■»
Coos County Nearly Century Old
Organised in 1853; Empire First County Seat Until 1875, When Moved to Coquille
Coos county was organized December
22, 1853, while Oregon was still a territory.
In the Rogue River Indian dialect Coos
means “Lake, lagoon, or inland bay.” The
name was first mentioned by Lewis and
Clark, who spell it Cook-koo-oose, and
early day residents always wrote it Coose.
In May, 1853, an exploring party under
Perry B. Marple left Jacksonville, Oregon,
to search for a harbor that would give an
outlet for Southern Oregon. They arrived
at Coos bay in three days.
Empire Settled In 1853
W. H. Harris, one of the party, selected
Bandon and Mr. McLain of Marshfield.
County Seat Removed to Coquille
Empire remained the county seat until
April 5, 1899, when, following an election
in 1896, it was removed to Coquille, which
had been chosen for its central location, be
ing almost in the center of the county.
The county court at this time comprised
L. Harlocker, county judge, with I. T.
Weekly and Donald McIntosh commission
ers; Edward Rackleff, now living at Canby,
Oregon, was county clerk, his deputy be
ing Louis H. Hazard, at present living in
Coquille; the sheriff was W. W. Gage,
rtf CtrHib ’A fl***
w*
lion land claim act to one-half section land.
This was the first land filed on in Coos
county under the land laws of the United
States.
After'taking claim Captain Harris built
a cabin, the first in the county. He laid
out and platted eight blocks for a town
and chose the name of Empire City. ’ A
custom house was established there in 1853
with David Bushness collector.
Empire
City was the first settlement in the county,
and served as county seat until 1899. when
the seat of county^ government was re
moved to Coquille.
r
field
MarsbfM
__ is part of the land claim
, Wilkins
" "1 ' Warwick
_ •• in 2"~,
In
taken by
1855.
1858 he sold part of his claim to Andrew
J. Davis for $3000. In 1887 there were but
two buildings, but in that year John Persh-
baker started lumber and shipbuilding in
dustries.
The first locomotive was shipped by
boat to Coos bay in December, 1874, to
gether with two passenger cars and two
freight cars.
In 1889 the first newspaper was estab
lished, it being a sheet 8 by 9 inches, and
called the "Bumblebee.”
First County Judge
Chas. Pearce was the first county Judge
of Coos county, serving under appointment
from April 12. 1854, until December 18.
1854. R. S. Belknap was appointed to suc
ceed Pearce, the former serving until Sep
tember 4. 1855.
The first county election was held in the
summer of 1855, A. N. Foley being named
county fudge. His term was for four
years, ending July 8, 1859.
The remaining county Judges, serving
Coos county from that time up to the pres
ent were:
-- Samuel 8. Menn. July 4, 1859, to July 4,
1886: Gilbert Hall: D ,T Low^tH Nosier,
two terms: Geo. M. Dyer; D. L. Watson,
father of James Watson, of Coqui'le, two
terms: J. Henry Schroeder, member of the
orteina' Baltimore colony, father of W. H.
Sctowd*'’. teweler of Coqull’e; L. Har-
locker, two terms; John F. Ha'l, two terms:
James Watson. C. R. Wade. R. H Mast. D.
F. Thompson and Hugh McLain, present
incumbent. The five last named are still
living. Messrs. Watson, Mast and Thomp
son. residents of Coquille, Mr. Wade of
Present Court House Built In
The first or original court house in Co
quille was the present frame structure, two
stories and basement, erected in 1898 by H.
Snook of Salem at his bid of $12,105. Bids
were originally opened in April, 1897, but
held in abeyance for nine months because
proper plans had not been made for funds
with which to build. This delay cost the
county close to $500, because the price of
material had advanced in the meantime.
At the time the structure was erected it
was thought that it was being made suf
ficiently large to take care ot the county’s
needs for many years, but the vision of the
most sanguine residents of that day could
not foresee what the future had in store
for Cpos county. For in 1916, the popula
tion of Coos county had so grown and its
legal business so increased that it was
necessary to erect a new and more modem
addition to the frame structure. Even the
capacity of jhis addition,'known as the Hall
of Records, is fast being overcrowded, and
the prediction is freely made that before
another ten years have rolled around, that
Coos County will need a larger and still
more modem structure to house its various
departments.
Present Comity Official Family
Coos county’s official family today, 1937,
is as follows: County Judge, Hugh McLain;
County Commissioners, Ri H. Lawhorn
and T. H. Thompson; county clerk, L. W.
Oddy; sheriff, W. F. Howell; treasurer.
Chas. Stauff; assessor, J. P. Beyers; super
intendent of schools, Mrs. Martha E. Mul
key; surveyor, J. N. Gearhart; district at
torney, Ben Flaxell; coroner. Dr. Ennis
Keizer.
The first circuit court judge of this dis
trict in 1859 was Obediah B. McFadden,
then associate supreme court judge, the
three supreme court judges then each pre-*
siding over one of the state’s three districts.
The present Judges are: James T. Brand,
Marshfield; G. F. Skipworth, Eugene, and
Carl Wimberly. Roseburg
The present legislators, serving in the
regular 1937 session, were: Geo. Chaney,
Coquille, senator for Coos and Curry coun
ties; J. H. McCloskey, Norway, state repre
sentative for Coos county: Roy Carter, Gold
Beach, joint rerpesentative for Coos and
Curry counties
Southwestern Oregon has been particu
larly endowed by nature with recreational
spots for the tourist, vacationist, or for one
out for a day's enjoyment.
