HISTORIC PRESERVATION OF PACIFIC NORTHWEST BEACH HOUSES:
A STUDY OF BEACH HOUSES ALONG TILLAMOOK COUNTY'S COAST
by
ADRIENNE K. DONOVAN-BOYD
A THESIS
Presented to the Interdisciplinary Program:
Historic Preservation
and the Graduate School of the University ofOregon
in panial fulfillment ofthe requirements
for the degree of
Master of Science
]une2009
"Historic Preservation ofPacific Northwest Beach Houses: A Study ofBeach Houses along
Tillamook County's Coast;' a thesis prepared by Adrienne K. Donovan-Boyd in partial fulfill-
ment of the requirements for the Master ofScience degree in the Interdisciplinary Studies
Program: Historic Preservation. This thesis has been approved and accepted by:
11
Date
Committee in Charge:
Accepted by:
Leland Roth, Chair
Don Peting
Dean of the Graduate School
© 2009 Adrienne K. Donovan-Boyd
iii
iv
An Abstract of the Thesis of
Adrienne K. Donovan-Boyd for the degree of Master ofScience
in the Interdisciplinary Studies Program: Historic Preservation to be taken June 2009
Title: HISTORIC PRESERVATION OF PACIFIC NORTHWEST BEACH HOUSES:
A STUDY OF BEACH HOUSES ALONG TILLAMOOK COUNTY'S COAST
Preserving Pacific Northwest historic beach houses in coastal communities can often be
a daunting task due to the complexities that arise when combining preservation, planning,
development, and climatic hardships. Using Tillamook County's coastline as the study area, this
thesis explores the historical development ofTillamook County's structures and the current
barriers that exist when trying to preserve them. Historical discussions include the development
of transportation routes, recreational amenities, and the evolution ofcoastal construction
materials, along with historic local and regional planning decisions that helped shaped towns
along Tillamook County's coastline. Following this historical discussion, current preservation
challenges will be discussed as well as the recommendations for preserving and maintaining
vernacular coastal beach houses of the Pacific Northwest.
vCURRICULUM VITAE
NAME OF AUTHOR: Adrienne K. Donovan-Boyd
PLACE OF BIRTH: Lincoln, Nebraska
GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOLS ATTENDED:
University ofOregon
Portland State University
Portland Community College
DEGREES AWARDED:
Master ofScience, Historic Preservation, 2009, University ofOregon
Bachelor ofArts, Community Development, 2006, Portland State University
Associate ofGeneral Studies, 2004, Portland Community College
AREAS OF SPECIAL INTEREST:
Preservation in coastal communities
Preservation ofthe mid-century architecture
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
Historic Preservation Research Assistant, Donovan & Associates, 2005-Present
Pacific Northwest Field School, University of Oregon, Graduate Administrative
Fellow; September 2008-2009
Preservation Planning Intern, City ofLake Oswego, Oregon, December 2008-2009
Journal Director, Associated Students for Historic Preservation, 2008 and 2009 Journal
Editions
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to communicate my genuine gratitude to the chair ofmy thesis committee,
Leland Roth, for trusting me to create what lies herein, and for the invaluable feedback I
received during the process. I would also like to thank Don Peting for his ongoing support and
guidance for both my academic and non-academic pursuits.
vi
vii
This thesis is dedicated to all the people and things that have helped me find my way- my
parents, family, friends, colleagues, the ocean, people who save things, walks in the rain, books
that smell like dust, old photographs, postcards, aunts, drawings, teachers, bookmarks, micro-
film and microfiche, my beautiful little sister, bike rides, three hour lunches, old buildings, new
buildings, and most ofall, my husband Brian.
VIll
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter Page
I. HISTORIC PRESERVATION OF PACIFIC NORTHWEST
BEACH HOUSES 1
II. TILLAMOOK'S EARLY HISTORY: "THE LAND OF CHEESE,
TREES, AND OCEAN BREEZE" 7
III. DEVELOPMENTS IN TRANSPORTATION: FROM THE CITY
TO THE SEA 12
IV. DEVELOPMENT OF RECREATION ALONG THE COAST 27
V. BEACH HOUSES' CHARACTER DEFINING FEATURES:
AN INVITATION TO SIMPLER LIVING 55
VI. NATURAL AND CLIMATIC CHALLENGES 69
VII. COASTAL BUILDING MATERIALS 81
VIII. HISTORIC REGIONAL AND LOCAL LAND USE PLANNING 102
IX. CURRENT PRESERVATION CONCERNS IN COASTAL
COMMUNITIES 110
X. CONCLUSION 125
Chapter
ix
Page
APPENDICES 136
A. HISTORICAL CENSUS OF HOUSING TABLES-PERCENT OF
TOTAL HOUSING RECORDED AS BEING USED FOR
SEASONAL OR RECREATIONAL USE: 1940-2000 137
B. AVERAGE TEMPERATURE DATA (IN FAHRENHEIT) AND
AVERAGE TOTAL PRECIPITATION AND SNOW FALL FOR
PACIFIC NORTHWEST COAST WEATHER STATIONS 139
C. TILLAMOOK COUNTY BEACH HOUSES 141
D. PROMOTIONS: ''A TOURISTS PARADISE" 177
REFERENCES 199
xLIST OF FIGURES
Figure
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Page
Map of Oregon with county borders. Tillamook County highlighted.
Oregon State University. Map created with Oregon Explorer, GIS Software
and Photoshop. March 2009. Created by author .4
Aerial view of the Tillamook Burn in August of 1933. This photograph
is looking east at the fire and was hand tinted. Photo courtesy ofthe
National Archives. Department ofAgriculture. Forest Service. Region 6
(North Pacific Region). (1930 - 1966), ARC Identifier 299308 11
Etching from The Oregonians Handbook to the Pacific Northwest of the
stage from Forest Grove to Tillamook. Oregon Publishing Company, 1894 14
Map ofPacific Railway & Navigation Co. Line from Hillsboro to
Tillamook. Tillamook County Beaches Tourism Pamphlet. c. 1916.
University of0 regon Library's Special Collections 16
1918 State Highway Department's official automobile road map for the
state of Oregon. Courtesy ofUniversity of Oregon Libraries' Oregon
Maps Collection.http://boundless.uoregon.edulcdm4/item_viewer.
fa:~~~~~~~~~~6~~~~:.~~.:~~~.~.~.~~.~~~~~.~~~~~.~.~~.~.~.~.~: 19
1928 Oregon State Highway Map. Beginning of the Wilson River
Highway is visible leaving Tillamook City to the east. © Oregon State
Highway Department. University of Oregon Libraries' Oregon Maps Collection.....21
Construction ofHighway 6 (Wilson River Highway) at the Wilson
River cutoff in 1938. Note the barren landscape created by the Tillamook
Burn. Photo courtesy ofOregon State Archives, Oregon Department of
Transportation, OHGD511 22
Oregon Motor Stages service map to major beach destinations in
Tillamook County, 1936. Oregon Collection. Special Collections,
University of Oregon 30
Aerial view ofthe Bayocean Spit. Courtesy of the Tillamook County
Pioneer Museum 32
10. Bayocean bungalow city. Note the organization and neatness of the "tent
city." Courtesy ofthe Tillamook County Pioneer Museum 33
Figure
xi
Page
11. Bayocean beach house. nd. Courtesy of the Tillamook Pioneer Museum 33
12. The Pagoda House. Photo courtesy of Chris Woods 34
13. Bayocean Hotel. Courtesy of the Tillamook Pioneer Museum 35
14. Bayocean house succumbing to erosion. 1947. Courtesy of the Salem
(Oregon) Public Library Historic Photograph Collections. Mr. Ben
Maxwell Collection. OTB.l.l 36
15. Neahkahnie Inn. Neahkahnie, Oregon. Photo Courtesy of the Tillamook
Pioneer Museum .39
16. A. E. Doyle beach house. Constructed in 1910, the house was one ofthe
earliest to dot the landscape in Neahkahnie. Photo by author 42
17. Neskowin Hotel. Photo courtesy of the Tillamook County Pioneer Museum......... 44
18. Neskowin's tent/bungalow city. nd. Photo courtesy of the Tillamook
Pioneer Museum 45
19. Neskowin Store. Photo courtesy of the Tillamook County Pioneer Museum 47
20. Hand painted Oceanside postcard. Text at bottom reads "Oceanside.
Oregon's Charming Seaside Resort" Courtesy ofthe Tillamook County
Pioneer Museum 50
21. Dixie's Cottages May 2008. Photo by author 50
22. Hotel Wheeler. Photo Courtesy of the Tillamook County Pioneer Museum 51
23. Fishing on the Nehalem River. An Southern Pacific Railway
Advertisement. c. 1914. Oregon Collection University ofOregon Special
Collections 52
24. Wheeler, Oregon. 1942. Photo Courtesy ofthe Tillamook County
Pioneer Museum 53
25. The Wentz Studio. Designed by A. E. Doyle in 1916. Photo by author 58
26. The Harry Blair House. Designed byJames Van Evera Bailey. This house
was featured in the 1952 Sunset Ideasfir Cabins and Beach Houses.
Photo courtesy ofVisual Resources Collection, Architecture & Allied
Arts Library, Building Oregon: Architecture ofOregon & the Pacific
Northwest Collection. Copyright 2008, University of Oregon Libraries.
All rights reserved 60
Figure
xii
Page
27. Bayden Beach house. Designed byJames Van Evera Bailey. Photo courtesy
ofVisual Resources Collection, Architecture & Allied Arts Library,
Building Oregon: Architecture of Oregon & the Pacific Northwest
Collection. Copyright 2008, University ofOregon Libraries. All rights reserved..... 60
28. Neskowin beach house. Constructed in 1920, this house was not
concerned with the orientation of the road, but rather the direction of the
sea. The rear facade of this house faces Hawk Street 62
29. Neskowin beach house. Constructed in 1920, this front facade is facing
the direction of the sea. Photo by author 63
30. Floor plan for the 1938 Modern Beach House. From Sunset Cabin Plan Book 65
31. Beach house deSign for the 1938 Modern Beach House. From Sunset
Cabin Plan Book 66
32. A-frame beach house. Note the dormer additions and the ladder to second
floor porch, both probably later additions. Photo by author 68
33. State's Average Annual Precipitation, 1961-1990, The Pacific Northwest
coast range has the wettest weather in the country. NOAA data set,
created by the author April 2, 2009, using the National Atlas of the United
States, http://nationalatlas.gov and Photoshop 71
34. Neskowin community kitchen shelter after the 1939 storm. Courtesy of
the Tillamook County Pioneer Museum 72
35. Bay City Church. Historic picture of church with original steeple (left,
courtesy of the Tillamook Pioneer Museum) and church after the
December 2007 storm (right, photo by author, April 2008) 74
36. Brass mail slot. The mail slot is approximately three years old. Photo by author 75
37. Thelocation of "111e Point." Platted in 1991. Tillamook County Tax Map 78
38. David Beach House and bolder riprap wall. This photo was taken in March
2004. From Tillamook County Tax Records.http://www.co.tillamook.
or.us/gov/A&T/public/. (accessed May 1,2009) 79
40. Whitney Logging Company. Garibaldi. Courtesy of the Tillamook
County Pioneer Museum 82
Figure
41.
42.
43.
xiii
Page
A. E. Doyle's Churchill cottage, Neahkahnie Beach. Note new shingles
on front portion of the house. The house also has vinyl windows and a
composite roo£ both non-historic replacements to this 1913 house. Photo
by author 87
Paint chipping from shingles on the south facade of 1920s house. The
house was painted approximately three years before this picture was taken.
Photo by author 99
This 1964 A-frame in the unincorporated community ofTerri Del Mar
has a small first floor and a loft. The entire house has only slightly more
than 470 square feet. Photo by author 120
44. This 2003 beach house in Neskowin has more than 3000 square feet of
living space. Photo by author 121
45. Addition to the Umi House, Neskowin. It is commendable that the
historic portion of the house was not demolished for this project. Photo
courtesy ofhomeowner Dale Depweg 123
46. Completed addition to the Umi House. Tillamook County Tax Records
Photo, 2006. http://www.co.tillamook.or.us/gov/A&T/public/ 123
1CHAPTER I
HISTORIC PRESERVATION OF
PACIFIC NORTHWEST BEACH HOUSES
''Ifthe writer were to choose a single naturalfeature ifour state, he wouldplace
the [Oregon} coast, with the developments along it, as perhaps the most valuable
economic and recreational treasure." 1
UlARREN D. SMITH, 1941
This thesis examines beach houses constructed prior to 1970 as the often seemingly
insignificant, but, in fact, immensely compelling human habitation that they are. The identifica-
tion and evaluation of these structures is key to understanding and protecting the landscape,
heritage, and culture of these areas. The preservation of these houses requires both technical,
"bricks and mortar" preservation and strategic preservation planning practices that will help
these communities grow and change over time without sacrificing the integrity of these little
oceanfront retreats.
Oregon's beaches have been attracting vacationers for as long as transportation has been in
place for such leisure. The Oregonian reported that summer visitors were regularly coming to
southern Tillamook County as early as 1883.2 By 1919, roads along the Oregon coast improved
allowing even greater access for recreational visitors.3 These tourists visited the beach for all
1. Warren D. Smith, The Scenic Treasure House ofOregon (Portland: Binfords and Mort. 1941),74.
2. The Oregonian, "News From the Beach," July S, 1931.
3. Leslie M. Scott, "Oregon Coast Highways" Oregon Historicalli2J:!arterly. 33. (1932): 268.
2forms of recreation from sea fishing, to hiking, to simply seeking the solitude and respite of the
sea. As transportation improved, more and more visitors came to relax by the Pacific Ocean.
Tourists began to build homes to "summer in" along the shoreline. This building ofhomes
for recreational use has been constant since the end of the initial settlement ofthe Pacific
Northwest. Even during the great depression, modest structures were built with an eye to the
inevitable return ofgood times.
Coastal housing is a complicated problem for preservationists. The places along the coast
that have historically received the attention ofpreservation enthusiasts are maritime resources
with their corresponding architecture. Lighthouses, piers, ships, and other coastal defense struc-
tures have long been of interest because of their relationship to the sea and their unique part in
our national history. These maritime resources have their own preservation concerns. They are
often owned by governmental agencies that have a mandated duty to preserve their structures,
but may not always have the needed funding or preservation knowledge. They require preserva-
tion plans that create a context of their relationship with oceanic history, and work with their
federal governing agencies and volunteer groups to create programs and interpretive material.
Through this process, visitors are able to thoroughly understand these types ofarchitecture and
their relationship to local history.
Beach houses require an decidedly different approach to preservation planning. Privately
owned property requires the individual homeowner to be the advocate for their historic
resource and to create preservation interest in their communities. This makes preservation of
sea shore towns more about conveying the values ofpreservation to the homeowner, rather than
to any governmental entity. This is not to say that governmental agencies are not an important
aspect in coastal preservation. They are responsible for long-range planning, zoning, and policy
formation, which can, ifdone well, shape the size and feel ofthe built environment. Private
not-for-profits groups can also playa role in the preservation of these communities because of
the programs and funding they make available for bricks and mortar preservation projects.
3Many communities have realized, or are beginning to realize, the importance ofpreservation
because constant development and remodeling can quickly destroy the historic integrity ofa
place. Communities are beginning to understand the cost ofdevelopment to their municipalities
and have found themselves unprepared or administratively unable to react without adequate
strategic planning or development guidelines. From a homeowner's perspective, this change in
the built environment, in the landscape of their place, is often described in terms ofa "feeling" or
"sense" ofplace. To engage this population ofhomeowners, it is imperative that they understand
the value ofmaintaining their historic houses, and that they understand by doing so they are also
maintaining the feel and integrity of their communities. The benefit needs to be described not
only in terms of the intangible aspects ofplace, but also by the economic incentives ofpreserva-
tion and the sustainability of the community.
While development and planning issues can seem like the core concern for most coastal
towns, they also suffer from a variety ofother issues that make coastal preservation more dif-
ficult to manage and implement. Coastal areas are often complicated to preserve because they
are inadequately understood as comprehensive districts. Many of these communities are rural
in nature, but they are faced with extremely high rates ofdevelopment. The tourist industry
may help to maintain a solid tax base, but many of these tax payers are unable to voice their
relationship to these places because they are only able to visit on a irregular basis. Likewise, the
nature of the "beach house" leaves these structures unoccupied for extended periods oftime.
The problems associated with a lack of regular evaluation and repair ofproblems when they are
manageable, is exacerbated by the wet, Windy coastal climate. Finally, in terms ofa collective
approach, the primary historic resource, the vernacular beach house, does not normally stand
out as an extraordinary example ofour built environment. Even just describing why one should
bother to preserve their old beach house would serve as a useful preservation promotion. It will
only be through careful planning and proper techniques that the goal ofpreservation will be
realized. Then historic beach houses will be able to take their place in maintaining a diverse built
4environment along the Pacific Northwest coast.
111 is thesis focuses on ways to preserve and, when needed, adapt the common historic
beach home for today's society without a serious loss of historic integrity. Because preservation
must be tailored to a physical place, these themes will be discussed using Tillamook County as
a case study area (see figure 1). This study will touch on a variety of discussions relating to how
historical developments in transportation, planning, and building materials have helped create
the beach house neighborhood, the architectural developments of the structures themselves,
and the recreational development of communities that are defined by them. Following will be
a discussion of the difficulty in applying current preservation planning tools to coastal areas.
Finally, recommendations will be made about the best combination of planning practices and
material use for the future of coastal towns and their houses.
Figure 1: Map ofOregon wirh counry borders. Tillamook Counry highlighred. Oregon Scare Universiry. Map creared wirh
Oregon Explorer, GIS Software and Phoroshop. March 2009. Creared by aurhor.
5Tillamook County was chosen as the case study area for a number of reasons. The coastal
communities in the county are representative of the kinds of towns found along the entire
Pacific Northwest coast. There are a few large cities that have industry as their economic center,
there are a number ofcommunities that rely on tourism to support their commercial districts,
and then there are scatterings ofcommunities that do not have commercial districts at all. The
initial formation of these communities was linked to highway development and occurred in the
same general time period. This transportation route was first known as the Roosevelt Military
Highway and was completed along the entire Oregon-Washington coastline as a unified project.
The highway along the coast is a two-lane, paved road that in some places runs directly in front
of the Pacific Ocean, and in others is set inland a considerable distance. This is an important
aspect to coastal development, as transportation was key to when and how development
occurred.
Beach houses, specifically designed for leisure and recreation and constructed prior to 1970
are the main focus of this discussion. Oregon's dramatic coastline is often described as one of
the most beautiful coastlines on earth, and its small ocean side towns are an integral part of
Oregon's history as a result. Coastal recreational houses-whether they are modest bungalows,
suburban ranches, or others-contribute much of the man-made atmosphere that informs one's
travels along the coast and contribute to appreciation of the area as "Oregon's Playground."
The increase in these ocean side retreats is closely related to the increase in recreational time,
the emergence of the middle class, and the improvements to transportation infrastructure and
the automobile that helped make the coast so accessible. The historic development portion
of the study will focus on three periods in the creation of recreational housing in Tillamook
County: roughly from the Emergence ofModern America/Economic Growth and Expansion
(1890-1930), through the Depression and World War II (1929-1945), ending with the
6Post War era (1945-1970).4 This time frame will encompass very early recreational trends in
Tillamook County and then will support discussion of the changes in the built environment
through the housing boom of the post World War II era. Visiting the sea has long been one
of the great American pastimes. The Oregonian published a weekly update on the goings-on
at the beach from as early as 1914 to well into the 1930s. Early visitors spent summers at the
beach in cottages by the sea. Later visitors would stay for a week or even just for a weekend.
The Pacific Railway and Navigation Company began running advertisements describing the
wonders ofTillamook County's beaches as soon as they completed the rail line from Portland to
Tillamook. Their sales pitch varied from year to year, but they all maintained the same general
themes, "The summer vacationist can find a wide diversity ofpleasure sport and recreation at the
Tillamook beach resorts, and best ofall, the cost is reasonable and they are within a few hours
distance ofPortland."s
The lack ofinformation published on this topic is surprising and represents an oppor-
tunity for research that would be helpful in understanding the historical aspects of this housing
type and also to help plan for future preservation. The Oregon and Washington coastline is
such a vast province that what might be a reasonable presentation ofone place would be likely
inapplicable to another. It is hoped that this study will encourage others and serve as a model for
further research. It is the author's sincere hope that what is conveyed in the pages herein is her
own enthusiasm for the beach, its unique history, and the cottages and cabins that people have
used as their physical, emotional, and spiritual retreats while visiting the sea.
4. Oregon Historical Society, "The Oregon History Project;' http://www.ohs.org/education/oregonhistory/index.cfm
(accessed January 27, 2009).
5. Southern Pacific Line, "Tillamook County Beaches;' Tourist Pamphlet, c. 1914. Oregon Collection. University of Oregon's
Library, Special Collections.
7CHAPTER II
TILLAMOOK'S EARLY HISTORY:
"THE LAND OF CHEESE, TREES, AND OCEAN BREEZE"
The early settlement history ofTillamook County is the story ofa small group ofpioneer
homesteaders who came to the county looking to farm the land and harvest the sea. As early as
the 1830s, explorers, fur traders, and missionaries were present in the Oregon Territory, and by
the 18S0s, isolated groups ofhomesteaders lived along the coast. Some of this rise in population,
especially along the southern portion ofthe coast, was the product ofthe growth during the
California gold rush. In 1848, a survey of the Oregon coast was undertaken to find areas for
occupation, security oftrade, and for military points. The commission suggested points for
lighthouses and concluded that the Pacific Northwest area might be the best trading point for
lumber in the world.6 Following this reconnaissance survey, early settlers began in earnest to
settle areas along the Pacific Northwest coast.
Tillamook County was populated in much the same way as was the rest of the west. The
earliest white settlers struggled for territory upon arrival. Small groups ofpeople created small
settlements, some ofwhich grew into economic centers for the area and some ofwhich were
abandoned.
The name Tillamook refers to the native tribes that had inhabited the land long before
the coming of the white man. Among several tribes, the Tillamook's were the most prominent
native inhabitants in the area. They were settled around the area of the present day city of
6. Hubert Howe Bancroft, The WOrks ofHubert Howe Bancroft: Oregon History: Volume II (San Francisco: History Company
Publishers, 1888), 189-190.
8Tillamook and as far north as Manzanita. The Nehalem's were clustered in the northern part of
the county. Reports vary on how many Nehalem's were in this area, but overall it seems to have
been a fairly small tribe? In the southern portion of the county lived a tribe called the Stagaush.
