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SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2017
100 YEARS OF SERVICE
U.S. Coast Guard Station Siuslaw
D ECEMBER 1917
SIUSLAW NEWS FILE PHOTOS
Station Siuslaw River
crews at work in the
early 20th century.
TO
D ECEMBER 2017
The Florence area has come a long way since
establishing a lifesaving station at the mouth of the
Siuslaw River in 1917. In the past 100 years, the
men and women who served at U.S. Coast Guard
Station Siuslaw River have performed countless
rescues, assisted many boaters and helped Florence
become Oregon’s Premier Coastal Community. In
2017 alone, Florence Area Chamber of Commerce
chose Station Siuslaw River as the Grand Marshals
of the 110th annual Rhododendron Festival and
named the theme “Always Ready to Rhody” after
the Coast Guard motto “Semper Paratus — Always
Ready.” In August, Florence was named the 24th
U.S. Coast Guard City. “This designation is only
awarded to a few cities in the U.S., and is in recog-
nition of the support of a local community for
Coast Guard personnel and their families stationed
in that community,” Florence Mayor Joe Henry
said. “It’s an indicator of the relationship between
the city and the Coast Guard, one that we hold in
highest regard.”
S T A T I O N S I U S L AW R I V E R ’ S
S TATION K EEPER ARRIVES HERE
F RIDAY , D EC . 14, 1917
T HE W EST — V OL . 27, N O . 34
Captain Theodore Roberge who
has been appointed keeper of the
Siuslaw Coast Guard Station arrived
here a few days ago from Cape
Disappointment at the mouth of the
Columbia and has taken charge of the
station here.
Captain Roberge informs us that
most of the equipment for the station
is now at San Francisco ready to be
shipped from the east and is now on
the way here.
He expects that a crew will be
selected as soon as the equipment
arrives which will be in a month or so.
W ANT CREW AT STATION
F RIDAY , J AN . 4, 1918
T HE W EST — V OL . 27, N O . 35
The superintendent of the Coast
Guard Service has recommended that
a crew be placed at Siuslaw Coast
Guard Station and Captain Roberge
has received orders to be on the look-
out for men for this place.
To be eligible for appointment as
coast guard, a man must pass a physi-
cal examination and be able to swim.
S IUSLAW S TATION HAS
FULL CREW
making a full crew of eight men
besides the captain.
All except two are new men in the
service.
The following are the names of the
crew: Fred Cannon, Alfred Gentry,
Lewis Circle Roy Lockwood, Pat
Deveney, Thomas Corrigan, —
Waters and — Pantell.
The men have been busy building
walks and making other improve-
ments about the buildings. They
expect the surf boat to arrive in a few
days and the men will then begin their
regular drills. A guard will also be on
lookout to watch for vessels in dis-
tress.
Most of the men are married and
will soon erect cottages near the sta-
tion for their families. They will make
quite a little community in that part of
the city limits of Florence.
F RIDAY , M ARCH 29, 1918
T HE W EST — V OL . 27, N O . 48
It has been some twenty-five years
since it was first suggested that a life
saving station should be established at
the mouth of the Siuslaw River and
efforts to bring this about were com-
menced. These efforts have been kept
at intervals with apparently not much
result till some three or four years ago
when Congress granted an appropria-
tion for purchasing a site and erecting
the buildings for a coast guard station.
A site was purchased and the build-
ings erected in 1917, but the station
has not been fully manned till this
week when the last of eight men took
position.
Captain T. Roberge was sent here
M INE PICKED UP ON BEACH
from Oak Point, Wash., to take charge
F RIDAY , A UG . 16, 1918
of the station about two months ago
T HE W EST — V OL . 28, N O . 16
and instructions given him not long
Last week J.W. Bergmar, Fred
afterward to select a crew of men.
Captain Roberge selected five men Hollister and others spent several
from this vicinity and three others days outing at Heceta Beach.
On Thursday they found, on the
were sent here from other places,
From top, the crew of
Station Siuslaw River,
local officials receive
the Coast Guard City
Designation and mem-
bers practice throws
during an open house.
FIRST YEAR
beach about a mile south of Wm.
McCraes residence, a mine which
had evidently been planted in the
ocean by some vessel and had drifted
ashore. It was of metal cast in the
form of a cylinder rounded on both
ends, about four feet long and two
feet in diameter. It evidently has
been in the water very long as there
were no barnacles or other growth on
the outside.
Mr. Bergman reported the find to
Captain Roberge of the coast guard
station and the crew went out and
removed the mine.
C OAST G UARDS ’ FIRST RESCUE
F RIDAY , O CT . 25, 1918
T HE W EST — V OL . 28, N O . 34
The Siuslaw coast guards were
called out Tuesday afternoon for
their first actual work of rescuing a
vessel in distress, and they were
entirely successful in bringing the
vessel into the harbor, without any
loss.
The vessel was the fishing
schooner
“Pilgrim,”
Captain
McConnell, with gasoline engine and
carried three men including the cap-
Western Lane
Ambulance District
Invites You to
tain. They left Newport Saturday
afternoon and fished several days
near that place then decided to run
down the coast and out to Heceta
fishing banks. When near Heceta
light house about three o’clock
Tuesday afternoon, the tail shaft
broke putting the engine out of com-
mission and rendering the boat help-
less.
A signal of distress was given
which was seen from the light house
and the keeper called up the Siuslaw
coast guard station and informed
them of the situation.
Captain Roberge and his men soon
had their boat out and were on their
way to render assistance making a
quick trip to the Pilgrim which was
drifting northward. The vessel was
taken in tow of the life boat and
brought to the mouth of the Siuslaw,
arriving there about six o’clock
Tuesday evening. The bar was too
rough to cross in at that time so the
boats dropped anchor and remained
at sea until about 11 o’clock
Wednesday when, the ocean having
calmed down, both entered the har-
bor and came up to Florence.
“Fair Winds & Following Seas”
to all our First Responders
at Station Siuslaw
LEARN
CPR
S TATION S IUSLAW R IVER
4255 Coast Guard Road, Florence
www.facebook.com/USCoastGuardSTASiuslawRiver
City of Florence
Florence City Hall — 250 Highway 101, Florence
541-997-3437 — ci.florence.or.us
For more information about the local Coast Guard, visit
Oregon Coast Military Museum, 2145 Kingwood St., call 541-
902-5160 or visit www.oregoncoastmilitarymuseum.com.
Happy Birthday USCG StaƟon Siuslaw River
CPR Certifi cations
Adult CPR - $50.00
Child Infant CPR Supplemental - $25.00
Total - $75 for both
2nd Saturday of every month
9am to 1pm at Western Lane Ambulance District
Diana Hackett
Broker
COAST REAL ESTATE
OREGON COAST MILITARY MUSEUM
Call
541-997-9614
2145 Kingwood Street, Florence Oregon
541-902-5160 www.oregoncoastmilitarymuseum.com
www.westernlaneambulance.com
541-997-7777
Cell: 541-999-7317
Office: 541-997-7777
Fax: 541-997-7159
Toll Free: 1-800-999-5343
Email: diana@cbcoast.com
100 Hwy. 101, Florence, OR
“We’re next to the Bridge.”