This section offers wonderful facilities
for boating, fishing, hiking, swimming,
hunting, golf and tennis.
Select your favorite outdoor sport and
Coos county will furnish it. You can rough
it out-of-doors or you can stay at a luxur
ious hotel or apartment or tourist cottage.
Ocean, lake and river fishing is availa
ble for the angler. There is trout fishing
in the streams, trolling for salmon in the
surf or in the various rivers, deep sea fish
ing off the Coquille river or Coos Bay,
duck, deer and wild game hunting, which is
an answer to a sportsman’s prayer.
Rivers and Streams
Play
Important Part in Lives of
People In This Section
Many
*
J. H. Ryan
Assistant State Engineer
Most of us living on the Pacific Coast think of
irrigation projects and hydro-electric developments
when we near the term, “Water Resources." Coos
and Curry Counties have not yet undertaken any
large developments of that nature, and the reason
Is quickly evident. Except for the Rogue River,
which has its head-waters in the high Cascade and
Siskiyou Mountains, all the streams in Coos and
Curry counties rise on the western slope of the
Coast Range. Although this slope is heavily wood
ed, the hills are steep and well broken up by gullies
and ravines, which quickly drain away the falling
water. The character of the soil is also a factor in
this quick run-off, the top layer of loam being gen
erally underlaid by n dense clay hardpan which
will not retain much moisture. Practically all of
the precipitation falls in the form of rain and at
once starts on its way to the ocean. Nearly one half
of the total precipitation falls during November,
December and January, 80 per cent falls during the
six months period October 1 to March 30, while the
remaining 20 per cent is spread over the period
April 1 to September 30. r
a result the winter
Top—Original frame building, - Coos County Court House, erected
in 189$.
*
Bottom—Modern concrete addition to above building, erected in 1918.
COO8 COUNTY
COURT
AND OFFICIALS, 1196
]
.—
, -
This view was taken on the old court house steps at Empire, the
then county seat, previous to removal of tjie county seat to Coquille.
Front row, left to right: Edward Rackleff, county clerk, father of
Dave Rackleff, local druggist, now living in Canby, Ore., and L. H.
Hazard, deputy county clerk, for many yean and until recently presi
dent of the Fint National bank of Coquille. Top row, left to right:
Frank Ross, commissioner, then of Coos river; J. Henry Schroeder,
county Judge, father of Wm. H. Schroeder, Jeweler, of Coquille, and
Taylor Weekly, commissioner, father of Vance Weekly of Coquille,
all now deceased.
months are characterized by extremely high water
in the coastal streams while the summer and early
fall finds them at a very low stage. Normal preci
pitation for the coastal country varies considerably
from north to south along the coast, being 63 inches
at Umpqua Lighthouse, 64 inches at North Bend,
69 inches at Port Orford and 75 inches at Gold
Beach and Brookings.
Irrigation is practiced on a limited scale by in
dividual farmers who water small tracts, mostly or
chard, garden, or ladino clover plots, and the drain
age districts in the vicinity of Marshfield and Co
quille have made some use of summer Irrigation.
However, the rivers and streams play an im
portant part in the life of a great many of the peo
ple in these two counties. Coos River and the Mid
dle and North Forks of Coquille River are used to
float logs down to mills. Rogue River is the only
route to Agness and Illahe, commercial fishermen
get their living from several of the larger streams,
while the recreational value of the streams and
fresh-water lakes is hard to estimate in dollars and
cents but must be a large sum, when we consider
the amounts spent by tourists and fishermen at the
many resorts and camps scattered all along the
coast.
The United States Geological Survey is main
taining river gaging stations on the three Forks of
Coquille River. The station on the South Fork at
Powers has been maintained since September,
1916. Here the maximum discharge was 25,300
cubic feet per second (11,350,000 gallons per min
ute) on October 31, 1924, and the minimum 13 cubic
feet per second (5,830 gallons per minute) Novem
ber 30 to December 3, 1929, and October ,4-13. 1932.
The mean flow of this fork for the sixteen years of
complete record is 444 cubic feet per second (199.000
gallons per minute). The station at the present lo
cation on Middle Fork Coquille near Myrtle Point
has been operated since October 1, 1930. The max
imum discharge was 23,600 cubic feet per second
(10.580,000 gallons per minute) on January 2, 1933,
and the minimum one cubic foot per second (449
gallons per minute) on July 16, 17, 1931. The mean
flow for the five years of published record is 879
cubic feet per second (304,700 gallons per minute).
The six years of published record (1930-1935) for
the North Fork Coquille River near Myrtle Point
shows a maximum discharge of 10,400 cubic feet
rr second (4,670,000 gallons per minute) January
1933, and a minimum flow of 17 cubic feet per
second (7,630 gallons wer minute) September 5,
1930. The mean flow for the period is 833 cubic
feet per second (373,800 gallons per minute).
During each of the past several years the
writer has made a trip along the Coast High
way from Astoria to California during the low-
water period in August and September, measuring
all tlie rivers and creeks west of the summit of the
coast range that are readily accessible from the
roads and highways. As a result of this work we
now have a fair idea of the low water flow of some
75 streams in Coos and Curry Counties and as new
roads are opened up and improved this work will
be extended as fast as possible.