This tribe was an unusual combination ofTillamook's, Nestugga's, Clatsop's, and a small number
ofNehalem's.8
Early in the county's history, the lower portion near the Nehalem Valley had been set-aside
solely for the areas native populations. In 1876, part of the country was opened for homestead-
ing and settlement. At this time all of the native inhabitants of the south were forcefully
removed from the land and sent to the Grand Ronde Reservation in Lincoln County. By the
beginning of the 1890s, most of the native inhabitants of the area were forced into a few small
reservations, and whites, who steadily continued to move into to the area, began to create towns
and cities along the sea shore.
In December of 1853, Tillamook was the twelfth county created in the Oregon Territory
taking portions ofYamhill and Clatsop counties. The census roll for Tillamook County, in
1854, only counted seventy-nine white residents. Of these, only thirty-three were legal voters,
meaning that there were only thirty-three white men over the age ofeighteen in the entire
county.9 Tillamook was plainly on the frontier. The United States Congress granted Oregon
statehood in 1859. Shortly after, the 1860 Census estimated Oregon's white population to be
approximately 52,465 people. 1o
The town ofTillanlOok was laid out in 1861 and 1862. The first store opened in 1862 and
was followed by the opening of the post office in 1866, the jail in 1873, and then, in 1887, the
7. Sam]. Cotton, Stories ofNehalem (Chicago: M.A. Donohue & Company), 1915.41.
8. Alexandria ley Rock, Short History ofthe Little Nestucca River Vtllley and its Early Pioneers: Tillamook County, Tillamook,
Or. (Tillamook, Oregon: 1949),4.
9. Tillamook Pioneer Museum, Tillamook Memories (Tillamook Pioneer Association, 1972),3.
10. U. S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 1860, "Population" http://www.census.gov/schoolslfacts/oregon.
html. (accessed March 23, 2009).
9first courthouse was erected. By 1900, Tillamook City was a full service city and had a central
business district, a large residential neighborhood, and a city hall. I I In 1881, Tillamook City
formally incorporated and became the center of the county's operations.12
Tillamook City has always been the core of the Tillamook County community. Since it was
isolated by two small mountain ranges and was more than a hundred and twenty miles by road
from the vast majority of Oregon's population, growth happened at a reasonably slow rate at the
beginning ofthe century. By 1902, there was an array ofgovernmental services and supply stores,
including a post office, the county court house, a public school, a fire station, a meat market,
a general merchandise store, two barbers, a confections and cigar shop, a tailor, a cobbler, a
jeweler, a furniture store, two liveries, and a cheese factory.
Tillamook was also the center oflocal industry and there were a number of industrial
buildings along the whar£ including a mill, warehouses, and docking areas in the navigable
slough. There was also an array ofnoncommercial activities that could be found by traveling
about the city. These ranged from an opera house, a gymnasium, two churches, and more than
seventy nearby dwellings. 13 Sanborn Fire Insurance maps show that in 1912, one year after the
South Pacific Rail Road started running between Forest Grove and Tillamook City, the city had
grown to more than three times its 1902 size.
Early Tillamook County industries were, as was typical for the period, based in the resources
that the land could offer. The largest and most profitable industry in Tillamook County was the
forest, which provided a wealth oflumber that was easily transported by river and sea.
The various river basins offered residents fertile land for farming and the grazing ofdairy
cattle. Dairy farming became one of the defining industries for the region. It was reported
that the moist, mild climate created the perfect conditions for cattle, as it provided the correct
11. Tillamook County Pioneer Museum, "Early Tillamook," Tourist Booklet, 1.
12. Tillamook Pioneer Museum, Tillamook Memories. 2.
13. Sanborn Map. Tillamook City 1902, © 2001 by The Sanborn Map Company, Sanborn Library, LLC. http://O-sanborn.
umi.com.janus.uoregon.edu/HelpFileslabout.html (accessed Match 31, 2009).
10
conditions for fertile lush pastures. In 1894, Edward Gardner Jones, the author of the 1894
Oregonian's Hand Book rfthe Pacific Northwest, a substantial travel guide of the area, reported
that Tillamook butter and cream 'sold without difficulty."14 In 1918, there were twenty seven
cheese factories in the Tillamook County Creamery Association. IS
Another industry that has long been practiced in the area is fishing. There were four canner-
ies in Tillamook County before 1900.16 These industries were key to early development and all
remain sources ofcounty income. Commercial fishing and sport fishing are prominent to this
day. The timber and dairy industries continue to be the commercial sources for the most revenue
in the county, but the tourist industry has become the county's third most prosperous sector.
Tillamook County is, unfortunately, famous for having one ofthe worst forest fires in
history. The Tillamook Burn, which came to encompass a combination of three fires over ten
years, was a human-caused disaster ofunprecedented size (figure 2). Tillamook County total
acreage equals roughly 720,000 acres. The fire started on August 14, 1933 and burned for two
weeks, until wet, cool conditions all but put the fire out on August 28, 1933. It burned ap-
proximately 311,000 acresY Two later forest fires brought the total acreage devastation to nearly
354,940 acres. The Tillamook fires burned almost halfof the county's acreage in the midst of
the greatest depression the United States had ever seen. This was an economic shock to both
the county and the State. It is estimated that the Tillamook Burn destroyed between eleven and
twelve-and-a-halfbillion board feet ofgreen lumber.18 The forest was frequently described as the
heaviest growth of timber in Oregon, containing approximately 22,092,000,000 feet oftimber
14. The Oregonians Handbook ofthe Pacific Northwest, The Oregonian. (Oregon Publishing Co. 1894),241.
15. Lila V. Cooper Boge, Tillamook History: A Sequel to Tillamook Memories (Tillamook Pioneer Association. 1975),241.
16. Ibid., 242.
17. Jeanne Hoadley, "The Tillamook Burn: Separating Fact from Legend," Oregon State University Student Research Paper,
oregonstate.edulinstruct/geo422/ 522-Paper%20hoadley.pdf. (accessed April 23, 2009), 13-16.
18. Homer G. Lyon Jr., "Historical Sketch of the Tillamook Fire," (Oregon State Board of Forestry. Salem, Oregon: July 1,
1949) Oregon State Library Document Archives. 1.
11
Figure 2: Aerial view of rhe Tillamook Burn in Augusr of 1933. This phorograph is looking easr ar rhe fire and was hand rimed.
Phoro courresy of rhe Narional Archives. Deparrmenr of Agriclli rure. Foresr Service. Region 6 (Norrh Pacific Region). (1930 -
1966), ARC Identifier 299308.
in 1894. 19 Despite this massive setback. Tillamook County, with the help from thousands of
school children, planted seedlings, which today have grown into a diverse, healthy forest.
1l1e combination of Tillamook County's lumber industry, its diary farming operations, and
its proximity to the Pacific Ocean caused the county to pick the slogan. "TiJlamook County:
The Land of Cheese, Trees. and Ocean Breeze." A fi tting description of the diversity of the
county and the reasons one might be attracted to the place.
] 9. Tbe Oregonial/s Handbook oftbe Pacific Northwest, Tbe Oregonian. 54.
12
CHAPTER III
DEVELOPMENTS IN TRANSPORTATION:
FROM THE CITY TO THE SEA
It is impossible to discuss the historical development of recreational coastal housing without
discussing the advances in transportation and how the ever-improving transportation corridors
have aided in the creation of the coastal communities along the entire Pacific Northwest coast.
In a 1939 Oregonian article, the connection between transportation and resort development was
noted with the suggestion that "each beach resort prospered in almost exact proportion to its
accessibility."20 The earliest forms of transportation to Tillamook County-horse, stagecoach,
and ship-were replaced in 1911 by the advent of the railway from Forest Grove to Tillamook
City. The novelty of traveling to the coast by rail declined steadily with the growth of the auto-
mobile industry and the advancements in state highways and roads. All of the improvements in
transportation made the coastline attainable to a growing base of recreational travelers.
An early resident ofTillamook County recollected that one of the first wagon toll roads
to the beach in the Nestucca River Valley, the far south portion of the county, was constructed
with volunteer labor in 1882. The road started near the area ofpresent-day Dolph, and roughly
followed the Little Nestllcca River, crossing it at least twice, crookedly snaking around large
trees and over rocky knolls rather than grading the road or moving the rocksY People came
from Sheridan, Salem, and elsewhere to visit the beach at Oretown shortly after the road
20. The Oregonian, "Oregon's Beach Resorts;' July 5, 1939. l.
21. Alexandria ley Rock, Short history ofthe Little Nestucca River vaLLey and its Early Pioneers, 26.
13
opened.22 These smaller toll roads were common during the pioneer days ofTillamook County
and many of the routes laid out by the earliest settlers are still followed today.
Visitors to the Tillamook area also traveled by horse and by stagecoach during the latter part
of the 19th century. The Oregonian reported that in 1894 the easiest way to travel to Tillamook
County was by stagecoach. The stagecoach from Forest Grove to Tillamook was often adver-
tised as the safest and best traveled stagecoach route in the West.23 The trip started in Forest
Grove and went through farmland until reaching Gales City.
A short distance beyond Gales City, the stagecoach route met the "famous Wilson River toll
road." The Oregonian's Handbook o/the Pacific Northwest, a publication about travel opportuni-
ties in the Pacific Northwest, reported that this portion of the road was forty-seven miles long,
and was constructed by the Wilson River Boom, Tollroad & Improvement Company, at a cost
of more than $35,000. Tillamook County had decided it would be too much of a tax burden
for county residents to afford such a road. The Wilson River Boom, Tollroad & Improvement
Company was created for the sole purpose ofbuilding this road, and in return, the county gave
them the logging rights to the Wilson River basin for thirty years following its construction
in the 1880s. The company was also given the rights to charge for the use of the road ($2.00
for stagecoaches with double teams, $1.50 for Single teams, and $1.00 for a rider on a horse).
Reportedly the road took more than four summers to complete and had more than a hundred
bridges (figure 3).24 Not all stage roads were so well thought of; many at the time were danger-
ous, and thus not often traveled by the recreational tourist.
The other stagecoach road that was taken to Tillamook was the Trask River Road through
Yamhill. The route was used on a regular basis between approximately 1872 and 1912.25 This
22. Ibid.
23. Ibid., 234-235.
24. Ibid., 233.
25. Lyle Nelson, "Trask River Road!! Trip to Tillamook Once was Hazardous;' in Tillamook History: Sequel to Tillamook
Memories. (Tillamook Pioneer Association. 1975),49.
14
I . ,I:. r . H.I f-I it. 1 T {,II l::. I I T L '~)Olo.
Fignre 3: Etclling from The Oregoniar/r Handbook to the Pacific Northwest of the stage from Forest Grove to Tillamook. Oregon
Publishing Company, 1894.
toll road was considered to be dangerous and was described by locals as "probably the most
awful ride in the world."26 Locals were pleased when the automobile road was completed in the
mid 1930s by the Civilian Conservation CorpsY
Steamships and sailboats were also used to access Tillamook County's beaches. It was
possible in the 1860s to take a steamboat from Portland to Astoria, a sailboat into Clatsop
Plains, and then travel over land by a horse drawn wagon to Clatsop Beach. A resort was
constructed at Clatsop Beach in approximately 1873.28 The wet sand section of the beach,
the area between high tide and low tide, had been designated a public highway in 1899 all
along the Clatsop County Coast. 29 Beyond the Clatsop County line, it is unclear how early
26. Ibid.
27. Ibid.
28. Thomas Vaughan, ed. Space, Style, and Structure: Building in Northwest America, Vol. 1. (Portland: Oregon Historical
Society. 1974), 156-157.
29 Gail \'(1e1ls, "Capital. Ti'ansponation, and Technology Transform the Economy: The Highway Arrives," Oregon Historical
Society. Oregon History Project. http://ohs.org/education/oregonhistory/narrativeslsubtopic.cfm ?sLlbtopic_1D=567
(accessed: March 27, 2009).
15
transportation proceeded, but it is likely that small roads and trails were available, but difficult
to traverse. Horse travel on the shoreline was probably the fastest and least dangerous mode of
transportation.
The first passenger railroad to reach the Oregon coast from Portland traveled to Seaside in
1898. The journey, which passed through Astoria, took about four and a halfhours. Previously,
trips to the ocean were generally for long periods of time, but the advent of the train made trips
for just a few days possible. The Saturday afternoon train from Portland became known as the
"Daddy Special" since it allowed fathers to join their wives and children at the coast for a brief
weekend visit.30 By 1907, access to Tillamook County, and its beaches, was still limited and time
consuming. The Oregonian long lamented the lack of rail connection from the Portland area
to the Tillamook County beaches, but the railroad was not completed to the area until 1911.
In 1910, The Oregonian reported on the coming of rail to the Tillamook beaches the following
year. The article delighted in the fact that the rail line would open up new beaches to city dwell-
ers, as well as spur development ofnew hotels and additional lines of travePl
T. B. Potter, a Kansas City real estate agent, envisioned a resort along the Bayocean Spit and
began to promote an easy form of transportation to Tillamook to help to make it a reality.32 His
dream was to build a version ofAtlantic City on the Pacific Coast, but to do so he would need
easier access to and from the sea.33 He apparently convinced E. E. Lytle, President ofthe Pacific
Railway and Navigation Company, who announced they were constructing a rail line from
Hillsboro to Tillamook's Bay City, a town within view of Potter's site. The railroad, after a few
set backs and a number ofcomplications, finally took its first run on October 11, 1911.34 This
30. Gail Wells, "Tourists Discover the Oregon Coast:' Oregon Historical Society, Oregon History Project, http://ohs.org/
education/oregonhistory/narrativeslsubtopic.cfm?subtopic_ID=570 (Accessed April 1, 2009).
31. The Oregonian, "Oregon Beach Resorts Entering on Heyday ofTheir Popularity," July 31, 1910, 10.
32. Charles Oluf Olsen, "Bayocean Park, Tillamook County: 1937," in TiLLamook Memories (1972, Tillamook Pioneer
Association), 128-137.
33. Gail Wells, "Tourists Discover the Oregon Coast," (Accessed April 1, 2009).
34. The Oregonian, "New Line to Tillamook:' January 12, 1912.6.
16
line dramatically cut the travel time to Tillamook's beaches and a number ofresorts began to
take shape. Bayocean was one of the first to be systematically planned, but hotels, tent cities, and
summer cottages were already taking shape along the coast, especially in Neskowin, Rockaway
Beach, Nehalem, Wheeler, and Manhattan Beach.
E. E. Lytle had driven an early model automobile home from one ofhis first trips to
check on the progress ofhis new coast railroad. The trip took more than nine houts, but was still
hailed as a record for one of the fastest automobile travel times ever between Portland and the
coast.35 Accordingly, the train was viewed as a very effective form of transportation for both the
tourist industry and for the goods produced by Tillamook's various industrial practices. It was
thusly welcomed with excitement.
A}f
J.(dlino\'HI~
Figure 4: Map of Pacific Railway & Navigation Co. Line from
Hillsboro to Tillamook. Tillamook County Beaches Tourism
Pamphlet. c. 1916. University ofOregon Library's Special
Collections.
35. The Oregonian. "lnspects Railroad Work," June 27,1907.4.
While the rail line into Tillamook
County was well used and liked, it did not
alleviate all of the transportation troubles
across the county (figure 4). Traveling north,
from Tillamook City to Neahkahnie Beach
or Netarts, was difficult at best, until roads
were established in later decades. Travelers
took the train from Portland to Wheeler
where they boarded a boat, which took
them across the bay and then they finished
the journey by stagecoach.36 The years
following the establishment of the rail lines
saw a growth in the communities along the
line to Tillamook City, but the rail line had
36. Thomas Vaughan, ed., Space, Style, and Structure: Building in Northwest America, 342-343.
17
less influence on the southern portion of the coast and the northern towns between Wheeler
and Seaside, as they were still relatively difficult to access.
Very few cars were owned in the United States prior to 1900. Americans owned somewhat
less than a thousand cars at the beginning of the 20th century. By 1920, that number had
jumped to nearly eight million.3? The Motor Age, otten described as starting in 1914, the year
Model-T sales dominated the U.S. automobile market, marked the true beginning of the first
great wave ofcoastal recreational development in Tillamook County. By 1924, one in seven
Americans owned a car, and by 1929, automobile manufacturing had become the largest indus-
try in the United States.38
Automobiles required highways. The Oregon Coast Highway progressed slowly during the
early part of the 20th century, but by 1941 it was complete and linked to a network ofpaved
roads connecting the coastline to the rest of the state. The growth of the highway system has had
the single most profound effect on the growth of the recreational housing market-eclipsing
any other single development factor in Tillamook's history.
There were a variety of road types in use in the county before the completion of the
Oregon Coastal Highway in 1941. Dirt, wood plank, rock and gravel, macadam surfaced, and
bituminous surfaced roads were all prevalent materials.39 The most common early road was a
surface ofpacked dirt, mostly cleared of rocks, brush, and foliage. Because of Oregon's extremely
wet weather, plank roads otten supplemented dirt roads where wet earth made travel difficult
or even impossible.40 Early in the 20th century, some towns along the coast constructed plank
roadways and bridges to connect to nearby areasY
37. Frederic Logan Paxson, Recent History ofthe United States (Cambtidge, Massachusetts, Houghton Miffiin Company,
1931),392.
38. "Evolution of the u.s. Auto Industry: 1900 to the Present;' (Congressional Digest. February 2009), 34.
39. Oregon State Highway Department. Map Collection, http://boundless.uoregon.edu/digcollormaps/index.php. (accessed
March 23, 2009).
40. Mary Evelyn Metcalf. Oceanside Oregon: Treasure by the Sea (Arlington: AMC Designs, 2002), 50.
41. Tillamook County Pioneer Museum, Historical Photograph Collection. (Accessed May 192008).
18
Another common early road type was the macadam surfacing technique, named for the
19th century developer of the road type, John Loudon McAdam. This technique had been
widely used in the United States since its conception in the early part of the 19th century. By the
early 20th century, macadam roads were constructed of stones ofgranite, basalt, limestone, and
flint, or any other locally found rock, which could then be broken up into 1Yz to 2 inch pieces,
that were laid in two, four-inch layers, and were steam rolled one layer at a time until they were
each compressed.42 Small crushed particles, tar, or bitumen mixed with water helped to form a
hard coating on the surface of the road.43 This process formed a strong surface that held up well
to early stagecoach and automobile traffic, but deteriorated rapidly with the increased use of the
automobile. By 1941, most of the larger, and many of the smaller, state and county roads in the
Tillamook area were covered with a bituminous surface or paved with concrete.44
The rapidly expanding routes ofautomobiles demanded more paved roads. To deal with this,
the Oregon Highway Department was created in 1913 by an act of the Legislative Assembly.
The Oregon Highway Department's first slogan was "Get Oregon Out of the Mud." A number
of cities in Tillamook County also began paving streets well before it was commonplace to do
so in these small coastal towns. The resort community ofBayocean was an early proponent of
paved roads in the county, paving most of the city streets by 1909. Tillamook City followed suit
and entered into a contract in May of 1912 with the Warren Construction Company to begin to
pave all their roads throughout the city.45
In 1916, the Oregon State Highway board tentatively planned a statewide highway system
42. Frances Wood, Modern Road Construction. A Practical Treatiseftr the Use ofEngineers, Students, Members ofLocal
Authorities, etc. (London: C. Griffin, 1912), 15.
43. Ibid., 16.
44. Oregon State Highway Department. Map Collection. 1941.
45. Caroline Hataway Kinnamon, Tillamook Lest we Forget (Tillamook County Pioneer Museum. 1979), 108.
19
that would equitably serve all areas of the state.46 The Tillamook County area was initially slated
for the Oregon Coast Highway and a single highway from the southern county line to run to
McMinnville. In 1918, the Oregon State Highway Division published a map of all official paved
automobile roads (figure 5). To travel to the Tillamook County beaches, there were two possible
routes: a northern route through the city ofAstoria and then south down the coastal road and
a southern route connecting to the coastal highway through McMinnville. This large route was
(
Figure 5: 1918 State Highway Departmenc's official automobile road map for the scate of Otegon. Courtesy of Univetsity of
Oregon Libraries' Oregon Maps Collection.hup:! Iboundless.uoregon.edu/cdrn4/icem_viewer.ph p 'CISOROOT=/ormaps&
CISOPTR=0&CrSOBOX=I&REC=6. (accessed May 14,2009).
46. Oregon Scate Highway Oeparcmenc, "Third annual report, to the State Highway Commission," University of Oregon
Libraries' Oregon Maps Colleccion. c. 1916. hup:! Iboundless.uoregon.edulcdm4/icem_viewer.php 'CISOROOT=/otmaps&
CISOPTR=0&ClSOBOX=I&REC=6. (accessed May 14,2009).
20
publicized in newspapers and brochures as the "Tillamook Beach Loop." The distance between
Portland and Tillamook on the southern route was 102 miles and then to continue up the coast
and through Astoria back to Portland was another 183 miles.
In 1921, H. W. Lyman, an automobile reporter for The Oregonian, took his Paige-Detroit
four-passenger, sport model out for a weekend around the Tillamook Loop. He reported that,
at this time, the Tillamook County Beach Loop was a mix ofsurface types, but all reportedly
in fair condition. His trip took him through McMinnville and Sheridan on mostly paved roads
and then the portion from Sheridan to Tillamook was surfaced with gravel, but was undergoing
improvement. The roads in Tillamook City were mostly paved by this time. Lyman reported
that the road up the north coast was surfaced with a macadam surface. Lyman believed that the
road all along the north Tillamook coast would be passable, even after a rainstorm.47 Even in
the teens, travel time to and from the beach was such a time consuming affair, it was relatively
uncommon to go on a trip just for the weekend. Lyman showed that a round trip was now pos-
sible over a long weekend. Subsequently this type ofquick travel was gaining popularity among
tourists and travelers looking for a getaway to the ocean beaches. The report that Lyman was
able to comfortably travel to the beach for just a weekend marked and publicized an enormous
improvement in the ease of travel.
Around 1920, the road leading to the south coast past Neskowin was completed. When the
road was constructed, the large hemlock and fir trees removed from the path were cut in short
lengths and corded along the road's edge. Reportedly the market for wood was so saturated, that
much of the removed timber remained in piles along the highway well into the 1940s and early
1950s.48
In the fall of 1921, a tax was passed to raise nearly $35,000 for a road from Manhattan
47. H. W. Lyman, "To the Tillamook Beaches with a Paige Little Six" The Oregonian, Vol. XL. No. 36. September 4,1921.
48. Oregon: The American Guide Series, Compiled by Workers and Writers of the Works Projects Administration in the State
of Oregon. (Portland: Binfords and Mort: 1940),372.
