. Tim es have changed!
Across from th e present Rod-
field G rocery, in 1946. w as a v a
can t lot, w here once stood the
fam ous St. G eorge H otel. Now it
is occupied by a new Mobil s t a
tion, and th e s tre e t line has a
m ,-top. li’.an look. Tom M oore's
’ ill has been low ered, and the
g e n e ra l top o g rap h y of th e city is I
d ra stic a lly changed.
S o u th from the p resen t Mobil
sta tio n stood th e o ’d -tim e mess-
hall. now co n v erted into a w are- J
house and a p a rtm e n ts. Now, just
across th e s tre e t stan d s Brook- j ............ « . h i mu
Ä
ings G rag e and M achine shop. ;
T he bu i'd in g housing th ese two I
businesses is new.
Beyond th is point th e re w as j
cell ng strong h
fo r a municipal g<
nothing except the rem ain s of the
I cokings Incorporated In 1951 And Named Council; City
I . ces G igantic Building Program In Coming Few Years
“photo”
is being
the lim
issue to
tec
of hi Sh |K‘tltHl
.1 vote of 153 to
, Sept i 2, at w 1
1 vote; Warren S
lit I ksii J e M
’lldillg. left and
\ trenu •M.b.llv t K
policies to do the
v orgaili zed, the
hex- 11ten. all sin
govenument wli
?ount\ court for an ( k \ , o n to inuuporate, held July io once great Brtxikings sawmill, in
I here were no roads in those days—just ask any pioneer of the county. Freight
■porati'in was carri« J . « :;h O’uncil clcciion set \ \ c
i l n
e
s
-
i in t,losc days was entirely dependent upon coast wise boats (or ships) as may be
ate»,, center) was named mayor by piant and saWmiii (this being in-¡seen in this picture of the "Roamer’’ being unloaded at the mouth of the Rogue.
stalled in 1947 by B rim m Bros
smeister, 133 votes (seated I
W ater played an important part in the development of carly-day Brookings, as it
Time m arches on and in its .
... ,
_ j
I
•
•
i • •
it
i
i
i
i
ng, i2u votes; I'red Fox, 11
w ake arise new buildings new : "'ill be attempted to prove elsewhere in this issue. However, when the lumber m-
a> me first council of Brookings,
hom es and subdivisions, in a n y , dustrv was closed at Brookings in the ’20s, nothing was done to expand the economy
group m the building of a city government, to plan direction on the compass from th< of this section of Oregon until Highway ioi was completed. It cannot adequately
theoretical city center one will
for the most people. Until the city government is see
alm ost nothing but buildings serve the communities of Curry County County today. Waterways must I k - studied.
s weekly on Tuesday nights.
in the various phases of construc
eir own respective businesses, are trying to form a tion and stakes driven to de
W hile the Pilot is trying to show something of the progress of this area and of
note where other soon will be
our.ige the proper and stable grow th Brookings is en- started.
Curry county, the Pilot is trying to use material that is available, knowing full well
made, . st errors should creep in the book of ordinances. Most noticeable is the grow th ¡fhlf ¡fus work will not be complete. Task? of this sort are great undertakings, even
llrookin
»; v i ode 7/y. m ’/ z / j a city government that assures freedom, fo r '«
1°r metropolitan newipapert with all their faiihtiet. The Pilot with in small force
t encourages, ’ was the expressed sentiment of all at the first meeting.
to them —it simply flies
1 cannot be expected to imitate the efforts expected of a big daily newspaper.