21
Beach and around Nehalem Bay to the town ofNehalem. This made practically all the northern
beaches of Tillamook County accessible by hard surfaced road from Tillamook City.49 By
1925, there was substantial talk ofa possible highway running from Forest Grove to the City of
Tillamook. At this time, the available auto routes still consisted of the northern route through
Astoria and southern roadway through McMinnville, although much of these roadways were
not paved at this time.
In 1926, the construction ofa central route to the beach between Tillamook and Forest
Grove was promised (figure 6). In 1925, Charles E. Gratke, while reporting for The Oregonian)
stated that the Wilson River Road would now be able to move forward since the legislature
passed a law allowing "the construction of toll roads by private companies:'so In a 1928 Road
Map of Oregon it is possible to see the beginning of that road, which was eventually named the
Figure 6: 1928 Oregon S[ate Highway Map. Beginning of the Wilson River Highway is visible
leaving Tillamook City to the east. © Oregon State Highway Depanmem. University of Oregon
Libraries' Oregon Maps Collection.
49. The Oregonian, "Beach Ro~d is Assured: Tillamook Eleerion Provides Five Mill T~x:' 1925.9.
50. Charles E. Gratke, "The Tillamook Beach Loop:' The Sw/{!ay Oi·egonian. M~y 24, 1925. Seerion 7. I.
22
Wilson River Highway. The Wilson River Highway construction was touted as the greatest
automobile transportation development for the beaches ofTillamook County. Unfortunately,
the construction ofthis highway was met with a number ofsetbacks. The road was started in
earnest in 1928 from Tillamook City. Only a short portion was finished before the beginning
of the Great Depression when construction was postponed. The first and second fires of the
Tillamook Burn disrupted the restarted efforts in 1933 and 1939 (figure 7). While the road had
been described as early as 1894 as a route for stagecoaches, it is not shown on automobile maps
until after 1941,51 It appears that the Wilson River Highway was mostly completed by 1936,
but not fully operational then. 52 The completion of this highway cut the driving distance from
Figure 7: Construction of Highway 6 (Wilson River Highway) at the Wilson River cutoff in 1938. Note the barren landscape
created by the Tillamook Burn. Photo courtesy of Oregon State Archives, Oregon Department ofTransportation, OHGD511.
51. Oregon Road Map, 1941, Oregon State Highway Department, University of Oregon Libraries' Oregon Maps Collection.
52. Richard Nokes, "A Trip to the Seashore for Sunday Drivers;' The Oregonian Magazine, May 15,1949,5.
23
Portland to Tillamook City from 102 miles to 72 miles, making Tillamook County's beaches
the closest, easiest to reach beaches from Portland.
The north-south axis of the highway system was growing as well. By 1930, the northern
route ofhighway 101 was finally listed as an oiled macadam road, rather than a gravel or rock
surfaced road. The chairman of the Oregon State Highway commission, Leslie Scott, announced
that at the turn ofthe century there were hardly any thing but wagon roads along the coast and
that by May of 1932, the Oregon Coast Highway consisted of 396 Y2 miles ofpaved or graded
and ready to be paved roadway. S3 Prior to this time, there had been ferries at the five largest
river outlets on the coast. A 1936 tourist pamphlet published by the Oregon Department of
Transportation, announced that the Oregon Coast Highway had eliminated the ferries by
building a series ofcoastal bridges. The ferries, they stated, "were a rest and a diversion, but
progress demanded bridges in their stead."s4 They also advertised the fact that the Oregon State
Highways required "no tolls" because Oregon roads were funded through a "reasonable gasoline
tax."SS The New .lOrk Times even reported on the "impressive design" ofthe Oregon coastal
bridges in a 1935 article titled "Bridges Link Coast Road."S6 Conde B. McCullough, who
designed all of the coastal bridges, also constructed highly stylized bridges throughout the state,
which continue to enhance the landscape today.
The portion of roadway on the ocean side of the Neahkahnie Mountain, the area of
coast between the city ofManzanita and Cannon Beach, had been proposed for development,
but was an extremely difficult road to construct. There had been talk ofcompleting this portion
of the road as early as 1909. Some of the roadway was actually completed, but was abandoned
53. Leslie M. Scott, "Oregon Coast Highway;' Oregon Histori[al~arterly, 33 no. 3. (1932), 268.
54. Oregon Department ofTransportation, "Drive Oregon Highways;' Pamphlet. 1936.
55. Ibid.
56. Charles F. A. Mann, "Bridges Link Coast Road;' New York Times, Decembet 15, 1935; Pro~est Historical Newspapers.
New York Times (1851 - 2005), 8.
24
after 1910 following a few fatal accidents. 57 The process ofbuilding a highway around the
cliffside of the sixteen hundred foot mountain proved to be costly and laborious, and was
not completed until well after the Works Progress Administration was assigned the project in
1935.58 John Yeon, a architect, naturalist, and preservationist helped to shape the landscape of
the Neahkahnie area by lobbying for a more thoughtful road around the mountain. The road
that had been planned was a straight line across the base of the mountain. Yean described this
by lamenting that "this involved blasting great portions of [the mountain] into the sea."59 He
first lobbied Leslie Scott, the head of the Highway Department in Oregon, in an attempt to see
something more thoughtful, but when this was unsuccessful, he went to Washington D.C. to
speak with the chiefofthe Bureau of Public Roads. They sent their chief landscape architect,
Wilbur Simonson, to Oregon to persuade the Road's Board to look for another option.
While this pressure from Washington helped to change the minds of the State, no design
had been agreed upon. It was around this time that Yean had his idea ofhow to build the
Neahkahnie Mountain road. Yeon had constructed a clay model ofhis proposed road, detailed
in the way he thought it should be designed. His design was "four or five feet long, [...] it
showed masonry retaining walls holding up the road instead ofblasting [out the] concrete."60
A picture of the model was featured in The Oregonian where the state bridge engineer, Conde
B. McCullough, saw this picture in the paper and decided to try something similar around the
mountain.61 Today the highway hugs the edge of the mountain and has turnouts for motorists
to pull offand enjoy the astounding view. The roadway was engineered to work with the natural
topography of the site. The rock walls and concrete curbing were conceived as safety measures,
57. Helen Over, "Mountain Highway N ow Traverses Historic Route;' The Oregonian, February 22, 1942.
58. Ibid.
59. John Yeon interviews, 1982 December 14, 1983 through January 10, 1984, Archives ofAmerican Art, Smithsonian
Institution.
60. Ibid.
61. Ibid.
25
but are an intriguing artistic addition to the roadway.62
In 1937, The Oregonian reported that "the Oregon Coast Highway and the mile-a-minute
flivver opened the entire ocean front."63 The coastal highway, by 1941, had nearly all the routes
that are in place today. The Oregon geologist at that time, Warren D. Smith, described me
Oregon Highway by saying, "The Coast Highway, paralleling the coast, and in most cases
running very close to me shoreline, is the chief feature, in the matter of transportation that
makes our coast so accessible."64 He goes on to say that the new highway "from all points which
go to make for excellence in a highway, this is perhaps the world's premier example."65 While me
highway's original intent was to be constructed to aid our military defenses along the west coast,
it has mainly served as a route for tourists to explore the small cities and towns along me ocean
shore. Smith related its recreational virtues by commenting, "Small towns, inns, service stations,
and vacation camps are conveniently spaced along it, so that one is always in touch with civiliza-
tion, and yet within hail ofthe forest and wilderness ofthe back country."
Transportation development continued to improve in the 1950s and 1960s. During the
1950s a highway was constructed across the Nehalem Bay, which then reconnected to Highway
101.66 This type of roadway improvement is typical, and continues today along the coast. The
roadways in Tillamook, and all across the country, have seen constant growth and development
since the end ofWorld War II. New safer roads reshaped and reinvigorated America and were
the beginning ofanother era in coastal development. The country was focused on returning to
civilian life. The rise in homeownership, wages, population growth, and the increased use of
the automobile created a burgeoning interest in recreation and a growing market for the coastal
62. Samuel N. Dicken, Pioneer Trails o/the Oregon Coast (Oregon Historical Society: Portland, Oregon, 1971).
63. "Oregon's Beach Resorts" The Oregonian. July 5,1939.1.
64. Warren D. Smith, The Scenic Treasure House o/Oregon (Portland, Oregon: Binfords and Mort, 1941),74.
65. Ibid., 75.
66. Tillamook County Planning Commission, "A Proposed Preliminary Comprehensive Plan: Barview-Rockaway Beach
Area;' (Tillamook County, Oregon 1966), 54.
26
tourist industry.
Americans' new relationship with the automobile in the post-war society made weekend
travel ever more attainable. The expansion of the suburb had begun and Americans were looking
to travel to other bucolic retreats. The downtown cores of larger cities, including the central
districts in Seattle and Portland, began to see a marked decline in investment, population,
and development, while the planned communities of the outer-edges of the city, the suburbs,
saw the beginning of their greatest era.67 These changes in transportation inevitably helped to
create a landscape that resembles the one visible today. The expansion of Oregon's transporta-
tion infrastructure also gave the Oregon Department ofTransportation (ODOT) the perfect
opportunity to develop new slogans to promote its work during this period. These slogans
included: 1957-"Building Oregon Thru Better Highways;' 1958-"Oregon Freeways...Symbol
of2nd Century Progress;' and in 1961-"Freeways are Easier."68 It was the ease of travel that has
helped to create the tourist industry that we know today, and shaped the coastal communities of
Tillamook County.
67. Alison Isenberg, Downtown America: a History ofthe Place and the People Who Made it. Historical Studies ofUrban
America (Chicago: University ofChicago Press: 2004), 14.
68. Oregon Department ofTransportation, "History Center." Oregon State Government. http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/
CS/BSS/historycenter.shtml (accessed February 8,2008).
27
CHAPTER IV
DEVELOPMENT OF RECREATION ALONG THE COAST
Recreation has long been an important aspect to the American way oflife. As urban centers
ofAmerica grew, cities began looking for ways in which to incorporate the natural into the
urban landscape. Boston's Walden Pond and New York's Central Park are two early examples
of a city creating natural space within its urban boundaries, but countless other examples both
preceded and followed. There was an innate understanding that getting away from the city for
respite and relaxation was good for one's overall well-being. The ocean was viewed as an escape
that could be regenerating to one's health in such a way that doctors would often "prescribe" a
month by the sea as a part ofa treatment plan for various ailments. The Medical Record, a weekly
journal ofmedicine and surgery, spoke ofthe benefit ofvisiting the sea often, and for various
ailments. In a 1902 edition, a contributing doctor spoke ofthe regenerative nature ofthe sea
by stating, "sea bathing is beneficial in most instances [...J by diving under the waves, the entire
upper-respiratory tract is cleansed and stimulated in a most remarkable manner."69
This theory ofresting by the ocean had long been practiced by human cultures and
Americans were no exception. Beyond understanding the healing powers of the ocean, there was
also a general understanding about the euphoria ofsimply visiting the sea. It was simply fun, the
ocean, with all its grandeur and scenery was the perfect location for many ofAmerica's favorite
pastimes. Hunting, fishing, camping, and hiking, were all popular pastimes at the beginning of
69. W. Preudenthal, M.D., "Some Hints to the General Practitioner on the Treatment of Chronic Nasopharyngeal Catarrh."
Medical Record. VoL 62. No. 1. August 9,1902.213.
28
the 19th century. In the Pacific Northwest, immigrants from the eastern sea shore had brought
the long held tradition of the summer vacation with them as they moved west. Although Pacific
Northwest summer months were not generally unbearably hot as they were in many eastern
cities, city dwellers still looked to leave for the summer. Beyond their institutional memory,
the choice ofwhen to recreate was likely also regulated by the closing of the schools and the
downturn in business during the summer months. Bertha H. Smith, a travel reporter during the
early part of the 20th century noted in "Sandyland:' her article about beach travel on the Pacific
Coast that, "Summer is the time for going from where one is to where one is not. A habit, once
the prerogative of the more than well to do, has become the common property of the great
American Everybody."70 This notion that the "American Everybody" could afford ro travel in the
summer, marks the beginning ofwhat eventually became the typical American summer vacation.
The American Canoe Association and the League ofAmerican Sportsmen published
Recreation: A Monthly Publication Devoted to Everything the Name Implies, ro discuss all recre-
ation related matters.71 It had been in print since as early as 1898 and was certainly not the first
publication ofits type. Because Americans had steadily been moving into urban centers, they
were increasingly looking for opportunities ro recreate in bucolic, tranquil settings. The ocean,
especially ifyou lived in the Pacific Northwest, turned out ro be the perfect escape.
Seaside, Oregon, Washington's Puget Sound, and Victoria Island all experienced early
movements toward coastal recreation. Metropolitan areas focused on retreats that were close to
home, making travel between the two as easy as possible. City dwellers quickly found the coastal
atmosphere a pleasant alternative from the bustling city life. Early travelers to ocean communi-
ties often stayed with friends or family, tent camped for the summer, or stayed in one of the few
ocean-side resort hotels.72 In the teens and twenties, more summer cottages were built, the tent
70. Bertha H. Smith, "Sandyland." in Sunset, the Pacific Monthly, Vol. 33. July. Southern Pacific Company's Passenger
Department (San Francisco: Southern Pacific Company Publishers: 1913).291.
71. G. O. Shields. Recreation: A Monthly Publication Devoted to Everything the Name Implies. December 1903. New York. i.
72. The Oregonian, "Pastimes Attract Hosts ofVisitors to Seashore;' Portland, Oregon. August 8, 1915.
29
cities were otten replaced with simple, one-room bungalow cities, and more hotels and resorts
were constructed along the coast. Over time, communities grew in clusters around these early
retreats.
One of the first references to the budding tourist industry in the Tillamook County area
was in The Handbook to the Pacific Northwest, published by The Oregonian in 1894. Tillamook
County's largest cities at the time were Tillamook, Bay City, Nehalem, and Garibaldi.73 In 1894,
Netarts Bay and Nehalem were both planning summer resorts to take advantage of the hundreds
of campers who visited the coast annually from the Willamette Valley?4
The typical early recreational beach house consisted ofa modest dwelling, constructed of
locally available materials, frequently with a front porch or deck facing the sea. The earliest
examples are set back along the tree line to help protect the structure from climatic events.
Houses built atter World War II are much less likely to be set back behind the tree line. As
construction practices improved and waterproof materials became available, housing began to
be constructed in the Rat vegetation closer to the sea. These houses are similarly styled to their
city dwelling counterparts, but otten smaller and more whimsical in nature. Most towns began
with just a few houses and grew organically over time, while others were platted and advertised
as well-planned resorts. Tillamook County had more than a dozen recreational towns along its
coast. Each offered visitors a slightly different coastline, town center, and a fantastic view of the
Pacific Ocean (many of these towns are visible on the 1935 motor coach map as shown in figure
8).
Before it was customary to own a beach house of one's own, most vacationers visited the
beach and either stayed in large resort hotels or camped along the shore. The largest, most mod-
ern hotel was the Tillamook Hotel in Tillamook City. Tillamook was frequently advertised as
the metropolis of the area because of its "hotel, paved streets, schools, churches, and mercantile
73. The Oregonians Handbook ofthe Pacific Northwest, The Oregonian, 232.
74. Ibid., 242.
30
Figure 8: Oregon Mowr Stages service map w major
beach destinations in Tillamook COllmy, 1936.
Oregon Collection. Special Collections, University of
Oregon.
establishments worthy of a metropo!is."75 The num-
bel' of hotel offerings in the county grew quickly
with the introduction of new transportation. By
1914, three years after the Pacific Railway and
Navigation train arrived to the north coast, there
were resort hotels in most of the county's coastal
towns?6 These resorts varied in size and style. Some
hotels were simply decorated bungalows, while oth-
ers were to grand structures with classical details.
The Bayocean Annex, which opened in 1911, was
a fine example of a premier hotel that opened after
the train line was completed. Groups of family
campers were also very common in these beach-side
towns long before any substantial housing was
constructed. Some of the first elements of the
recreational housing development are reminiscent
of these semi-permanent camps.
Camping was an extremely popular recre-
ational activity early in the history of the Pacific
Northwest. Numerous coastal areas' history begins
with stories of campers coming and spending
the summer. These "tent cities" became larger
and offered more services with each coming year.
They often spurred development ofdance halls,
75. Southern Pacific Line, "Tillamook Coumy Beaches," Tourism Pamphlet. L. 1914. Oregon Collection. University of
Oregon's Libraries, Special Collections.
76. Ibid.
31
sanitariums, stores, and other support services for the yearly visitors,?7 In 1914, there were tent
sites at Neah-Kah-Nie, Bar View, and Neskowin. 78
Following is a contextual overview ofsome of the recreational towns along the coast,
highlighting their relationship to the tourist industry, their growth, sometimes their demise, and
their recreational atmosphere today.
BAYOCEAN
Bayocean Park had an interesting, albeit short, history. It was one of the grandest resorts
ever conceived on the Oregon coast and it was one of the driving forces behind the completion
of the railroad to Tillamook City. Bayocean was cleverly named for its proximity to both the sea
and the bay (figure 9). T. B. Potter, a real estate developer from Kansas City, visited the area, on
doctor's orders to rest and breathe the fresh ocean air. He immediately envisioned turning the
Tillamook Spit into the Atlantic City of the west. He soon set to work and the Potter-Chaplin
Realty Company began to develop this high-end resort by the sea,?9
The first, and symbolically the last, resident ofBayocean was an entrepreneur from Portland,
named Francis B. Mitchell. He bought the first lot in town and started the post office with a
small hotel on the second floor. The town was originally platted with two hundred lots, but by
1914 popularity had outgrown the original plan and soon after, six hundred lots had been sold.
The town was well on it's way to becoming the resort Potter had envisioned.
Sunset) the Pacific Monthly, a publication by the Southern Pacific Company's Passenger
Department, advertised Bayocean in their development section in 1913. Bayocean was created,
they declared, as a "recreation city where mountains, forest, stream, and ocean meet;' that was
77. Ibid.
78. The Oregonian, "News From the Beach;' Portland, Oregon, July 5, 1931. 2.
79. Joseph Gaston, Portland, Oregon, its history and builders: in connection with the antecedent explorations, discoverieJ, and
movements ofthe pioneers that selected the Jite for the great city ofthe Pacific (Chicago: S.]. Clarke Publishing Co., 1911),238.
32
Figure 9: Aerial view of the Bayocean Spit. Courtesy of the Tillamook County Pioneer Museum.
built for "permanency as well as beauty and comfort."80 This aggressive advertising campaign
was used to sell lots, spur development, and promote an air ofexcitement about coming to stay
at the grandest resort on the Oregon coast. Bayocean had a "large number ofwell built and
sightly summer cottages."81 The tent city in Bayocean was particularly well known, and was
often referred to as a "bungalow city:' because of the military precision with which it was platted
(figure 10). The tents, which were ofa more permanent nature, frequently had electricity, and
were located in a small grove to protect the inhabitants from the wind and the rain.82
80. Charles K. Field, Sunset, the Pacific Monthly. Vol. 31. No.4. October. (San Ftancisco: Southern Pacific Company
Publishers: 1913),577.
81. Southern Pacific Railroad, "Seashore: Tillamook County." Tourist Pamphlet, c. 1915. Oregon Collection. Univetsity of
Otegon Library's Special Collections. University of Oregon Libraty's Special Collections. 3.
82. Ibid.
------- - -------- ...._._.-
33
Figure 10: Bayocean bungalow city. Note the organization and
neatness of the "tent city." Courtesy of the Tillamook County
Pioneer Museum.
Bayocean advertised a variety of
activities for the coastal tourist. Organized
trips for deep sea fishing were advertised
as early as 1914, along with trout fishing,
clam digging, and crab catching.83 Hiking
and hunting were also described in detail
for almost all the Oregon coastal retreats
from the beginning of the 20th century,
and Bayocean was no exception. While
these natural recreational activities are a
major draw to the coast Bayocean offered visitors amenities such as a natatorium with a heated
saltwater swimming pool that had artificial waves, as well as a dance hall and a large hoteI.B4
Bayocean was conceptualized as a tourist mecca, and the amenities that were established created
a delightful tourist destination with top-notch attractions. The town had something for all
budgets and interests.
Fifty-nine homes were constructed
Figure 11: Bayocean beach house. nd. Courtesy of the Tillamook
Pioneer Museum.
prior to Bayocean succumbing to
erosion and falling into the sea (figure
11). This erosion had begun by 1930,
and in 1932, the Natatorium, with its
heated pool and wave-maker, washed
into the sea. In 1941, after progressive
worsening of the situation, John
Aschim, Secretary and Manager of the
83. Southern Pacific Railroad, "Seashore: Tillamook CountY:' Tourist Pamphlet. c. 1915.3.
84. Ibid. 11.
34
Tillamook Chamber of Commerce, wrote to President Roosevelt to ask for assistance with the
Bayocean erosion problem.85 Houses followed suit, and by 1959, the last house had washed into
the sea. It is reported by locals that five houses were moved before the erosion encroached onto
their property. One, the Pagoda House, was moved to 3rd and Pacific Street in Cape Mears,
where it still stands today (figure 12).
Fignre 12: 111e PagoJa House. Photo courtesy of Chris WooJs.
As tourism plummeted during the Depression an interesting group ofoccupants moved into
the Bayocean Hotel (figure 13). Only a few references are made to this group who called them-
selves The Artisans Cooperative Community. The group, comprised of two or three families and
a few single men, were "drifters and products of the Depression."86 The Oregonian reported in
85 1110mas A. Terich &Paul D. Komar. "Developmem anJ Erosion History of the Bay Ocean Spit. Tillamook Oregon."
SeptembEr 1973. Oregon State University. School of Oceanography. 141-142.
86 IbiJ 55.
35
Figure 13: Bayocean Hotel. Courtesy of the Tillamook Pioneer Museum.
June of 1935, in a article titled, "Beach Colony Growing:' that a few families were given permis-
sion to live in the Bayocean Hotel, where they set up a communal living situation. The women
did the household chores and the cooking and the men tended to the garden and went fishing.
They sold their seafood in the local market. At some point, the cooperative was recognized by
the federal government and given three-thousand-nine-hundred "to purchase fishing equipment
and building materials." The Oregonian published one other news article about the group in
1935, and then they apparently dispersed along with the rest of the town.8? Long gone were the
days of the large groups ofspectators who came to visit the Atlanta City of the west and eventu-
ally the beautiful beach cottages all slipped into the sea.
While Bayocean is a tragic story of loss, the city's history was captured in a number of
photographs that provide a glimpse ofearly beach houses in this planned resort. The lots for
these retreats were platted and then sold to individual buyers, who either hired an architect or
87. Ibid., 56.
36
builder to construct the house. The architecture in Bayocean was very formal and consisted of
homes with all the amenities of the city, as noted earlier; even the tent district in Bayocean had
electricity. A 1912 advertising bulletin in Sunset) the Pacific Monthly extolled the qualities of
this city's amenities as being akin to "living at home so far as conveniences go, for nothing has
been left to the imagination there. Fine mountain water piped all over the grounds, hundreds of
electric lights in every conceivable nook and corner, cement walks, paved streets, convenient and
well-stocked stores, telephone connection, and good mail service."88
Bayocean suffered the greatest erosion losses ofany recreational community in the Pacific
Northwest (figure 14). The erosion, according to a 1970 report by Oregon State University,
was likely caused by the construction ofa jetty on the north side of the Tillamook Bay en-
trance.89 The jetty, constructed in 1917,
Figure 14: Bayocean house succumbing to erosion. 1947. Courtesy
of the Salem (Otegon) Public Library Historic Photograph
Collections. Mr. Ben Maxwell Collection. OTB.1.1
"obstructed the seasonally reversing long
shore sand transport:' which created an
environment where sand was moved and
redeposited elsewhere.90 It is terrible that
such a magnificent, well planned resort
was lost to sea. Potter was right that it was
a one of the most beautiful places along
the Oregon coast.
MANZANITA
Manzanita has long been popular
with vacationists. Its history is intrinsically
88. Charles K. Field, "Bayocean: 'The Playground of the Pacific Northwest.''' Sunset, the Pacific Monthly. Vol. 28 January-June.
Southern Pacific Company's Passenger Department. (San Francisco: Southern Pacific Company Publishers: 1912),641.
89. Thomas A. Terich and Paul D. Komar, "Development and Erosion History ofBayocean Spit, Tillamook Oregon." (School
of Oceanography, Oregon State University: September 1973, Reference no. 73-16), 116.
90. Ibid.
37
linked to the history ofNeahkahnie Beach, since they are only separated by a small knoll.
Development has occurred in such a way that, anymore, it is nearly impossible to differentiate
one town from the other. Manzanita is bound "on the west by the Pacific Ocean; on the south
and east by Nehalem Bay, [and] on the north by Neahkahnie Mountain."91
Manzanita's name is derived from the evergreen shrubs that long grew in the area. The fruit
from the Manzanita resembled a small apple, but unlike the apple, the fruit was not sweet and
juicy. Native American tribes ground the fruit of the manzanita in to a fine meal, to which
they would add water, making a sweet cider.92 The Manzanita Beach was promoted as being
"the beach ninety-six miles from Portland."93 It is approximately halfway between the towns of
Seaside and Tillamook City. The town itselfwas, in 1925, a three hundred and fifty acre wooded
tract with a half a mile of ocean front. It was noted for its "beautiful scenery" and mild climate.94
All of the usual beach activities could be found at Manzanita beach; hiking, surf bathing,
fishing, and crabbing were all typical of the area.
The Manzanita Inn was the largest hotel and was marketed as being a good place for fami-
lies. There was also an auto campground, housekeeping cottages, and tents that were available
to rent. In 1925, there were lots that had been platted for recreational houses. The rate then
for a lot that measured 50 by 150 feet started at just $75 At the time, there were premiere lots
that were selling for as much as $500, but those all promised to come with views of the "ocean,
mountain, and surrounding woods."95
Manzanita now serves as one of the main tourist destinations of the north Tillamook
beaches. The city's central main street has a number ofshops, restaurants, hotels, and bars. Most
91. Sea Treasure Association, "Tillamook County Fisherman and Tourist Guide." University ofOregon Special Collections.
(Wheeler, Oregon. 1935),7.
92. Writers Program, Otegon. Oregon, the End ofthe Trail. 155.
93. Laneda Inc., Manzanita Oregon, "Road Map to Manzanita Beach." c. 1925. University of Oregon Special Collections.
94. Ibid.
95. Ibid.
38
of the area's house are sited along the bluffoverlooking the ocean.
NEAHKAHNIE BEACH
Neahkahnie Beach, because ofproximity, can hardly be differentiated from Manzanita.
It did, however, have slightly different growth patterns and Neahkahnie has one of the most
romantic histories ofall the beach towns along the Tillamook County coast. A number of
prominent architects designed houses for this little town. The setting attracted a creative
class, unparalleled in other beach towns along the coast. A. E. Doyle, a prominent Portland
architect-most notably for his design of the Multnomah County Library-built a number
of cottages by the sea. These houses are considered the early beginnings of the Northwest
Regional Style ofarchitecture. Doyle spent all his summer vacations at this little resort. He was
particularly enthusiastic about the beautiful landscape of this area of the Oregon beach. The
Neahkahnie Mountain, as the highest point in the county, commands amazing views and has a
combination ofsurfaces including "grassy and wooded slopes, springs and creeks, ragged gorges,
high pinnacles, and awesome cliffs overhanging the ocean."96 In 1927, an old trail around the
Neahkahnie Mountain "followed the edge of the mountain at the summit ofan ocean-beaten
cliff, almost 1000 feet above the sur£"97 This was likely the route used to carry the mail between
Seaside and Nehalem between 1880 and when the train began running in 1911.98
Samuel Gordon Reed, a member of the Portland Chamber ofCommerce, visited the area
in 1906 with other members of the commerce group to look for investment property along the
strip ofocean that was opening up along the shore.99 Reed spent the remainder ofhis life work-
ing to create better transportation routes to the area. He purchased more than 800 acres ofland
96. Pacific Stages, "Tillamook: The Playground of the Pacific Northwest." Tourist Booklet. c. 1927. University of Oregon
Library's Special Collections. 1.
97. Ibid.
98. Helen Ober, "Mountain Highway Now Traverses Historic Route, The Oregonian, February 22, 1942. in Tillamook History.
(The Tillamook Pioneer Association. 1975).45.
99. Jean Prentiss. "Neah-kah-nie, in the Beginning..." in Tillamook: Lest we Forget. (Tillamook Pioneer Museum. 2001).33.
39
in 1907. At the time, there were no houses by the beach, and only one other farmhouse on the
road to Nehalem. loo Reed brought his family to the area in 1911 and, soon after, began work on
the Neahbhnie Tavern and Hotel (figure 15).
The large Neahbhnie Tavern, opened in the summer season of 1912. The hotel was
designed by the architecture firm of Ellis Lawrence. Jean Prentiss, Gordon Reed's daughter,
reported William Holford was the lead architect on the project, but most often it is credited to
Ellis Lawrence himself. 1ol Holford had just moved to Portland at the time and was working as
a draftsman at Lawrence's office. I02 Jean Prentiss remembers this as one of his first commissions
after graduating from the Massachusetts Institute ofTechnology (MIT), which he had attended
with Lawrence. Regardless of the designer, the hotel was a grand, massive structure. Measuring
more than 200 feet, the hotel had a rustic feel with it's shingled exterior wall cladding and its
Figure 15: Ncahkahnie lnn. Neahkahnic, Oregon. Pharo Courtesy of the Tillamook Pioneer Museum.
100. Ibid
101. lhomas Vaughan, Space, Style, and Stmctl!re: Building in Nor'fhweJt America, 344.
102. Richard Ellison Ritz, ArchitectJ ofOregon (Portland: Lair Hill Publishing, 2003), 191.
40
board and batten interior wall covering. The hotel had many of the defining features of the
bungalow style, in its exposed rafter tails and roofbeams, wide eaves, shed dormers, and stone
chimney.103 Within, the hotel had oiled wood floors and a exposed beamed ceiling. In it's early
days, even though it was wired for electricity, kerosene lamps were used to light the rooms
and hallways. This hotel marks the beginning ofNeahkahnie's tourist industry, and within the
coming years, recreational housing began to dot the coastline in this area. The hotel was report-
edly fashioned after New England's coast inns, possibly because both Lawrence and Holford
had been exposed to these types ofcoastal structures along the coast ofMassachusetts while
they were studying at MIT. lo4 The hotel had nineteen guest rooms. The second floor had seven
bathrooms and the third floor had one. lOS The Reed family, Mr. and Mrs. Reed and their five
girls, lived in quarters above the kitchen. lo6
Chester A. Moores, a writer for The Oregonian, took a trip to Neahkahnie in 1915 in a
brand new, 1916, Hudson Six. He reached Neahkahnie in just under eleven and a halfhours
after traveling a distance ofone hundred and forty seven miles. Moores had nothing but
positive reactions to both the driving trip and the destination. Most interestingly, he reported
on a happenstance meeting with Doyle himsel£ when both parties were on a hike around the
Neahkahnie Mountain. Moores reported that, "Mr. Doyle has been around this mountain
time after time dUring the weeks he has spent at the beach, but he never fails to enthuse over its
wonders."lo7
Doyle expanded on his love of the place, by telling Moores about the area's attributes:
103. Southern Pacific Railroad, "Seashore: Tillamook County;' Tourist Pamphlet. c. 1915. University of Oregon Libtary's
Special Collections. 3.
104. Chester A. Moores, "Pathfinding Trip to Neah-kah-nie Reveals Beautiful Scenery, Fine Roads and Power of 1916
Hudson Six;' Ihe Oregonian. August 8,1915.5.
105. Ibid.
106. Jean Prentiss, "Neah-kah-nie, in the Beginning...;' 34.
107. Ibid.
41
There is something stimulative and at the same time restful about this place that
makes it the greatest thing on the Coast. [...] Every line in this landscape is true
art. The mountain is a mammoth creation ofsolid rock, but every contour in
the country at its base is peaceful and delicately graceful. Its moods are varying,
its shadows elusive. Nature seems to have taken a particular delight in effecting
here a harmonious combination ofmountain and sea, ofupland and meadow, of
velvety carpeting and tangled wild wood, of rugged precipice and fertile soil108
Doyle was not the first to understand the power of the Neahkahnie Mountain, or Neah-
Kah-Nie Mountain, as it was known by the Tillamooks. For them, it is "the place of the Fire
Spirit;' Tillamook's most powerful god. The mountain has long been described as a place of
astounding beauty, both for its diversity and it's height, rising to an elevation ofmore than 1600
feet. 109 By 1915, Doyle had constructed a number of unpretentious houses in the meadow below
the mountain and there were a handful ofother modest cottages that dotted the forty acre knoll
beside the sea (figure 16) ,110
Neahkahnie Tavern's owner, Sam Reed, opened a hundred-and-sixty acre golfcourse on the
upland meadow. The turfwas described as playing "on a soft carpet ofyielding grass dotted with
wild-flowers." 111 The course was advertised as being laid out by a golfenthusiast. Golfexperts
described the course as the most picturesquely situated course anywhere. ll2
Hiking and fishing were also popular activities around the Neahkahnie mountain area.
By 1935, fishing was allowed in the area without a licence. Visitors had also begun coming to
visit the Short Sands Beach State Park, which had opened near the Neahkahnie Mountain a
few years earlier, and was being operated by the Parks Department. ll3 There was also a newly
108. Ibid.
109. Writers Program, Portland, Oregon. Oregon, the End ofthe Trail, 368.
110. Chester A. Moores, "Pathfinding Trip to Neah-kah-nie Reveals Beautiful Scenery, Fine Roads and Power of 1916
Hudson Six:' The Oregonian, August 8,1915.5.
Ill. Southern Pacific Line, "Tillamook County Beaches," Tourist Pamphlet. c. 1914. 2.
112. Ibid.
113. Tillamook County Oregon, "Fisherman and Tourist Guide." c. 1935.7.
42
Figure 16: A. I: Doyle be;1ch house. Constructed in 1910, the house was one of the earliest to dot the landscape in Neahbhnie.
Phow by author.
constructed Civilian Conservation Corps trail to the top ofNeahkahnie mountain, which led
across the mountain and "terminated at the Sam Reed Bridge."lJ4 Neskowin's housing stock
and recreational activities continued to grow, and by 1941 there were twenty-two houses in the
Neahkahn ie area. 115
World 'W;tr II greatly reduced the activity on the Oregon beaches, mainly because the men
were away at war, the women were working in factories, and gas was being rationed as a precious
commodity. The Neahkahnie Tavern was rented to the United States Coast Guard as a base for
beach patrolling during the war years. After the war, the building of summer homes increased;
a practice that has continued into the present day. A new golf course was constructed sometime
after the property was sold in 1946. The tavern's history ended abruptly in 1956 when it
I J4. Ibid.
115. Jean Premiss, "Neah-kah-nie. in the Beginning.. :' 35.
43
mysteriously burned to the groundy6
Other than the ongoing development ofcoastal housing, there have not been many com-
mercial endeavors or public infrastructure projects constructed in the Neahkahnie vicinity. The
unincorporated community ofNeahkahnie borders the city ofManzanita, which has long been
the economic center of the two communities.
NESKOWIN
Neskowin is a small, unincorporated community on the southern edge ofTillamook
County. The town was platted in 1910, but summer visitors had been setting up tents and
vacationing since as early as 1883.117 The word Neskowin meant "plenty offish" to the early
Native American population that lived in the lower Nestucca area. The town grew very slowly
until Highway 101 was completed after World War II. Neskowin has two natural features that
dominate its landscape, Proposal Rock, a large natural rock formation in the bay, and a rocky
"grove" ofpetrified tree stumps that are visible when the tide is low. They have been carbon
dated to being nearly 2000 years old. ll8
Henry Page, an early homesteader living on his donation land claim by the beach, allowed
borders and campers to stay at the house as early as 1895.119 He lived with his wife, eight
daughters, and two adopted sons. Page sold the property to an investor in Tillamook City who
later, formally turned the house into a hotel. The new owner put a road in behind the house and
expanded the kitchen. Electricity was brought to the building in 1929 (figure 17).120
The Neskowin area had been a destination for campers as early as 1883, but some reports
have people from the interior coming to camp at the beach as early as the 1870s. The first
116. Ibid.• 33.
117. The Oregonian. "News From the Beach" Portland, Oregon. July 5.1931. 2.
118. Greg Verret. "Community Plan for the Unincorporated Community ofNeskowin:' March 31, 1999. Tillamook County
Department of CQrnmunity Devebpment. 3.
119. Alexandria ley Rock, Short history ofthe Little Nestucca River Valley and its Early Pioneers Tillamook County, Tillamook,
Or., 13.
120. Ibid.
44
Figure 17: Neskowin Hotel. Photo courtesy of the Tillamook County Pioneer Museum.
campground in Neskowin was to the south ofSlab Creek. Alexandria ley Rock reported that
wealthy families from Salem arranged their tents in rows to form streets and established an
exclusive campground to serve as an ''Artistic Resort."12! Similarly, the Bridewell's, a family
from McMinnville and Amity, Oregon, began making the long trek to the beach for summer
vacations during the 1880s. At that time, there were only a few farm homes and "practically no
roads."!22 In 1914, when Mr. Bridewell built a small cottage at Neskowin, there were only three
other cottages in the area.!23 Tent camping was still popular, but after the Roosevelt Highway
made it possible to reach Neskowin without having to forge a small creek, more and more
people chose to build their houses here.!24
Neskowin was infrequently advertised as a resort town before improved roads. The town was
platted in 1910, but as it was not near train routes or roads, it grew slowly. Very few advertise-
ments exist for the early recreation opportunities in the area, but began to be printed with some
121. Ibid.• 12.
122. Ibid.
123. The Oregonian, "News from the Beach: Spends 48 Seasons at Neskowin;' July 5, 1931. 2.
124. Ibid.
45
regularity after motor stages began making regular trips to Tillamook beaches. Around 1927,
Pacific Stages published a booklet highlighting the gems of the Tillamook coast. Neskowin, at
this time, was advertised as one of the newest recreational beaches of the county.125
Neskowin already had a modern campground by the mid 1920s. The campground had
a number of semi-permanent structures (figure 18). The "tents" had vertical board siding
and simple rafters that created small eave overhangs. They also had canvas roofs and window
coverings. These structures were elevated off the ground less than a foot. By 1927, there were
seventy-five privately owned summer homes, a hotel, a garage, store, and a post office. New
houses were being constructed at the time. This was also the year a community kitchen was
constructed near the tent city (this first kitchen shelter, a common structure during this era, was
unfortunately destroyed in a storm in the late 1930s).126 By the late 1920s, the community had
Figure 18: Neskowin's rem/bungalow ciry. nd. Phoro cOlll'rcsy of rhe Tillamook Pioneer Museum.
125. Pacific Stages. "Tillamook: -n1e Playground ofrhe Pacific Nonhwesr." Tourisr Booklet. c. J927, Universiry of Oregon
Library's Special Collections, 7.
126. Greg Verrer, "Community Plan for the Unincorporated Communiry of Neskowin:' March 31. 1999.4.
--------------------
46
grown in popularity and received large crowds for long weekends and holidays. Neskowin, as it
was reported for the 1926 Labor Day holiday, was favored with "good weather;' which explained
why all the town's "cottages and rooms had been engaged ahead and it is probable that camping
room only will be left" by the height of the weekend. 127 In the early 1930s, the Neskowin Beach
GolfCourse opened for business and another, the nine-hole Hawk Creek Golf Course was
added in the late 1960s.128 These remain as one of the areas most notable recreational features.
Neskowin has almost no commercial buildings to this day. Part of this aversion to com-
mercial interests came from a very early deed restriction on buildings in Neskowin's vicinity.
Bill Walton, the brother of the man who bought most of the land in Neskowin and to whom
the land was given, did not believe that a pool hall or dance hall were acceptable businesses for
a wholesome family retreat community.129 Deeds for Walton's properties stated that buildings
in Neskowin could not be "erected, maintained, or used for stables, chicken houses, commercial
garages, filling stations, stores, theaters, public amusement places, business, or manufacturing."13o
Walton did allow the grocery store to remain, which housed the post office, a lunch counter, and
later, some hotel accommodations (figure 19). This restriction ended in 1959, but is likely the
source of the minimal commercial development in the town. l3l
The Neskowin Hotel was intentionally burned in 1968 to make room for a larger, grander
building. The Capitoljournal reported on January 17, 1968 that the inn was to be destroyed by
fire to make way for a million dollar motel, that still stands today. The old hotel, built by Henry
and Sarah Page before the turn of the century, gave way to a much larger hotel, with ocean front
views and modern amenities. Sometime after Walton's deed restriction ended, a few businesses
127. The Oregonian, "Vacationist Bid Reluctant Farewell to Joys of Life by the Sea." September 5, 1926. 10.
128. Greg Verret, "Community Plan for the Unincorporated Community ofNeskowin." March 31, 1999.6.
129. Ibid., 5.
130. Ibid.
131. Ibid.
47
.-.----;:- .
,-<;~~'
'-'-.~'
- :...~ •..:-:., -0;.........:...;::.::..
~'- ;.~~,.._~:~ ,,:.~,,~~:_~~~- -
~ _"";;."2;.,, ~ ....
Figure 19: Neskowin Store. Photo courtesy of the Tillamook County Pioneer Museum.
sprung up. A small house near the new store was converted to a restaurant, and coffee house and,
for many years, another house called "The Rainy Day" served as the town's bookstore.
Neskowin's natural landscape is currently undergoing a massive change. The give and take of
the ocean has moved the edge of the shoreline drastically close to the houses along the vegeta-
tion line. A large rock wall is now in place, but it is unclear how much more the shoreline will
change and ifall of the beach houses along the shore will be able to remain.
OCEANSIDE
Oceanside may be one of the sleepiest beach towns along the Oregon coast. It is located nine
miles west ofTillamook City and two miles north ofNetarts. The ocean in front ofOceanside
is dotted with the Three Arch Rocks, a series of three "massive, wave-worn, monoliths" that have
long been home to a variety ofwild life.132 In 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt declared the
Three Arch Rocks a National Wildlife preserve to help ensure the safety of the puffin and murre
colonies residing in the area. It is the oldest National Wildlife Refuge west ofthe Mississippi,
132. Writers Program, Portland, Oregon. Oregon, the End ofthe Trail, 372.
48
and now protects a quarter ofa million nesting seabirds. 133 1hree Arch Rocks used to be a
destination for hunters and sportsmen, but was closed by its formal designation and now serves
as one of the coast's best bird watching spots.
Oceanside was the homestead ofsoldier John W. Maxwell.134 Maxwell, who later became an
Oregon Senator, helped bring money in to the county to build roads and infrastructurePS He
owned about one hundred and sixty acres, which covered most of the communityP6 Oceanside
grew at a extremely slow rate because of it's distance from the main highway and the difficulty
to access it. It was not until]uly of 1925 that a plank road opened from Netarts to Oceanside.
Before this time, the only way to Oceanside was to travel on the beach during low tide.137
Oceanside was not named until]. H. and H. H. Rosenberg bought the property in 1921
and then officially decided to dub it Oceanside in July of 1922.138 The City ofOceanside grew
in the shadow ofThree Arch Rocks and started as not much more than a collection of tents. The
popularity ofbeach vacations during the summer season eventually lead to some growth and
turned the area into a small sea shore town with a post office, a motor camp, and a restaurant.
Early vacationers remember a roller skating rink at the site where the post office now stands.
In 1925, it was reported that a majority of the plank road from Oceanside had finally
been surfaced with a macadamized road. At this time, Oceanside was undergoing a variety of
"resort developments."139 This was the era that the Maxwell Point tunnel was excavated by the
Rosenberg brothers. They began the tunnel in 1925. The tunnel, which is 4 feet wide and 7 feet
133. U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, "Three Arch Rocks National Wildlife Refuge" http://www.fws.gov/
oregoncoast/3archrocks/index.htm (accessed April 23, 2009).
134. Mildred Edner, "Netarts" in Tillamook Memories (Tillamook Pioneer Association 1972),26.
135. Mary Evelyn Metcalf, Treasure by the Sea (Arlington, AMC Designs. 2002), 50.
136. "Oceanside-Netarts;' in Tillamook Lest VVe Forget ( Tillamook Pioneer Association, 1972), 51.
137. Mary Evelyn Metcalf, Treasure by the Sea, 10.
138. Ibid.
139. Charles E. Gratke, "The Tillamook Beach Loop" The Oregonian, May 25,1925. Section 7. 1.
49
tall, extended through the point 160 feet. This made it possible to reach Short Sands Beach,
which was "a mecca for agate hunters."140 Unfortunately, to the dismay of many, the tunnel was
closed in 1980 because of the danger of falling rocks.14I
By 1927, the natural elements of the area were most otten highlighted as the area's main
attraction. Three Arch Rocks were, at the time, referred to as "the seal rocks;' because they were
home to "thousands ofwater fowl and hundreds ofsea lions."142 Also at this time, a series of
small ocean-front cottages, now known as Dixon's Cottages, but originally named Minaker's
Cabins, have long been the staple of the built environment in the Oceanside community. The
first of the cottages were constructed in 1925 and in 1926.143 Many of these little cottages and
the main office are still standing today (see figure 20 and figure 21). The cabins were advertised
as being ofvery modern construction and equipped with "two full beds, mattresses, stoves,
cooking utensils, dishes, knives, forks, and spoons necessary for four people".I44 Mary Evelyn
Metcalf, a early visitor to Oceanside, and author of the town's only history, remembers staying
in the small cottages in 1938. At the time, there were three rows of cottages, renting for between
one and five dollars a day.14s Mrs. Metcalf remembers the cabins being primitive, but clean. She
recalls the closest rest rooms being just below their cabin, water coming from an outdoor faucet,
a sink furnished for drainage, and a "window box with wire doors;' which served as a ice bOX.146
Around this time there was also a store, a confectionery, a restaurant known for its "famous
barbecued crabs;' a bakery, a fish market, a post office and a daily stage run from Portland.147
140. Pacific Stages, Tillamook: The Playground of the Pacific Northwest, 3.
141. Mary Evelyn Metcal£ Treasure by the Sea, 35.
142. Pacific Stages, Tillamook: The Playground of the Pacific Northwesr, 6.
143. Mary Evelyn Metcal£ Treasure by the Sea, 11.
144. Pacific Stages, Tillamook: The Playground of the Pacific Northwest, 3.
145. Mary Evelyn Metcalf, Treasure by the Sea, 9.
146. Ibid. 10.
147. Ibid.
50
Figure 20: Hand painted Oceanside postcard. Tex[ at bottom reads "Oceanside. Oregon's Cl,arming Seaside Resort" Courtesy
of [he Tillamook County Pioneer Museum.
Figure 21: Dixie's Cottages May 2008. Photo by author.
51
Oceanside has continued to grow, adding more businesses, restaurants, shops, and many
more recreational homes. Oceanside's population in 2000 was three hundred and twenty six and
there were five-hundred and twenty two total housing units. It appears that far more than halfof
the city's housing is used in a recreational nature. 148
WHEELER
Wheeler is approximately three miles north of the mouth of the Nehalem River. Wheeler
took part in an early recreational expansion, especially after the construction of the SOllthern
Pacific Railway. Wheeler was originally founded as a mill town in 1880 by C. H. Wheeler and
C. A. Himple. The town was originally called Vosburg, but was renamed Wheeler in 1913, when
the town incorporated. By 1914, Wheeler had the largest lumber mill on the west coast. The
Southern Pacific Rail line made it's first coastal stop in Wheeler, which was a quaint city that
looked out over the Nehalem Bay. Wheeler had a single thirty room hotel called Hotel Rector,
which was later known as the Wheeler Hotel (figure 22). The hotel was owned by Mrs. E. L.
Figure 22: Hotel Wheeler. Photo Courtesy of the Tillamook County Pioneer Museum.
148. U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, "Oceanside CDP, Oregon:' American Facr Finder. hup:! /
Facdinder.census.gov (Accessed April 27, 2009).
52
Rector. By 1915, A. J. Zimmerman was the proprietor of the hoteL A hotel room cost $2.50 a
day in 1915-1916.149 This was the median price for a hotel at the beach. Coastal hotels ranged
from $10 a week in Manzanita to $21 a week at the Neahkahnie Tavern.1so
By 1926 Wheeler had become one of the county's industrial and sport fishing centers. It was
described as an "attractive city of 'homes on a hillside.'''lsl A new hotel was constructed called
the Wheeler HoteL The town, at this time, was also known for it's modern cottages that could
be rented for a small fee. The town was promoted to vacationers who were interested in hiking,
exploring the rivers and streams, and for fishing in the Nehalem and the Salmonberry rivers,
both just a short distance from the town's center. By 1935 the recreational fishing industry was
fully operational. Boats were available to rent and fishing equipment could be purchased at a
number of "business houses."ls2 In 1935, the main industries in Wheeler included the shingle
mill, three fish canneries, one shellfish
house, and numerous commercial
fishing boats. Tourists were encouraged
to visit the canneries when the fish
were being brought in, and to visit the
shingle mill; both were happy to have
visitors.1s3
Mainly fishing continued to be
the chiefdraw for visitors to Wheeler
(Figure 23). The day, they advertised,
[
Nehalem
Ri,.er,
Famol1~ for
Fi~hing.
Figure 23: Fishing on the Nehalem River. An Southern Pacific Railway
Advertisement. c. 1914. Oregon Collection University ofOregon
Special Collections.
149. Southern Pacific Railroad, "Seashore: Tillamook County;' c. 1915. Tourist Pamphlet, University ofOtegon Library's
Special Collections, 14.
150. [bid., 3.
151. Tillamook Associated Beaches, "Tillamook Beaches in Oregon;' Tourist pamphlet, c. 1936.
152. Sea Treasure Association, "Tillamook County Fisherman and Tourist Guide;' 7.
153. Ibid., 8.
53
could be easily divvied into a variety of fishing opportunities starting with clamming at low-
tide and then flounder fishing over lunch at one of the "three or four" sloughs connecting to
Nehalem Bay.J54 Once the flounder head offin the afternoon, they suggest throwing in a few
crabbing nets for the remainder of the afternoon. It was still possible, if there was any energy
after this eight and a half hour excursion, to spend the rest of the day on the river "trolling for
salmon, silverside salmon, and sea trout."155
In the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, as the lumber and fishing industries declined, Wheeler
remained prosperous with the opening and success of the Rinehart Arthritis Clinic. During
this time, the town had two grocery and drug stores, two gas stations, a movie theater, bank,
hardware store, and a kindergarten through twelfth grade school (figure 24).J56
Figure 24: Wheeler, Oregon. 1942. Photo Courtesy of the Tillamook County Pioneer Museum.
154. Ibid.
155. Ibid., 9.
156. Wheeler Cllalnber of Commerce, Local History Marker, \'V'heeler, Oregon. (viewed March, 2008).
54
Wheeler has become a sleepy little village. It still has the same little houses nested into the
hill by the bay, and the fishing village feel is alive and well. The cedar smell is gone since the
shingle mill closed down long ago, but the town has not lost the charm that attracted visitors
to the spot almost a hundred years ago. Wheeler lacks what most beach towns prize, an actual
beach that one could walk along. Historically, it is understandable why the fisherman were
attracted to this place. The setting is beautiful, the fishing is still good, and the town's sweeping
views of the bay make it a wonderful place enjoy the sea. 157
The beach communities ofTillamook County share a common development history and
recreational nature. Their individual variations are a product of their natural settings and the
timing of transportation improvements. While much of their beginnings have been lost to fire
and weather, there remains a remarkable and delightful collection of structures that allow us to
enter and imagine the areas fascinating past.
157. For examples of the brochures used to lure tourists to Tillamook COUnty's coast see Appendix D.
55
CHAPTERV
BEACH HOUSES' CHARACTER DEFINING FEATURES:
AN INVITATION TO SIMPLER LIVING
The primary difference between coastal housing and urban housing in the earliest days was
size and orientation. Coastal neighborhoods are often platted on a grid, but houses normally
face the ocean, rather than the street. It is extremely common to have the "back" ofa house face
towards the street and the front of the house face towards the sea. It is also customary for the
oldest houses of the area to be sited along the tree line. Historically, it was believed to be much
safer to build further from the sea so the trees could provide added protection from the climatic
weather events. Over time this has changed. Some houses are along the shore, some tucked into
the tree line, and others form the city centers ofthese neighborhoods. Many of the beach houses
in these neighborhoods are platted in small recreational developments,. The orientations of
these houses tends to ignore the plats and face towards the sea.
These houses, like many city houses, started out fairly small (approximately 400-1000 sf)
and have grown larger throughout the decades. Coastal houses tended to be more casual than
their city counterparts. Less attention was paid to outward appearance, since these were houses
made for spending time by the sea. They were a home base for outdoor activities. The prevailing
mentality, well into the 1960s and even 1970s, appeared to be that these houses were nothing
more than a shelter to retreat to after spending time hiking, fishing, playing gol£ walking along
the beach, and otherwise recreating. IS8 This reasonably called for a smaller home, with simpler
158. Appendix C has a number ofpictures of beach houses organized by their date ofconstruction. Each house is listed with
its address. number of stories, architectural style, architect (when known), primary material, and square footage.
56
detailing. One benefit ofa smaller beach house is it is less structure to maintain. This matters
because, as previously stated, these houses are difficult, at the best of times, to keep from damage
incurred by wind, moisture, and the salt content in the air.
Early coastal houses tended to be ofa simple style and constructed oflocally available mate-
rials. There are instances in Tillamook City ofearly dwellings that were built in the ~eenAnne
or Italianate style, but the small houses built for recreational use were rarely so easily defined or
as ornately decorated. Before the railroad made travel to the coast less cumbersome, housing was
generally constructed for those who were settling the area. More frequently, there were hotels
constructed for visitors to the ocean. These resorts were located where the transportation was
the most straightforward. Newport and Seaside had some of the coast's earliest resorts and early
houses often sprung up around the resorts. 159 In Tillamook County, the Neskowin Hotel was
one of the earliest boarding houses in the area, although Bayocean, Bar View, Rockaway Beach,
Nehalem, Lake Lyle, Neahkahnie, Manzanita, and Wheeler all had some hotel accommodations
by 1914.160
In the teens and twenties, during the era when railroad was the primary means of transport,
most beach houses were "modest shingle and clapboard bungalows" or simple Colonial reviv-
als. 161 This is not to say that there weren't any larger, more ornate housing, they just weren't the
most common iterations ofthe housing type. George McMath, while discussing coastal retreats
in Space) Style) and Structure: BUilding in Northwest America, noted that coastal housing was
"usually on SO-foot lots, sheathed in silver-grey weathered cedar, which helped these small towns
to achieve a pleasant sense ofcommunity and harmony that was unique for the area."162
There is, just as there is in urban areas, a juxtaposition that exists between architecturally
159. Thomas Vaughan, Space, Style, and Structure: BUilding in Northwest America, 154.
160. Tillamook County Beaches, Southern Pacific Line, Tourist Pamphlet, c. 1914, 14.
161. Thomas Vaughan, Space, Style, and Structure: Building in Northwest America, 342.
162. Ibid.
57
detailed houses and houses ofa more vernacular nature. The most striking houses were designed
as retreats by prominent architects ofthe Pacific Northwest. Almost all of the very well known
Oregon architects, at some point in their career, built a house by the sea. A. E. Doyle, Van Evera
Bailey, and Pietro Belluschi, to name a few, had ocean side retreats. Doyle, notably known for
the Multnomah County Central Library and the Portland Branch of the United States National
Bank, was one of the first to design a series ofbeach houses in the Tillamook area. These houses
later inspired a movement toward the regional version of the International style, but initially
served as a leisure place during the summer for families and friends along the Oregon coast.
Doyle's summer houses were for clients in the Portland area. These houses were "nearly
free ofperiod style detail, which was perhaps determined as much by small budgets as by any
particular esthetic concept."163 In 1908, he designed a small shingled house in Seaview, but his
more deliberate design style emerged in the cottages he designed in Neahkahnie. 164 The Wentz
Studio, shown in figure 25, became the most famous ofDoyle's little beach houses. It embodied
a variety ofnew design features that later became the basis ofNorthwest Regional style. John
Yeon and Pietro Belluschi, both who would become famous architects in their own right, spent
time vacationing in this cabin. Yeon was young when he visited, but was certainly taken by the
design of the Wentz Studio. He commented on the cabin and the Neahkahnie area in the series
ofinterviews he participated in during 1982 and 1983:
My first visit to Neahkahnie, I remember very clearly. I had met Harry Wentz
in A. E. Doyle's office. He was a good friend ofMr. Doyle- where I was an
office boy- and we met. And eventually, I wanted to call on him at his house
in Neahkahnie and I went there on a typical sort ofbeach day. There was fog
shrouding the mountain. But I remember going into the house and it was the
first really beautiful piece ofarchitecture, at least in Oregon, that I had expe-
rienced. [...J The house was all wood, ofcourse, and the inside was exposed
structure. It wasn't built the wayan ordinary house is in Oregon, on two-by-
163. Ibid., 343.
164. For a expanded history of the Neahkahnie beach, the cottages by A. E. Doyle, and the development of the Northwest
Regional Style see Marianne Hakanson Kadas's University of0 regon Thesis, In the Shadow ofNeahkahnie: Northwest Regional
Style Beginnings completed in 1991.
58
fours with an air space. 1he structure was built more like a barn, actually, with
the timbers exposed and just [sheeting] on the outside. All this was in spruce,
wh ich had never been finished and had a very pearly lustre like the inside ofa
sea shell. Looking out of the big north window you looked right down the side
of the mountain- the mountain coming out of the sea. 165
Fjgul'C 25: The Wemz Smdio. Designed by A. E. Doyle in 1916. Phow by aurhor.
Yeon describes both the feeling of the Neahkahnie area and the Wentz house with the kind of
passion that most have for the area. The single room house full ofwindows and light was the
first of it's kind. There was no formal dining area and the focal point of the house was in the
living room that looked out to the sea and the mountain. The house appears much more nonde-
script when compared to today's beach house fashions, but for the time period, nothing else had
ever been built quite like it. The design aspects found in the Wentz cottage are later reflected in
both the work ofJohn Yeon and Peitro Belluschi.
Many years later, most notably after the end ofWorld W,r II, James Van Evera Bailey,
165. John Yeon imerviews, 1982 December 14, 1983 chrough January 10, 1984. Archives of American Arc, Smichsonian
Inscicurion.
59
another of Oregon's well known architects, also left his mark along the Tillamook County
coast. His small, but stylized, beach houses were some of the most modern designs constructed
in the area. Bailey devoted most ofhis career to residential projects. He greatly influenced the
development of a regional style in his houses, which was frequently described in publications
in the 1940s and 1950s.166 The Henry Blair house, a modern post-war shed roofstructure with
large overhanging eaves, exhibits much of the modern style that was prevalent at the time. The
house has banks oflarge fixed pane windows to allow the greatest view of the sea. These banks of
windows were typical ofBailey's design principles. He was an early proponent of the Streamline
Moderne style and much of the basics of the style were carried over into his later, more modern
work. The Bayden House has a boomerang roofand large glass plate windows, and shows
Bailey's stylistic nature of the 1960s.
The Bayden and the Henry Blair Houses (figure 26 and 27), both designed by Bailey, have
all of the quintessential features of 1960s beach houses, especially the ones designed by promi-
nent local architects. Shed roofs, which had become increasingly popular in the 1950s and then
very popular in the 1960s, are found on many beach houses ofthe era. The picture windows of
this house became common in beach house design as a way to expand the view of the ocean.
Two floors ofwindows, uninterrupted by screens and muntins had become increasingly popular
with the innovations in materials during the post-war era. Bailey's designs were sought by young
families after the war. He was know for his '''stilt houses' on difficult hillside sites and for his
adventuresome roofs, sometimes appearing to be without structural rational.''167 Bailey made his
designs affordable for the middle class by using new materials, smart design choices, and keeping
the bottom-line in mind as he created his dynamic, yet practical homes.
By the time Bailey began designing beach houses of this nature, new post-war materials
made construction more affordable and designs changed to incorporate the materials. The
166. Thomas Vaughan, Space, Style, and Structure: Building in Northwest America, 344.
167. William]ohn Hawkins and William F. Willingham. Classic Houses ofPortland, Oregon: 1850-1950 (Portland. Or:
Timber Press, 1999). 522.
60
Figure 26: The Harry Blair House. DesigneJ by James Van Evera Bailey. 111 is hOllse was fearured in the 1952 Sunset Ideas/or
Cabins a/ld Beach Howes. PhotO cOl1l"tesy ofVisllal Resources Collection, Architecmre & Allied Arts Library, BuilJing Oregon:
ArchitecCllre ofOt·egon & the Pacific Northwest Collection. Copyright 2008, University of Oregon Libraries. All rights
reserveJ.
Figure 27: Bayden Beach hOLlse. DesigneJ by James Van Evera Bailey. PhotO cOl1l"tesy of Visual Resources Collection,
Architecrure & Allied Am Library, Building Oregon: Architecrure of Oregon & the Pacific Northwest Collection. Copyright
2008, University of Oregon Libraries. All riglm reserved.
61
most obvious change to coastal housing was in the growing size ofpanes of glass. By this time,
they were easily available and relatively affordable. Bailey was concerned by both "the quality
and economy of wood construction."168 The 1952 addition ofSunset IdeasfOr Cabins and
Beach Houses printed Bailey's design for the Harry Blair House. Bailey was asked to "design a
comfortable beach house on a sand dune at Neskowin Beach, Oregon."169 Bailey set out to build
a lot ofhouse for a small amount of money. To do this, he constructed a house on stilts, with an
economical flat roof, and a single board wall (a wall construction that uses no studs). Even the
fixed glass windows were an economic choice, as they could be constructed on site with standard
materials. 170 It is likely that all ofhis designs, from his small beach houses to his grand Lake
Oswego residences, were a careful balance ofeconomy and style. His beach houses were still
stylized, much like his city dwellings, but lacked the grandness or the detail. This can probably
be attributed to both the climatic conditions at the beach and the smaller budgets normally
reserved for beach house construction.
While these provide interesting examples ofstylized, architecturally designed houses, the
majority ofcoastal housing was constructed by local builders or sometimes owner built. Most
beach houses lack distinction as being architecturally significant; they are significant for their
vernacular nature and their relationship to the rise of the leisure time afforded by the burgeon-
ing middle class. Some of these houses were built from plan books, some from homeowners with
a great idea, and others by local architects. By 1910, obtaining a plan for a modest bungalow was
a common practice. It is difficult to determine which of these small houses were from plan books
like The Craftsman Book ofBungalows (Portland, 1908), but it is likely that some examples,
especially bungalows, may have been derived from these plans.
This Neskowin bungalow shown in figures 28 and 29 is a perfect example ofhow the platted
168. Ibid., 483.
169. Sunset, the Magazine fat Western Living, Sunset IdeasfOr Cabins and Beach Houses, (Menlo Park: Lane Publishing Co.
1952),48.
170. Ibid.. 49.
62
road was not the defining feature for the houses orientation. Figure 28 shows the street facing
side of the house. Figure 29 shows the ocean side of the house with it's obvious "front" door and
porch. This house now looks directly at the back ofanother house, since infill has brought the
building line to the dunes directly in front of the ocean. This house was originally considered
"oceanfront" property in Neskowin. Many of the first houses were constructed along the road
that now divides the town from the nine-hole Hawk Creek Golf Course. Currently, it is a few
blocks from the ocean. 111 is house is typical ofearly, vernacular beach house design. The house
presents in the historically popular bungalow style. The overhanging eaves have exposed rafters,
the trim is simple, the multi-lighted casement windows have simple Craftsman detailing, and
the entryway has a simple bungalow styled porch. 111e house has cedar shingles laid out in a
simple repetitive pattern. The porch, as many houses along the beach have, has a wood window
that partially encloses the porch from the wind and rain. It is unclear if this is part of the original
design, but these wind blocks are very common additions to porches along the coast. This house
Fignre 28: Neskowin be~ch house. Constructed in 1920, this house was not concerned wjth the orientation of the road, bLH
rather the direction of the sea. The rear facade of this houst: faces Hawk Street.
63
Figure 29: Neskowin bC;lch house. ConsrfUcred in 1920, rhis from f;lcade is facing rhe direcrion of rhe sea. Phoro by aurhor.
has a living room and dining area situated in the west portion of the house and a bedroom,
bathroom, and kitchen located in the east portion of the house.
It appears the basic Roor plan has not changed. The house measures 22 by 28 feet for a total
of623 square feet oflivingspace. It has had no permits pulled, which suggests very little work
has been done to the structure. This house, unlike so many others, has been meticulously main-
tained by a single family who's owned it since the 19405. It serves as an extremely rare example of
houses of this era, and it retains a level of integrity not common for beach houses of this vintage.
Another early type of house was narratively described in the early part of the century was
the simple wilderness cabin. Oliver Kemp's Wilderness Homes, published in 1908, describes
both the desire to live in the outdoors and to live in a house constructed for that purpose. Kemp
believed that modest homes could be constructed by the homeowner if they built the space for
service rather than for architecture. He surmised that when building a home you should not
64
"fear that building for service will detract from [the house's] beauty."171 Beach houses give us the
feeling that the houses' purpose was to serve the shelter needs of those recreating at the beach.
Kemp describes his designs as non-elaborate structures, and nothing beyond what the amateur
could build. He promotes these buildings as ready to allow for "numberless alterations to suit
the whims and requirements of the builder."172 The true joy ofKemp's book is its belief that
anyone with the time and the will can make a house with all the necessities for recreation.
Kemp's digression about the recreational house was brie£ and centered on back country
wilderness; he was not alone in his desire to create his own dwelling. Coastal housing also often
has an owner built quality, layout, and style, because it is made for the service of recreation,
rather than full-time living. Beach houses rarely have formal dining rooms or master bedrooms.
They instead almost always have central fireplaces, decks, and often lofts or some other form of
creative sleeping arrangement to house the maximum number ofpeople in these small spaces.
By the late 1930s, plan books for cabins were becoming more and more common. Sunset
Magazine was publishing guides on the steps to owning your own beach house. It covered
everything from selecting your site to securing your water supply.173 Site selection covered
everything from mountain elevations in the wilderness to coastal towns by the sea. It was most
important to find a site that suited the whole family, and one that was less than a days drive from
home. For beach houses there is a small set of special instructions. The most interesting was not
to be "led into buying too close to the water."174
The beach house specific designs for 1938 included a modern structure with twenty-two
windows and a streamlined effect. The living room of this house is called the "big room" and
incorporates sleeping quarters behind a curtain in the far back corner and bunk beds in the
171. Oliver Kemp, Wilderness Homes; A Book ofthe Log Cabin (New York: Outing Pub. Co, 1908), 17.
172. Ibid., viii.
173. Ralph P. Dillion, Sunset Cabin Plan Book (San Francisco: Lane Publishing Co. 1938),3.
174. Ibid" 5.
65
only bedroom (figure 30). Also of interest was that this house was advertised to have the entire
interior be done in "plywood panels."J7S Not only does this signify one of the new uses in the
evolution ofplywood as a new product. but it also shows some of the cost saving measures being
undertaken in the design and construction of these summer homes.
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-c.-l IE~RAC.E. ~laG~ r "-f-f-O"ll. 2.1 ~ 0" r--- -IO'''O,I~ 25!.ol\ ,....... -
- -f "'Sc\aa.lZ.n - '-ra:l -
-U
~
t •each -unclrz.r- .,Bar (l,CI:J<L Go 1'111 on
Figure 30: Floor plan For the 1938 Modern Beach HOllse. From Sumet Cabiil PLan Book.
A-frames also begin to show up as being more than just utilitarian around this time. The
1938 Sunset Cabin Pian Book has a number of A-frame options. but they are aimed more at
the wilderness house, than a house by the sea. This publication has a number of beach house
prototypes, all of which are styled in the then popular Streamline Moderne style. It is unclear
why, although it may be that the house forms and styles were emerging in a regional sense.
175. Ibid.. 22.
66
Wilderness cabins needed different amenities. 111ey often didn't need many banks ofwindows
or have a particularly modern look. The homes advertised for country living were all simple and,
more than anything, resemble early ranches and minimal classical styles,176 The beach houses,
especially, had modern tendencies in their flat roofs, banks ofwindows, minimal detailing,
horizontal emphasis, and their modern use of then contemporary materials (figure 31).
-~-'_.-
~\ .'r "\,...r
Figure 31: Be~ch house design for the 1938 Modem Beach HOllse. From Sunset Cabii/ PLan Book.
After the war, when beach development rapidly increased, as beach houses became even
more sought after. By 1952, Sunset's Cabin Plan Boo!, had become a full length color magazine.
Sunset was published regionally, so the cabin and beach house ideas were supposably more
suited for the Pacific Northwest region. By this time, Sunset Magazine had refined the idea
ofvacation home versus a regular house in the city by stating, "The plan idea that most often
distinguishes a cabin from a house is the open plan as compared with the partitioned plan. All
176 Ibid.
67
of the activities-sleeping, eating, cooking-take place in one room."177 By defining use in these
terms, the cabins were designed smaller, because they were meant for a different purpose.
Another interesting concept put forward in this version ofSunset's Ideasfor Cabin's and
Beach Houses is the idea that cabins and beach houses are designed for "cabin living." Cabin
living required the house to have four values. These included:
A complete change in environment
A structure that is in tune with its surroundings
An invitation to simpler living
A cost which totals less than that of a housel78
They discuss the changing way in which cabins were to be built by explaining that "in the old
days cabins delivered most of these values-naturally."179 For years these houses had been built
by farmers in the area and others who were skilled at building. The Sunset designs incorporated
these ideals into the layout ofall their plans to create modest houses for relaxation.
The Douglas Fir Plywood Association, not to be left out of the burgeoning need for the
"second everything" (televisions, cars, bathrooms, and, now, even houses), began an advertis-
ing campaign that tried to sell the great American pastime ofleisure.18o In 1962, one oftheir
advertising slogans often found in popular magazines of the time declared, "Every family needs
two homes! ... one for the work-week, one for pure pleasure."18l This campaign sold leisure to
everyone, but especially the middle class. It energized a nation ofcity dwellers who responded to
the call to recreate like never before.
It was around this time, after the end of the war, that beach house and cabin forms began
to take on a new whimsical nature. ~onset huts, round houses, houses with intersecting shed
177. Sunser, rhe Magazine for Wesrern Living, Sunset IdeasfOr Cabins and Beach Houses, 1952. 13.
178. Ibid., 14.
179. Ibid.
180. Chad Randl, A-Frame (New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2004),10.
181. Ibid.
68
roofs, houses built on stilts, houses made of concrete, and, of course, the ubiquitous A-frame.
Cabin design, in many cases, was more fun than house design. Not all designs were particularly
styled. Some houses were built by the homeowner, some were constructed by small teams of
builders, but they all shared the cabin aspect. What Sunset so eloquently understood was that
cabins should be an invitation to simpler living. 111ese houses, owner built or architect designed,
reRect that notion and built upon it (figure 32). It was truly believed that "cabin living" lends
itself well to piecemeal building-"a stage-by-stage development with livability at every stage."182
Fignre 32: A-frame beach hOllse. Nore rhe dormer addirions anu rhe ladder ro seconu Roor porch, both probably Iarer auuirions.
Phoro by amhor.
182. Ibid, 58.
69
CHAPTER VI
NATURAL AND CLIMATIC CHALLENGES
While near constant development and remodeling can make preservation very difficult,
it is also problematic that the intrinsic nature of recreational houses leaves them sporadically
inhabited. In a perfect climate, houses do not hold up particularly well with occasional atten-
tion, but in a coastal climate, maintenance is key to a stable structure. Intermittent use can create
an opportunity for unnoticed moisture problems, leaks, and wind and storm damage to plague
the structure for longer than would normally be tolerated. If these problems are unnoticed, or
go unfixed for extended periods of time, these structures begin to deteriorate at an alarming rate.
Often smaller problems can lead to large concerns and, in the worst cases, the demolition of the
house.
It would be impertinent to talk about preservation of beach houses without regard for the
weather. Meriwether Lewis wrote in his journal upon arriving at the Pacific Ocean here in the
Pacific Northwest that the "wind blew with Such violence that we wer almost overwhelmed
with water blown from the river, this Storm did not sease a day but blew with nearly equal
violence throughout the whole day accompany[ i] ed with rain. O! how horriable is the day"183
This type ofweather is still common today along the Pacific Coast, especially between the
months ofNovember and May.
183. Meriwether Lewis, "EJPeditionJournals. Noven;.ber 22, 1805;' ~oted in Stephen E. Ambrose. Undaunted Courage:
Meriwether Lewis, ThomasJeJ!erson, and the Opening oj the American west. (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996),308.
70
PRECIPITATION, WIND, AND STORMS
Tillamook County, and the majority of the Pacific Northwest Coast, has a temperate year-
round climate. For the recorded period, from 1948 to 2007, Tillamook City's annual average
high temperature was 59.3°, and the annual average low temperature was 41.5°.184 During
August, the average temperature rose to as high as 68.5°, and the coldest average temperature
was in January, when it dropped to 35.9°. For the same time period, the city ofTillamook
averaged slightly more than 89 inches of rain each year, the bulk ofwhich happens between
November and March.18s The weather stations all along the Pacific Northwest coast have
recorded similar precipitation and climate averages for the last fifty or more years.
The rainfall, which probably is the culprit for the greatest amount ofdamage to historic
beach houses, ranges from an average 62 inches, in North Bend, Oregon, to an astounding
one hundred and sixteen inches in Clearwater, Washington. The Olympic National Forest, in
Washington, has approximately one-hundred and eighty inches of rain annually. For compari-
son Seattle, Washington, averages around 35 inches of rain and Portland, Oregon, around gets
nearly 42 inches. These data sets offer an insight into the general weather patterns along the
coast over roughly the last one hundred years, but mainly they explain that the Pacific Coast is a
rainy and wet place, and it appears to become colder and wetter as you go north (figure 33). The
Coast Range Mountains keep much of the rainfall from making it to inland areas, and coastal
housing accordingly receives the brunt of the wettest weather in the country. This weather can
lead to an array ofproblems for housing including, flooding, erosion, and moisture damage. 186
Rain isn't the only climatic hardship faced by coastal houses in the Pacific Northwest. Places like
the North Head Lighthouse, located at the mouth of the Columbia River have reported some of
the windiest events on record on the West Coast. Numerous reports from before the beginning
184. The Western Regional Climate Center, Historical Data. www.wrcc.drLedu. (Accessed January 18, 2009).
185. Ibid.
186. Appendix B lists the Average temperature data (in Fahrenheit) and average total precipitation and snow fall for Pacific
Northwest coast weather stations.
71
- In. )
I
I,
"\
: 140.1 n.
120.1 -141 .0
0100.1- I n.n
~O.I-Irj[.
o 70.I-H 0
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I
I
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- .......
Figure 33: St~te's Avetage Annu~1 Precipit~tjon, 1961-1990, The Pacific Notthwest CO~st r~nge h~s the wertest weather in the
countr}'_ NOAA data set, created b}' the author April 2, 2009, lIsing the Nation~lAd~s of the United St~teS, hup:!/nation~larlas_
gov and Phowshop.
72
of the 20th century suggest there were gales as high as 120 miles an hour recorded at Cape
Disappointment, and one unofficial 1929 report suggested the winds were as high as 160 miles
per hour. That latter storm destroyed all the weather instruments at the lighthouse, wrecked
havoc on nearby towns, and blew down countless trees. 18? Clyte Frink, an early Neskowin
resident, described a number ofstorms in the 1930s that produced extremely destructive tidal
waves, had high winds, and soaked the little town with very heavy rain. In 1939, one ofthese
storms leveled the community kitchen at the town's campground, moved the only restaurant off
it's foundation and up an embankment, and swept a home by the beach out to sea (figure 34).188
The community kitchen, a large building, open on one side, was an unfortunate loss to the
camping community which immediately encouraged the construction ofa new shelter- this
one with shower and toilet facilities. 189
Figure 34: Neskowin community kitchen shelter after the 1939 storm. Courtesy of the Tillamook County Pioneer Museum.
187. United States Department of the Interior, National Register of Historic Places-Inventory Form, "Cape Disappointment
Historic District:' Filed June 13, 1975, Entered 15 August 1975, Section 8: North Head Light Station.
188. Clytie Frink, "When a Hawk Ran Wild." CapitalJournal, February 31, 1968. in TiLLamook Lest YVe Forget. (Tillamook
Pioneer Association. 1979).
189. Alexandria ley Rock, Short History ofthe Little Nestucca River VaLLey and its Early Pioneers: TiLLamook County, TiLLamook,
Or., 23.
73
During the modern period of record keeping, which began in the 1950s, there have been a
handful ofother weather events that have also created large-scale damage to coastal structures
and environments. One of the greatest storms on record was the Columbus Day storm of 1962.
Cape Blanco, in southern Oregon, was home to the largest wind gusts, which measured at a
179 miles an hour. Mt. Hebo, slightly inland in southern Tillamook County, had gusts up to a
131 miles an hour.190 The destruction caused by this storms was enormous and the loss oflife
was great. Twenty-one Oregonians were killed.191 A number ofother well recorded storms have
bombarded the coast in the last fifty years. The most recent one was in early December of 2007.
This storm was actually a combination of two storms that struck the coast with heavy rainfall
and high winds for three consecutive days. The most impressive, large-scale problem faced by
coastal architecture was damage because ofdowned trees and power lines, but the high wind was
also to blame for roofing and siding materials being ripped offhouses and building, leaving the
structures open to the elements.
The Bay City church has been a victim ofstorm damage a number of times. Three of these
weather events have blown the steeple down, most recently in December, 2007. The historic
church, sited a few blocks from the ocean, was built in the latter part of the 19th century and
is still used by the community today (figure 35). The weather events that this church has faced
have resulted in the repeated reconstruction of the steeple, the instillation of a metal standing
seam roo£ vinyl siding, and vinyl windows. The replacement ofhistoric materials with modern
plastics and steel is concerning when discussing preservation ofhistoric structures.
It is obvious that weather is a huge element in the life of these buildings. It is also obvious
that beach house owners have a clear responsibility to their structures to take the necessary
steps that are needed to protect it from the rain, and the wind, and the salt, and the sand.
190. Wolf Read, "The 'Big Blow' of Columbus Day 1%2;' The Storm King: Some Historical Weather Events in the Pacific
Northwest, Office of the Washington State Climatologist, http://www.climate.washington.edu/stormking/ (accessed 3 April
2009).
191. Oregon City Enterprise-Courier, "Oregon Fatalities." October 12, 1%2, 12.
74
Figure 35: Bay City Church. Historic picture of church with original steeple (leFt, courtesy of the Tillamook Pioneer Museum)
and church aFter the December 2007 storm (right, photo by author, April 2008).
Nonetheless, it is apparent just by looking at the dilapidated condition of numerous structures,
that this seemingly easy task is a lot harder than it appears. In maintaining, you can trap
moisture in the building and that becomes its own new kind ofproblem. It is axiomatic that
buildings, like people, breathe and, when they can't, they fail. While the infiltration of rain and
salt water is an obvious problem, the trapping of moisture inside a structure, is another route to
failure. Wind blown salt laden moisture will eventually find its way into a structure and once
there, it can become trapped with nowhere to go. New repairs and construction approaches
need to be widely disseminated in order to protect coastal housing from irremediable harm.
SALT AND SAND LADEN AIR
The salt and sand content in the air is a naturally occurring element that effects the built
environment along the coast. Salt laden air is probably the single most harmful element to
metals along the coast. Generally, the salt content of the air is the highest about one-guarter of
a mile from the ocean, but depending on the rainfall, wind, and fog, heightened salt contents
can move further inland. Most metals corrode so guickly they are hardly used on the coast, and
when they are used, they don't last very long.
Sand is abrasive and is carried by the wind. TI1is accelerates the degradation of surface
coatings and can allow salt to penetrate the small surface inconsistencies created by the wind
and sand. The mail slot shown in figure 36 is a perfect example of how small inconsistencies in
75
the surface coating, in this case coasted brass, corrode out from these spots. Accordingly, only
the best materials are suitable.
1'-- ......
Figure 36: Brass mail slor. The mail sloe is approximarely rhree years old. Pharo by audwL
EROSION
Another naturally occurring, but potentially devastating, concern is erosion. Erosion is
caused by a variety of events including, rapid precipitation, lack ofvegetation, slopes, "low
infiltration rates, and the erodibility of bedrock or soil."ln Bayocean was completely lost to
erosion of the coastline because human use changed the natural setting. A north jetty into
Tillamook Bay was added, and caused sand, which normally would have moved seasonally, to
become trapped around the jetty. This caused the shoreline to erode away and destroyed numer-
ous houses in its path. J93
The small town ofNeskowin has lost an enormous amount of its beach to erosion problems
in the last ten years. Shortly after the onset of the erosion, property owners along the top of the
192. Tillamook COli my Comprehensive Plan, Goal 7. Secrion 2.4.
193. Thomas A. Terich &Palll D. Komar, "Developmenr and Erosion Hiswry of" rhe Bay Ocean Spir, Tillamook Oregon:'
(Oregon Srare Universiry. School of" Oceanography, Seprember 1973), 118.
76
dune began to worry about their investments and pushed for the construction ofa large rock
wall (known as a riprap) to protect their private property from washing into the sea. A riprap
is normally constructed of rocks, but other materials are also common. It is constructed along
a shoreline, stream, or river bed to fortify the embankment from damage caused by erosion.
Normally this is done with large boulders or sizable manufactured concrete objects.194
Most oceanic scientists agree that coastlines change over time. The movement ofsand is part
ofthe natural ebb and flow of the sea. Erosion can occur for a variety of reasons, both natural
and human. One natural cause oferosion is the shifts from a La Nina to an El Nino ocean and
atmospheric condition. The conditions change because ofatypical "warm sea surface tempera-
tures interacting with the air above."195 Rock rip-raps are absolutely discouraged to protect
property along small sections of the beach because "experience has shown that erosion acceler-
ates at adjacent unprotected areas."I96 According to Orrin H. Pilkey, Director Program for the
Study ofDeveloped Shoreline, Division ofEarth and Ocean Sciences at Duke University, "the
presence ofa static barrier at the back ofan eroding beach will result in the loss of the beach as
the retreating shoreline backs up into the wall. Eventually, the beach will disappear completely,
leaving only a many-times repaired revetment."197 Paul D. Komar, a Oregon State University
professor at the College ofOceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, came to a similar conclusion in a
discussion about Pacific Northwest beaches. Komar noticed that even though "coastal manage-
ment policies were intended to give preference to hazard avoidance and nonstructural means
oferosion control [...J seawalls and revetments have become the preferred hazard-reduction
194. Federal Emergency Management Agency, Coastal Construction Manual (Honolulu: University Press of the Pacific,
1986), Section 3.2.
195. Roberta Conlan & Robert Service, "El Nino and La Nina: Tracing the Dance ofOcean and Atmosphere;' The National
Academy ofScience Office on Public Undetstanding ofScience, (Washington nc.: National Academy ofScience, 2000).
196. Federal Emergency Management Agency, Coastal Construction Manual, Section 3.5
197. JeffWalton. Correspondence between Neskowin Resident JeffWalton and Orrin H. Pinkley. Published on the Neskowin
Community Association website. <http://www.neskowincommunity.org/riprap.html> (accessed May 1, 2008).
77
strategy."198 This has the capacity to harm both the natural elements of the shoreline and the
built environment.
It also appears to be widely understood that in places where erosion is concerning, the dunes
and bluffs are retreating and "threatening peoples properties and important infrastructure" that
one of the ways to make the problem greater is to try and protect a few houses along the edge
of the vegetation line. This appears to be one of the prime reasons erosion becomes a large-scale
community issue. Many of these developments are located too close to the beach. In order to
preserve the beach for the greater community, some structures may need to be moved back or
torn down. Unfortunately, in a world where property is so fiercely protected, allowing houses to
fall into the sea is not often even considered as an option.
The Neskowin erosion was likely another instance ofpoorly planned human developments
impacting the natural environment of the shore. Oregon's Comprehensive Planning Goal 18,
which Tillamook County supports in its own comprehensive plan, states that its primary goal
is to "conserve, protect, where appropriate develop, and where appropriate restore the resources
and benefits ofcoastal beach and dune areas; and to reduce the hazard to human life and prop-
erty from natural or man-induced actions associated with these areas."199 Goal 18 specifically
limits beachfront protective structures to housing constructed prior to 1977. In 1991, a subdivi-
sion named "The Point;' which is located to the north of the original platted Neskowin Village,
to the south of the mouth of the Neskowin River, and to the east ofHawk Creek (figure 37) was
platted for single family residential dwellings. The embankment here used to have a steady grade
to the beach, but has now begun to erode away at an alarming rate.
New homes began to be constructed in this new plat in the middle of the 1990s. This trend,
ofbuilding closer and closer to the ocean continued. A house was constructed on a few blocks
198. Paul D. Komar, The Pacific Northwest Coast: Living with the Shores ofOregon and "Washington (Durham: Duke University
Press, 1998), 181.
199. Oregon's Statewide Planning Goals and Guidelines, Goal 18: Beaches and Dunes, OAR 660-015-0010(3).
78
sues
9-2917
v
l;:
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Platted in ~t91
Neskow;n anrHawk
'~\
Creek meet he:re and
d~ain into the }ac,Hic
26 25
~-- / ---f-=---t-----_\_
1, 36
Figure 37: The location of"The Point." Platted in 1991. Tillamook County Tax Map.
/
/
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/
/
/
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I
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'"zzoo
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J400
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NESKOWIN
north of the Point on Corvallis Avenue. This house, the David House, soon found itself faced
with the wrath of the ocean. Shortly thereafter, erosion began to wear away at the coast and
homeowners began to worry about their houses. Without the safety of the dune, their houses
were at a much greater risk offlooding, being damaged by debris, and being moved off their
foundation. Because of these fears, some homeowners proposed to construct a riprap adjacent
to their property in an effort to stop the sea from destroying their house (see figure 38 and figure
39).200 The community was at odds about what to do, and many felt that a riprap wall had the
capability, as Neskowin has unfortunately now seen, to amplify "the speed of the erosion [...J
200. Correspondence between Neskowin Resident left-Walton and Orrin H. Pinkley. Published on the Neskowin
Community Association <website. http://www.neskowincommunity.org/riprap.html> (accessed May 1, 2008).
79
Figure 38: David Beach House and bolder riprap wall. This phoro was raken in March 2004. From Tillamook Counry Tax
Records.http://www.co.tillamook.oLus/govlA&T/public/. (accessed May 1,2009).
Figure 39: David Beach House and bolder rip rap wall. Nore the change in the landscape and the growth of the riprap wall. This
photo was taken in Apt·il of2009 by the author.
80
making the ocean dig down, rather than inland."201 These walls, rather than protecting the beach,
protected the house in the short-term, and otherwise quicldy eroded away the sand.
The most worrisome aspect of this type ofhazard planning is the houses that might also
be harmed after the construction of this type ofhazard control. Long and short term planning
goals, which are already in place, need to be used to ensure that this type ofhazard mitigation is
not used to secure safety in the short term for one property. Planning needs to take into account
the long term effects of the community. Hazard mitigation that could have serious long term
effects on both the shoreline and other nearby houses should be avoided entirely. Bayocean
provided a historic example ofwhat could be lost and how, so it would be unfortunate to lose
any more coastal towns to the sea in this same manner.
We need to learn to work within the bounds ofour natural environment for a long-term
sustainable future. The lessons learned here, both in the manageable problems oferosion and
the unmanageable forces ofnature, is to make decisions carefully. Communities must to do the
things that need to be done when they need to be done, and avoid approaches that are not good
for the shared shore as a whole.
Ultimately, Mother Nature is not the enemy, but she's not a friend either. She's neutral.
There are incredible wind speeds, fabulous rainfall, eroding coastlines, salt spray carried in a half
a mile, and the occasional flood to worry about. It is for this reason that coastal houses struggle
to remain. Our own desire to go to the ocean for recreation has encouraged us to replace,
sometimes just a few shingles at a time, the components of these houses to keep them standing
for vacations for generations to come. It is not clear that it has encouraged us to look beyond a
piecemeal approach to our history, housing, community, or environment.
201. JeffWalton, Personal correspondence, May 3,2009.
81
CHAPTER VII
COASTAL BUILDING MATERIALS
Advances in building material technology have influenced construction forever. At the
coast, during the last century, new materials have helped to protect beach houses from the dam-
age they are destined to incur in the harsh Pacific Northwest climate. While these innovations
have helped to buy time for these houses, it is clear that nothing short ofgood construction,
regular routine maintenance, and attention to detail, will, in the long run, keep beach houses
from being tormented by the elements. Coastal houses and structures that are left to sit, degrade
at an astounding rate. Materials that are used for coastal construction face a variety ofconcerns
ranging from moisture issues to wind and storm damage.
THE LUMBER INDUSTRY IN TILLAMOOK COUNTY
In 1863, in Tillamook County, there were three small sawmills. These early mills were a
means to create the lumber that the county needed for its own building. The lumber industry
was not thought of as a lucrative business opportunity until the 1880s. These early mills did not
focus on export, nor did they produce more than the area needed.202 They were water powered
and their combined output was about 2000 board feet a day. It appears that the Whitney
Logging Company became the largest operation in Tillamook County's earliest history. They
eventually ran a planing mill out of Garibaldi and had a number of camps and structures for
housing the men who worked cutting down the large spruce and cedar trees in the area (figure
202. Daniel D. Strite, "The Green Tie;' Oregon Historical~arterly, Oregon Historical Society (September 1972). Reprinted
in Tillamook: Lest we Forget (Tillanlook Pioneer Museum. 1975), 142.
82
40).203 These lumber operations were the beginning of the lumber industry, which eventually
became the largest business in Tillamook County.
'I
l
,
1 '
t ..
Figure 40: Whitney Logging Company. Garibaldi. Courresy of the Tillamook County Pioneer Museum.
Tillamook City also had a well established lumber mill as early as 1902. The Sanborn Fire
Insurance Map from 1902 suggests that the mill was old at the time and the "machinery was
antiquated." The mill was run with steam power and had a pony circular saw, a single edger,
more than one planer, and also supplied electric light to the city and others.204 Bay City's lumber
mill was present before 1912. The mill had a hundred horsepower engine. Sited directly to the
sawmill's east was the planning mill and storage shed for dressed lumber.20s
Likewise, earlier than 1921, and located just north ofTillamook, there was a shingle mill
owned by the Wheeler Lumber and Shingle Company, which later became the Shininger Bros.
203. Ibid.
204. Sanborn Map, Tillamook City 1902, © 2001 by The Sanborn Map Company, Sanborn Library, LLC. http://O-sanborn.
umi.com.janus.uoregon.edu/HelpFiles/about.html (accessed March 5, 2009).
205. Sanborn Map, Bay City 1902, © 2001 by The Sanborn Map Company. Sanborn Library, LLC. http://O-sanborn.umi.
com.janus.uoregon.edu/HelpFiles/abolit.html (accessed March 5, 2009).
83
Shingle Mill. It had the capacity to create 40,000 shingles every eight hours. The Wheeler
Lumber Company, which later became the J. A. Lewis Shingle Company and Mill could
produce 80,000 shingles in eight hours, and their primary mill could process 150,000 board
feet in eight hours. The city ofWheeler alone was producing 120,000 shingles a day and they
had proved themselves to be a favorable sheathing material. Accordingly, the abundance of
shingles in Tillamook County made them one of the most common building materials. In 1940,
the Works Progress Administration (WPA) completed a book about all things Oregon titled
Oregon) the End ofthe Trail. They mentioned the presence of the Wheeler shingle mill by stating
that the "shrill scream ofshingle-mill saws and the odor offresh cedar-wood is as characteristic
of the town as is the cry of the gulls that soar above the three fish-packing houses along the
waterfront.206
Other building materials available in the early and mid-twenties caused the lumber indus-
tries to worry they were losing their customer base. Brick, stone, tile, cement, and other products
were being heavily advertised as an alternative to lumber for a variety of building needs. Many
of these new materials-asbestos siding, fiber boards, etc.-proved themselves to be not good
materials at the coast. Regardless, these new materials had created unforeseen competition and
accordingly, the industry was diligently working on promoting new advancements of their own.
In 1927, the nationwide lumber industry reported spending $1,000,000 on advertisements
promoting the goodness ofwood. The industry was trying to mainta~nwood's brand as the best,
primary building material for detached dwellings.207 Certainly the alternate choices may have
hurt the lumber industry in some sectors, but it probably did not heavily influence the material
choices of the recreational housing market in Tillamook County. This was particularly true
before World War II, when stucco, brick, and concrete were a rarity in coastal construction.
Following is an overview ofmany materials commonly found in coastal construction.
206. Oregon: The American Guide Series, 369.
207. The Oregonian, "Lumber Industry Plans Sales Drive." May 8,1927.
84
Appropriate preservation and maintenance strategies are noted when applicable. By no means
is this list complete, but it does offer insight into many of the most common materials and
preservation concerns.
WOOD
Wood as the primary building material ofcoastal housing has a variety ofother applications
beyond siding and roofing materials. Nearly all ofthe wood-framed houses along the coast are
built using either the platform or a balloon style of construction. Platform framing is the most
commonly used framing style in America today.208 In platform framing, structural members,
called studs, provide the frame. The flooring for the second floor of the house is set atop the
first floor wall studs, and then the second floor wall studs are horizontally constructed on top of
the second srory flooring. Then the roof, made up ofa number ofhorizontal ceiling joists and
sloping rafters, normally set sixteen inches center to center, making a truss structure, which is
attached to the top plate to create the house's frame. Balloon framing differs by using wall joists
that run from the foundation to the roof Before World War I, balloon framing was the most
commonly used framing style, but after the war, and especially in the 1950s, platform framing
became the most common. Both of these framing types are likely in Tillamook County.
For windows and door surrounds, trim work cedar is clearly the most commonly used,
and appears to be the most long lasting. On historic houses, old growth hemlock or pine was
a sturdier material than the second generation growths of today. These second growth woods
should not be used at the coast.209 This is also true ofsecond generation cedar, although it
appears cedar lasts longer than other available woods. It is, however, a precious commodity and
should be used sparingly.
WOOD SHINGLES AND DROP OR LAP SIDING
Authors of Oregon: The End ofthe Trail, discussed the architecture of the Oregon coast
208. Rob Thallon. Graphic Guide to Frame Construction: Detailsfir Builders and Designers. (Newtown, CT: Taunton Press,
2000). xi.
209. Mark Sriles, proprieror of Design/Build inc, Seaside, Oregon. Personal Correspondence. May 4, 2009.
85
range and the Willamette Valley. Their discussion was particularly interesting, since they
reflected on the long rainy season and its affect on building design and constructionyo Building
operations, they stated, "were rarely slowed up at any time ofyear because of inclement weather,
while roofing with flashing to repel moisture has been scientifically developed in Oregon."211 It is
unclear how this "scientifically developed" flashing was installed, or who developed it, but likely
every roofing company was attempting to create a "waterproof"roofat an affordable price. The
authors also remarked on the style ofcoastal architecture and the types ofconstruction materials
being used along the Tillamook County coast during their 1940 tour:
Summer cottages here and there are trim and brightly painted, but the major-
ity of the houses have a haphazard look. Each has been placed where its owner
thought he could gain the most protection from wind and waves. Most of the
weatherboarding (locally called shiplap) and shingles are a uniform silver gray.
Formerly, shingle "seconds" could be had at the mills without cost, or for very
little, and many coast homes were covered with them.212
This "haphazard" look that most beach houses take on is likely a product of the weather along
the coast combined with the general characteristics ofwood and the nature ofsecond houses.
Older houses along the Tillamook County coast, unless they have been meticulously main-
tained, continue to have a very weathered, even deteriorated, look to them. Over time, because
of the nature ofwood, the exterior surface forms a patina. Fresh cut red cedar shingles, straight
from the mill, have a vibrant reddish brown coloring, but as they age, the reddish brown gives
way to a silvery grey. This patina is a sign that the wood has suffered from the wet, windy, salt air
climate along the coast. Cedar shingles appear to have been the long-time favorite for roofing,
and "shiplap" wood siding was likely fir. Early in the area's history, there was such an abundant
amount ofold growth timber available that any combination would not have been surprising.
During the 1940s, wood prevailed still as the best siding material at the coast. It was widely
210. Oregon: TheAmerican Guide Series. 1940. 146.
211. Ibid.
212. Ibid.
86
believed that "shingles over shiplap were considered the best walling" to deal with the wet
windy climate.213 Still, it was felt by many that "a weatherproofhouse simply cannot be built."
Knowing the challenges of the rain and the fierceness of the wind, it is understandable why some
coastal homeowners believed that "the wind will whip rain through the most cleverly joined and
mortised walls. The same wind tears loose both clapboards and shingles, so every house more
than a few years old is bound to show the marks of repeated repairs, unless the owner has given
up the struggle:'214 Most beach house owners today have a similar stance on the necessity of
"keeping up the struggle." Beach houses, especially when left unattended, find water damage to
be their most common ailment.
Wood of all kinds is still the most commonly used material for building a house by the sea. It
is fairly resistant to the acidic, salty climate, but suffers from water damage and the mechanical,
repetitive abrasion ofwind blown sand.215 Wood has a few benefits over bricks, stones, and
metals-it's easily replaceable, easy to use, light, and readily available, especially in Tillamook
County. Accordingly, shingles are still a favorite here. They can be easily replaced ifdamaged,
and, if there is a leak, it is far easier to access the interior through a layer of shingles than it is
with most manufactured contemporary Sidings such as vinyl or asbestos tile. Shingles, when
they have adequate ventilation, appear to be extremely resistant to the salt water laden air. They
do need to be properly maintained, because they are susceptible to damage from the wind. The
Churchill House, an ocean-front house in Neahkahnie, experienced damage to the exterior
sheathing ofcedar shingles during the 2007 storm. The portion of the house that was damaged
had new shingles applied in those areas. The areas that were most affected by the storm were
the south and west elevations. Eventually these shingles will weather and match the patina of
the older shingles (figure 41). It is very common that the south and west facades are the areas
213. Ibid., 369.
214. Ibid.
215. Ibid.
87
that need the most repair because weather patterns generally move in from these directions. It is
extremely important to fasten them in the most compatible way possible. The best way appears
to be blind nailing. This system assures that the nailed points are not directly exposed to the
elements. Stainless steel nails are probably the best option for coastal communities, as they will
last the longest in this climate. The relatively low cost of wood and the ease of replacing shingles
speak well of them as a material that is suited to the weather at the coast.
Figure 41: A. E. Doyk's Churchill cottage. Neahkahnie Be~ch. Note new shingles on from portion of the house. The house ~lso
h~s vinyl windows ~nd a composite roof, hoth non-historic replacements co this 1913 house. Phoco by author.
PLYWOOD
Plywood was both an early and great advancement in construction materials of the 20th
century. Plywood is defined as an "engineered wood board or panel [that] consist of an odd
number of sheets of Douglas Fir veneer placed crosswise and bonded together under hydraulic
pressure with water resistant glues that are stronger than the wood itself."216 Plywood was not
216. Forese Produces Divlsion. Americad Douglas Fir Plywood and its Uses (\%shingcon: United States Governmem Printing
Office. 1937). v.
88
a entirely new concept when the Portland Manufacturing Company, a box company located
in St. Johns, Oregon, was asked to produce something "new and unusual" for the 1905 Lewis
and Clark Exposition that was to be hosted at the site of the filled in Guild's Lake area ofNW
Portland.217 Portland Manufacturing Company responded with a product similar to contem-
porary plywood.218 Wood that resembles plywood can be found in early Egyptian and Chinese
furniture. This fact was used by its early proponents to describe the fundamental and enduring
nature of the pressed wood concept.219 The Portland Manufacturing Company produced a
product that they called the "three-ply veneer work;' which was made of the abundant Pacific
Northwest Douglas fir. 22O Early applications of this "three-ply" veneer were simple projects
such as cabinets and trunks, and later it began appearing as running boards on automobiles.
More and more companies began to produce wood in this manner, which eventually lead to
the creation ofthe Douglas Fir Plywood Association, a group that represented the collection
ofmills that were producing plywood at the time. In 1937, there were plants in Everett, Seattle,
Tacoma, Olympia, McCleary, Gray's Harbor, Longview, Vancouver, and Portland.
Douglas Fir plywood was a fast growing industry. Alexander V. Dye, the Directory of the
Bureau ofForeign and Domestic Commerce, commented on the growth of the plywood indus-
try between 1925 and 1936. In 1925, 153,000 square feet ofDouglas Fir plywood were pro-
duced by the mills in the Pacific Northwest. That number rose to 700,000 square feet in 1936,
more than a 350% increase for the period.221 New uses were being "discovered" all the time and
production was doing its best to keep up with demand. It was rightly believed that the uses of
217. American Plywood Association, "Portland Manufacturing Company no. I;' Plywood Pioneers Association, www.
apawood.org/plywoodpioneers/pdfs/PPA_01.pdf, March 31,1%7,1.
218. Alfred M. Staehli, Correspondence with Liz Carter, shared with author. October 14, 2008.
219. Forest Products Division, American Douglas Fir Plywood and its Uses. v.
220. The Engineered Wood Association, "Softwood Plywood Industry Celebrates 100th Anniversary" <http://www.
apawood.org/level_b.cfm?content=srv_med_new_bkgd_ply100> (Accessed 2 May 2009).
221. Forest Products Division. American Douglas Fir Plywood and its Uses. v.
89
plywood were in their infancy and that it would emerge as a leader in the lumber industry.222
Plywood was advertised as having all of the strength and beauty ofwood, but by the innova-
tive minds of the forest product engineers and the available science and modern technology, a
product had been created that, "in many respects;' was far superior. In 1935, plywood under-
went it's greatest transformation to date. The glue that had been used to laminate the plywood
together had been derived from animal and vegetable sources. This required the material to
be used indoors, away from moisture. Because of this, plywood had been used almost entirely
for cabinets, doors, and other interior wood panel needs. Waterproofglue made it possible to
use this product on the exterior ofbuildings, either as a sheathing material or as the exterior
surface.223
The "new" plywood was an engineered board or panel with an odd number ofsheets of
Douglas Fir veneer placed crosswise and boded together under hydraulic pressure with water
resistant glues.224 The 1937 publication "American Douglas Fir Plywood and its Uses" aimed to
describe all the possible modern uses ofplywood to an ever expanding market. Promotions sug-
gested it was better than lumber in strength as well as in smoothness, beauty, durability, work-
ability, and in warp resistance.225 The Douglas Fir Plywood Association explicitly showed how
plywood as sheathing and sub-Rooring for a single family dwelling saved fifty percent or more
in labor costs for the builder.226 Even before the World War II, mass production ofprefabricated
houses using plywood was being developed.227
The product's evolution continued. World War II demanded the creation ofa truly
222. Ibid.
223. Thomas Vaughan, Space, Style, and Structure: Building in Northwest America, 480.
224. Forese Products Division, American Douglas Fir Plywood and its Uses, 2.
225. Ibid., 1.
226. Ibid., 14.
227. Ibid., 16.
90
waterproofplywood. This variety was used in the manufacturing ofmaritime fleet ships.228
So-called marine plywood is an extremely durable building product. Ofcourse wood ofany kind
is not without its problems. As stated above, the presence ofmoisture in too large a quantity is
one of the key factors in how fast wood deteriorates in coastal housing. Since rot and warp can
compromise a structure, there are a variety of methods for dealing with moisture.
Historic structures greatly benefit from proper ventilation. One of the most common
problems encountered is moisture trapped between layers ofa wall or condensation trapped in
the interior of the house. This can happen when moisture barriers are used and moisture seeps
in through a faulty joint or is simply driven into the structure by wind. Likewise, improperly
installed interior moisture barriers keep water from evaporating and exiting the structure. Wood
also expands and contracts in various temperatures. Plywood is less likely to do so because of
the process the wood goes through during production making it more stable in moisture rich
communities. Plywood also offers extra strength to buildings ifused as a sheathing between
the joists. Two-by-fours and other wood portions of the house are susceptible to this type of
expansion, so it should be noted that the expansion and contraction ofwood must be taken
into account when repairing wooden elements of a house. Other unfortunate, but by no means
unmanageable, aspects ofwood is its capacity to burn, and its vulnerability to attacks by an
assortment ofinsets.229 However, its ease ofuse, it's light weight, and its abundant availability,
still make it a good choice of material for a sub-layer in this climate. Not surprisingly, it appears
that as a substrate layer, plywood is a very common coastal building material. It also appears to
hold up well when used as the sub-layer for a siding material, such as cedar shingles, drop siding,
and even newer materials such as cement board.
PLYWOOD SIDING
Exterior plywood siding, sometimes referred to as T 1-11 siding, is a variation on the pressed
228. Don Peting, Personal correspondence, April 2009.
229. William M. Harlow, Ph. D., Inside WOod. Masterpiece ofNature, (Washington D.C.: The American Forestry Association,
1978),65.
91
wood model. It is generally five-eights ofan inch thick and is pressed together with a coated top
surface. There are groves in the face of the surface which are cut through the first and some of
the second layers of the S-ply laminate. The hope with plywood siding was that you could have
both a sheeting layer and a exterior surface in a single piece.230 Plywood siding was probably
developed by one ofthe historically active plywood producers in the United States such as U.S.
Plywood, Weyerhaeuser, Evans Lumber, or Georgia Pacific. Alfred M. Staehli, FAIA, FAPT, esti-
mates that plywood siding was one of the most often used materials developed for "residential
and small commercial building" in the post-war era.231
Plywood siding is problematic in coastal areas because the grooves cut into the exterior
surface of the board cuts into the second layer of the laminate. This can allow water to seep into
the seam. Just as in regular plywood, this often causes the panels to delaminate.232 Furthermore,
when the plywood siding is the only exterior sheathing it is much easier for moisture to leak
into the structure, because there is less ofa barrier between the climate and the structure.
Accordingly, T1-11 is not a recommended material in a coastal setting.
BRICK/MASONRY
Bricks, while beautiful and sturdy, tended not to be used as the primary material in beach
house construction here in the Pacific Northwest. The cost ofa brick house has always been
much higher than that ofa wood house. Brick was reserved for public buildings and downtown
blocks. Simple summer cottages did not necessitate such extravagance. Vernacular beach houses
were not the summer homes in South Hampton or mansion retreats in Malibu.
The one place that bricks and masonry are found in early coastal housing is in the founda-
tion. Many of these coastal houses were set on pier foundations ofstone, had formal brick
foundations, and then, on many houses at a later point, these would be replaced by a poured
230. Don Peting, AlA, Personal correspondence, May 4, 2009.
231. Alfred M. Staehli, Correspondence with Liz Carter. Shared with author, October 1, 2008.
232. Mark Stiles, Interview by author, Seaside, Oregon, May 4,2009.
92
concrete foundation to create a sturdier base. The most important structural aspect to keep in
mind when faced with brick as a foundation or structural component ofa beach house, is that
the most likely cause for damage is mortar joints failing or not being properly maintained. The
mortar along the coast is likely a combination oflime, sand, and Portland Cement. This addi-
tion ofPortland Cement occurred slowly around the beginning ofthe 20th century, However, it
was not until the 1930s that most masons were using a mixture ofequal parts Portland Cement
and lime putty to make a "more ridged and non-absorbing mortar."233
Regardless of the type ofmortar, it is imperative that water not stand on masonry surfaces.
This is the most common cause offailure and deterioration. Often this is the result ofsimple
problems such as a detached gutter, an improperly leveled surface, or a deteriorated drip rail.
METAL
Buildings along the coast use a number ofdifferent types ofmetals in various configurations.
Ofall the metals that are used, brass and stainless steel appear to have the longest rate ofsurvival
in the harsh coastal climate with its abundant salt laden moisture. Brass has long been used for
door knobs and fixtures in boats and houses along the coast. Stainless steel nails and screws are
the favorite choice for contractors, mainly because they are the only type that do not corrode
at an astounding rate.234 The Department of the Interior has the following suggestion for the
treatment ofhistoric metals:
It is recommended that historic metals should be identified, retained, and
preserved. They are important in defining the overall historic character of the
building. The Department of the Interior even states, that when possible, their
finishes and colors should be retained as well. It is critical to differentiate be-
tween metals prior to work. Each metal has unique properties and thus requires
different treatments.235
233. Robert C. Mack, FAIA, and John P. Speweik, "Repointing Mortar Joints in Historic Masonry Buildings:' National Parks
Service, Technical Preservation Services (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Printing Office, October, 1998).
234. Mark Stiles, May 4,2009.
235. Department of the Interior, "Standards for Preservation and Guidelines for Preserving Historic Buildings: Exterior
Materials, Architectural Metals:' http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/tps/standguide/preserve/preserve_metals.htm (accessed
May 17,2008).
93
It should also be noted that metal should not be placed in contact with other types ofmetals,
especially in a climate ofsalt laden air, because a galvanic reaction can occur, causing the various
types ofmetals to corrode more quickly. This is often seen when homeowners or contractors use
incompatible fasteners when working with metal components.
The most important portion of the Department of the Interiors standards is to know that
different metals require different treatments. For metals such as steel, cast iron, and in rare
cases, wrought iron, the most common failure is of the protective coating. Many metals require
a sealed protective coating to prevent corrosion. When the exterior coating begins to fail, the
entire coating needs to be removed, as well as any rust. There are a variety ofways to inadver-
tently remove the coating, including hand scraping, chipping, wire brushing, sandblasting, wet
sandblasting, flame cleaning, and chemicals.236 It is very important that the repairing process
does not harm any of the historic metal components. The Department of the Interior suggests
using the gentlest means possible. Accordingly, sandblasting, flame cleaning, and chemical
procedures should be avoided unless hand scraping/chipping/brushing are not feasible or are
not working. Wet sandblasting, in particular, should be avoided for the cleaning ofmost metals,
because the moisture can cause surface rusting and the pressure will force moisture into the
joints, cracks, and corroded areas.237
Once the coating has been removed, a new coating must be applied to protect the surface
from air and moisture damage. All surfaces will need to be primed prior to receiving a finishing
top coat. While a latex or water based primer is usually suitable for hand cleaned areas that have
already been painted the Department of the Interior suggests that metal components should
not be coated with latex or water based primer because it can cause immediate oxidation. They
also suggest having different coating selections for each type ofcomponent on the site. Bare
236. Department of the Intetiot, The Preservation ofHistoric Architecture: The US. Government's Official GuidelinesfOr
PreservingHistoric Homes (Lyons Press, Guilford: 2004),307.
237. National Parks Service, Department ofDefense, and the U.S. Coast Guard, Historic Lighthouse Preservation Handbook
(National Parks Service:1997), 10.
94
components will need a primer high in zinc, while pre-painted areas could be coated with latex
based primer. Hand brushing is not only the traditional method ofapplying paint, but also
happens to be the most effective.
Cast iron, which is rarely found in coastal architecture, but occasionally shows up in
the form ofrailings, structural members, and the odd piece ofhardware, is a hard, brittle,
non-malleable iron-based alloy containing 2.0% to 4.5% carbon and 0.5% to 3% silicon. In
addition to these elements, cast iron contains varying amounts ofsilicon, sulfur, manganese, and
phosphorus.238 Since cast iron is too brittle to be shaped by hammering, rolling, or pressing, it is
poured into molds to form various decorative and structural components. Cast iron is extremely
strong in compression, but weak in tension.239 This information is useful when identifying cast
iron from similar ferrous metals.
It is often possible to see mold lines, casting flaws, and air bubbles. They are normally bolted
or screwed together, while wrought iron is normally riveted or welded. Further, wrought iron
components are generally simpler and less uniform than cast iron. Deterioration, in the form of
oxidation, galvanic corrosion, and graphitization are the most common and pressing preserva-
tion concerns for cast iron.
Iron that is worked or shaped is considered wrought iron. Wrought iron has tensile strength,
making it an obvious choice for bolts, beams, and tie rods, but it was also used in more decora-
tive applications. Hand forged iron nails were also a common application found until the early
part of the 19th century.240 For the most part, preservation ofwrought iron is similar to that of
cast iron. Likewise, failure of the protective coating is the most common reason for deterioration
ofwrought iron components. To recoat wrought iron, all ofthe protective coating needs to be
238. Department of the Interior, The Preservation ofHistoric Architecture: The Us. Government's Official GuidelinesfOr
Preserving Historic Homes, 304.
239. Margot Gayle and David W. Look, AlA. Metals in America's Historic Buildings: Uses and Preservation Treatments. Part
I A Historical Survey ofMetals, (U.S. Printing Office, Washington D.C. 1980), 50.
240. Department of the Interior, The Preservation ofHistoric Architecture: The Us. Government's Official GuidelinesfOr
Preserving Historic Homes, 307.
9S
removed as well as any rust. Again, wrought iron will need a primer high in zinc, while pre-
painted areas could be coated with latex based primer and hand brushing is the most effective
application process.
Aluminum is sometimes used in coastal areas for windows, doors, and roofs, because it
provides durability and resists tarnishing and corrosion. It has only recently become available
at reasonable prices. It is quite durable and is used for many different applications today.241
Aluminum is often chosen in coastal areas because it withstands the salt content in the air better
than steel, but, like most materials, its lifespan on the coast is shorter than what it would be
inland. The relatively low cost of aluminum windows and roofs have made it a popular choice. If
these roofs or components corrode, replacement is the most cost effective option. At the time of
this study no information was available about the process of fixing or recoating a metal standing
seam roof. It appears that most often the old roofwould be removed and recycled, and a new
one placed in its stead.
Aluminum windows are a slightly different matter. They are not extremely common along
the coast because they do not have the same surface coating, and accordingly, tend not to last
long enough to be considered an acceptable choice for coastal construction. Most windows are
wood, or these days, vinyl. Ifaluminum windows or components are present and they have a
corrosion concern they should be replaced with wood or another viable alternative.
Copper only occasionally shows up in coastal climates, but is, in most cases, a durable metal
that withstands corrosion better than wrought or cast irons. Its patina, which over time becomes
bright green in color, actually acts as a barrier for further corrosion.242 It is not widely used
on the coast because of its relatively high cost and because it is more prone to corrosion than
bronze, the coast's most popular metal. Copper in its purest form is pliable and was historically
used for decorative features, roofing, and later for wires and pipes. One of the most common
241. Margot Gayle and David W. Look, AlA., Metals in America's Historic Buildings: Uses and Preservation Treatments: Part I
A Historical Survey rjMetals, 23.
242. Ibid.
96
copper corrosion problems occurs when incompatible nails or screws are used during installa-
tion. Preserving copper is much different that preserving cast and wrought iron. Hand brushing
the patina will harm the copper. If it has been coated with a protective layer, any Raking pieces of
the protective coating should be scraped away and then a new coating applied. Great care needs
to be taken when scraping away any old coating, as this is an easy way to destroy the natural
protective patina.
Bronze, the most common and most resilient coastal metal, is a mixture of copper and tin.
Bronze, a salmon colored metal, normally forms a natural green or brown patina. It is a very
hard metal that stands up well to both time and weather, especially near the sea. Oiled bronze
has long been in use in coastal areas for hardware, because of its resistant properties. The two
most common problems for bronze are exposure to polluted or harsh climates and improper
cleaning. The weather along the coast will always be difficult. By gently keeping the surface
cleaned of dirt and not allowing moisture to sit on the surface, bronze can last for generations.
Unfortunately, damage to bronze is often caused by various cleaning methods. Steel wool, metal
brushes, or even worse, some type ofsandblasting can harm the natural patina ofbronze and
cause deterioration and corrosion to occur at a faster rate than normal. While using a wire brush
is the preferred method for cleaning a cast or wrought iron surface, it is detrimental to bronze
because it can easily scour the surface and disrupt the natural patina. This exemplifies one of the
key reasons for identifying the type ofmetal in advance of restoration. Bronze should be cleaned
in the least invasive way possible. In most cases, washing the bronze with water and a natural
fiber brush or cloth will suffice.
Bronze is the recommended metal for fixtures at the beach according to Jay Giliberty,
lighting and hardware specialist at Rejuvenation Hardware. Rejuvenation is America's largest
manufacturer and leading direct marketer ofauthentic reproduction lighting and house parts.
He suggests an oiled bronze finish for any fixture customers are buying for their beach house.
He does offer a simple recommendation for those buying beach house hardware. He said,
97
"Remember that metal components at the beach just don't last as long as they would in the
Willamette Valley. You need to understand that components for a beach house may need to be
replaced more often."243
VINYL
It would be difficult to talk about coastal materials without at least mentioning vinyl. Vinyl
siding and windows are one of the most popular new innovations used in coastal construction
today. Vinyl siding is made from a polyvinyl chloride (PVC). PVC is a thermoplastic polymer.244
Thermoplastic describes the way in which the material would melt when very hot and become
brittle when very cold. A polymer is a chain ofidentical parts that stick together. Together they
make a plastic that is advertised as being easy to mold, easy to work with, and fairly inexpensive.
Vinyl siding and windows have been in use since the early 1960s. The B.P. Goodrich Company
developed "weatherable grades ofPVC" which were commercialized as house siding in
1960.245 By 2005 it was estimated that PVC compromises "69% ofthe construction market for
plastics."246
Vinyl siding should not be used in coastal communities. It does not appear to have the same
type oflongevity at the coast as it would for an inland project. Furthermore, as a siding mate-
rial, it is more likely to trap water between the siding and the structure than to keep moisture
from penetrating the surface. Also, it should be noted, PVC products have been under intense
scrutiny recently. This has included a boycott by Greenpeace to protest the product for being
the "single worst plastic for the environment."247 They believe this because there is "evidence
that the production, use, and disposal ofPVC or vinyl, is a leading source ofdioxin in the
243. Jay Giliberry, Personal correspondence. March 15, 2009.
244. Charles E. Wilkes, ed. et aL, PVC Handbook. (Cincinnati: Hanser Gardner Publications, 2005), 4.
245, Ibid.
246. Ibid., 11.
247. Charles Miller, "PVC/Vinyl the 'Worst' Plastic for the Environment." Greenpeace Press Release, April 22, 1997. http://
archive.greenpeace.org/majordomo/ index-press-releases/1997/msgOO 1OO.html (accessed May 24, 2009).
98
environment."248 This should be reason enough to not choose vinyl as a exterior sheathing ofa
house, but additionally along the coast, its ability to trap water against surfaces make it a poor
choice ofmaterials.
CEMENT BOARD
Cement board, also known as fiber cement cladding material, is quickly becoming the
new most commonly used material along the Oregon coast. The board is advertised as a low
maintenance material. It is rot, flame, and termite resistant, and is well rated for hurricanes.249
It often comes with simulated wood grain, but the boards can be ordered with a smooth surface
that more closely resembles wood.250 Cement board appears to hold up fairly well by the sea.
It is a fairly new product and there has not, it appears, been a formal study about its longevity.
However, the applications of cement board that this study found appeared to be a reasonable
replacement material along the Oregon coast. The best uses ofthis material were in places near
the foundation where a few boards oflap siding were replaced with cement board. The board
matched the fabric fairly well. Boards without the fake wood grain match much better than the
boards sold over the counter. While cement board seems to have some place at the coast, historic
materials should be retained whenever possible.
SURFACE COATINGS
There are a variety ofoptions for surface coatings on buildings along the coast. All are more
difficult to maintain than they would be inland. Wood and metal need to be prepped differently,
and different coatings are more appropriate for each material. Research should be conducted
depending on the type ofsurface and the condition, just as in any other project. The surface
coating is an important aspect ofkeeping buildings maintained at the coast. Houses that are well
cared for will last years longer than those that are left to weather the elements alone.
248. Ibid.
249. Marianne Cusato, et al., Get Your House Right: Architectural Elements to Use and Avoid (New York: Sterling Publishing,
2008),234.
250. Mark Stiles, Personal in terview, May 4, 2009.
99
Wood, the most commonly used coastal material, can take a variety of coatings. Shingles can
be coated with an oil stain or a linseed oil to deter moisture from penetrating the wood, while
retaining its natural look. ll1is system ofpreservation for wood shingles has worked for genera-
tions and it is the method that probably has the least harmful effects to the environment. There
are a variety ofpressure treated lumbers that contain preservatives to keep lumber from rotting
or being eaten by pests, but it seems that a combination ofother preservation methods would be
better in the long run. These include lowering the moisture contents of the wood, keeping wood
clean, and making the environment unfavorable for pests.
Shingles and shiplap siding can also be painted. Mark Stiles, an architect and proprietor of
Design/Build in Seaside, Oregon, suggests oil based primers and latex paint for the longest last-
ing effect. He does concede, however, that while paint on a house in Portland might last seven
to ten years, here along the coast, especially ifwithin a quarter mile of the ocean, it will probably
only last for two to four years before needing to be touched up or repainted. The erosion from
the wind blown, sand laden air, with its high salt content, is especially harmful for the south and
west facades of most houses, because of the prevailing weather patterns (shown in figure 42).251
This shingled house was painted in 2006 and the effects of the weather can already be seen.
These boards should
be repainted as soon as
possible to protect the
house for years to come.
COASTAL MATERIALS
AND THE WEATHER
ll1is wet, windy
Figute 42: Paint chipping from shingles on the soUth facade of 1920s house. The house was
painted approximately duee years before this pictUre was taken. PhotO by aUthor. climate poses a variety
251. Ibid.
100
ofproblems for the built environment. Current practice often finds contractors "fixing" houses
that have suffered from storm damage with incompatible materials, and construction techniques
that might work for a house some place else, but that certainly will not hold up to the climate by
the sea.
The problems that stem from the rainy climate are many. In wood, moisture promotes
the growth ofmold and various fungi, and creates a environment where the rot ofwood is
inevitable. Metal components also suffer in this climate. The corrosion ofmetal, a common
occurrence in this coastal environment, is the product ofa variety ofcore problems. The use of
an inappropriate metal for the climate, the use ofmaterials that do not have the proper anodized
or galvanized coating, or are not coated with a protective paint, and the exposed use ofmetals,
all set the stage for damage and eventual failure.
The majority ofnew coastal housing is "stick built:' using conventional techniques. New
innovations in building materials have made construction easier, but the general construction
approach is, in theory, much the same today as it was after the end of the World War II. The new
materials that have worked their way into the built environment along the coast have helped
houses last longer, but repairs and maintenance are still necessary. One of the earliest improve-
ments and most pervasive new material technologies was the development ofwaterproof
plywood, which has altered both construction technique and appearance.
Ultimately, there is no substitute for good building techniques and routine upkeep.
Wind blown rain frequently causes water to, literally, "run uphill and into wall and roof
constructions."252 The mechanical abrasion ofsand and wind will, over time, degrade the hearti-
est materials without ongoing care. Like so many things, with care and attention good things
are bound to happen. By knowing the materials at hand and how they interact along the coast,
homeowners will have a much better chance at keeping their houses shielded from the worst
of the problems houses face along the Pacific Northwest sea shore. Even in the face ofsuch
252. Alfred M. Staehli, October 14, 2008.
101
difficulties, people are naturally drawn to the sea and have come to understand that the Pacific
Northwest coast, with all its climatic troubles, is a worthy place to maintain houses by the sea.
102
CHAPTER VIII
HISTORIC REGIONAL AND LOCAL LAND USE PLANNING
Regional planning has been the legal backbone shaping coastal communities since before
the beginning of the 20th century. These land use regulations began with the designation of the
beach as a state highway, and led to the creation ofurban growth boundaries and building code
setbacks. These have come to define Oregon's contemporary planning practices. Accordingly,
Oregon's planning approach for coastal communities, has created places that have come to
define the Oregon coast as one of the most beautiful coasts in America. Clearly, planning
guidelines have worked to create vibrant livable communities, but these guidelines have not
necessarily helped coastal communities retain their historic houses and structures.
Oregon's first major coastal land use decision was adopted in 1899, which designated
Oregon's northern most county beaches, the section between high and low tide, as a public
highway.253 This assured Oregonian's access to this portion of the beach and prohibited it from
being sectioned off by private ownership. Fifteen years later, Oswald West, Oregon's fourteenth
Governor, extended this law to include all ofOregon's wet sand beaches.254 This was achieved
by describing this section of the beach as a state highway and placing it under the directorship
of the State's transportation department. This designation was key to creating the beachfront as
253. Gail Wells, "Capital, Transportation, and Technology Transform the Economy: The Highway Arrives" Oregon Historical
Society. Oregon History Project, http://ohs.org/education/oregonhistory/ narratives/subtopic.cfm?subtopic_ID= 567
(Accessed: 27 March 2009).
254. Larry Bacon, "Beachhead Defense: Oregon Takes a New Look at How it Governs its Popular Public Sands" The Register-
Guard. Eugene, Oregon, November 17,2002.
103
public domain. The designation of the Oregon beaches as a highway created the public access
that has come to define the Oregon waterfront. This poses a stark difference to the Washington
and California coasts. In Washington, the entire coast is accessible to the public, but is privately
owned. Driving is permitted along most of the beach. In California, there are a number of
public beaches, but many are privately owned, and public access is restricted.
In a later letter to the state commission, West stated that driving on the actual beaches
"interferes seriously with the free usage and safe comings and going of the general public:' and
that it particularly interfered with little children and their guardians, who are entitled to state
protection.255 There was indeed an ideological fight brewing about the safety ofdriving on
beaches that were used in such a recreational natute. Secretary ofState, H. E. Hoss, suggested
that the State Highway Commission should ban driving on all beaches unless the citizens of
the community requested otherwise. At the height of the 1937 summer season The Oregonian
ran an article about the various sport activities that could be enjoyed along the Oregon and
Washington coasts. They surmised that "perhaps the favorite sport ofall is beach driving."2s6
This is not to say that beach driving wasn't a contentious issue for both the local and vacationing
populations, but it certainly suggests that many found great pleasure in the activity. This kind of
discussion about the use of recreational spaces has continued throughout history, both with the
decision to allow camping in the National Forests, and a more recent discussion about the use of
all terrain vehicles in public forests.
The Oregon beaches served as the State's unofficial highway from the area's earliest his-
tory, until in 1947, when the Oregon Legislature changed the designation of the beach from
"highway" to "recreation area."2S7 This change had been a ropic ofdebate for some time. In
255. The Oregonian, Hoss Seeks to Ban Driving on Beach, June 17, 1931, 1.
256. The Oregonian, ''All Aboard for the Coast: Picturelog...A primer on How to Enjoy Life at Oregon and Washington
Beaches;' June 6,1937,15.
257. Larry Bacon. "Beachhead defense: Oregon takes a new look at how it governs its popular public sands;' November 17,
2002.
104
1939, the Oregon State Planning Board released a report, which details the history of the State
Administrative Agencies in Oregon. The planning for forested and recreational land had, in the
early part of the 1920s and 1930s, been through a series ofchanges in leadership, which resulted
in the decentralization ofgovernmental control ofnatural resources.258 In 1939, thirteen differ-
ent agencies in Oregon were charged with the protection of the states natural resources. Two of
the organizations, the Highway Administration and the Board ofForestry, were given the right,
by the state legislature to acquire land for the purpose ofcreating state sanctioned parks.259 This
also, however, created a disorganized, decentralized network ofstakeholders, all ofwhich had
different interests in the state's natural resources.
It was not till 1967 when Oregon famously enacted the "Beach Bill" that Oregonians and
visitors alike were given access to both the dry and wet sand portions of the entire Oregon
Coast.260 Oregon Legislature passed the beach bill into law to "forever preserve and maintain the
sovereignty of the state heretofore existing over the sea shore and ocean beaches of the state from
the Columbia River on the north to the Oregon-California line on the south so that the public
may have the free and uninterrupted use thereof."261 The Beach Bill went into effect immediately
after Governor Tom McCall signed it into law, because it carried an emergency c1ause.262 Tom
McCall remarked at the signing that the bill was "one of the most far-reaching measures of its
kind enacted by any legislative body in the nation. This bill guarantees that Oregon's coastline
will remain secure for generations to come."263 McCall's vision is still visible along the coastline
today. Oregon is one ofonly a handful ofstates in the country that offers the entirety of the
258. Morris S. Isseks, "History of State Administrative Agencies in Oregon: 1843-1937;' (Otegon State Planning Board.
February 1939), 53.
259. Ibid., 54.
260. Oregon Beach Bill, House Bill 160 I, 1967.
261. Ibid.
262. Ibid.
263. Matt Kramer, "Beach Bill Signed; McCall Cleats His Desk:' Oregon Statesman. Salem, July 7, 1967. http://www.orgov.
org/kramarticle.html (accessed 4 April 2009).
lOS
coastline beaches as a public use area.
In 1972 the United States Congress passed the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA)
as part ofa national strategy to manage the nations coastal areas. This comprehensive program
is administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Their goal is to help
communities balance the environmental needs of the shoreline with the development needs
of the communities. They administer two national programs, the CMZA and the National
Estuarine Research Reserve System. The combination of these programs is aimed at helping
communities regulate their coastal areas. Accordingly, their mission was, and continues to be,
"to preserve, protect, develop, and where possible, to restore or enhance the resources of the
nation's coastal zone."264
This national program is obviously in place to steer development in one direction or an-
other, but the goal of these programs does not lie in the desire to shape livable communities, but
rather to protect the shoreline and coastal areas environments from being negatively impacted
by human populations. They do not look to protect the historic aspects ofcommunities, nor do
they promote historic patterns ofdevelopment. These national guidelines are in place because
it became evident that the environment was suffering from human overuse, which appeared to
be a steadily growing problem in the 1970s when the CMZA was enacted, and Oregon began
looking at planning at a statewide level.
Development ofhousing has historically been viewed in a positive light. Development
tended to happen at a fairly slow and fairly consistent rate up until the end ofWorld War
II. After the war, building began to happen at a much faster pace. The Oregonian Magazine
reported in 1946 that "every beach hill spawns cabins" as post-war building began to take
shape.265 Every level surface around the beach was "spawning its full quota ofcabins" after the
264. Ibid.
265. Wallace Turner, "Every Beach, Hill Spawns Cabins as Post-war Building Gets Started, but Completion ofMany Delayed."
The Oregonian Magazine, May 5,1946,8.
106
war.266 Most were single family residences, but the motor courts, hotels, and campgrounds were
also improving their amenities at this time. After the war there was frustration that enough
could not be built quickly enough to keep up with the economically vital post-war demand.
Oregon businesses promoted the unrestricted development ofall waterways and recreational
space for tourist use.267 An endorsement for this was given by the Post War Readjustment and
Development Commission and referred to this period ofdevelopment as a real estate boom
that "rolled on like 'the thunder of the sur£"'268 It was during this time that little sleepy towns
like Neskowin and Oceanside began to see rapid changes in their built landscape. The Post War
Readjustment and Development Commission praised the efforts of the business world for their
work in developing the coastline from the Columbia River to the California border.269
The United States Census show how homeownership rates declined between the turn
of the century and 1920, and then how the strong economic climate of the 1920s raised the
national rate to slightly more than 45%. Fairly soon after, the Great Depression brought the
rates to their lowest averages ever recorded in 1940 at 43.6%. The post-World War II rise in
homeownership was significant. The rate ofhomeownership skyrocketed 20% in two decades.
This was likely caused by the "booming economy, favorable tax laws, a rejuvenated home build-
ing industry, and easier financing."270 Homeownership ofsecond family homes increased just as
the development ofsingle family housing increased.
In 1940, the Census ofHousing began recording the number ofvacation homes in the
United States as a percentage of total housing. Oregon's total number ofhouses that were classi-
fied as being for seasonal or occasional use has hovered between 2.4% and 2.8% of total housing
266. Ibid.
267. William G. Robbins, "Cornucopian Dreams: Remaking Nature in Post-war Oregon;' in AgriculturalHistory Special Issue
on J#lter and Rural History. (Berkeley, Calif: University of California Press, 2002), 208.
268. [bid.
269. Ibid.
270. U. S. Department of the Interior, Bureau ofthe Census, Census of Housing. "Historical Census of Housing Tables;'
<http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/housing/census/historic/owner.html> (accessed 15 April 2009 ).
107
units, except for a spike in 1960 to 3.8%.271 The rise in vacation homeownership is probably
also partly because of the increase in construction in the post-war years. It should also be noted
that while the percent ofchange between each year is rather small, it is the percent ofeach years
total housing, since the number ofhousing units was constantly growing, so was the recreational
housing market. For example, in 1940, Oregon was estimated to have 8,890 vacation units (2.4%
of total housing) and in 1970, 19,403 vacation units (2.6% of total housing).272
This constant rate ofdevelopment was seen, for the most part, as positive for the com-
munity. New buildings, meant local construction jobs, the use oflocallumber, and an influx in
activity for the tourist market. These small communities were constantly struggling with their
local economies and looking for ways to diversify. After the end ofWorld War II, communi-
ties by the sea were "planning for a bigger, better, more rounded future economy."273 This was
generally the approach people had about growth and development in these coastal areas, until
the beginning of the 1970s when Oregon's general attitude toward planning and public policy
began to shape our own built environment. It was during this time period that McCall famously
said, "We want you to visit our State ofExcitement often. Come again and again. But for
heaven's sake, don't move here to live. Or ifyou do have to move in to live, don't tell any ofyour
neighbors where you are going."274 The shift between encouraging development to worrying
about how much growth and how fast to grow was a question Oregon was beginning to struggle
with on a statewide basis. Accordingly, in the early 1970s, Tom McCall convinced the Oregon
Legislature to adopt Senate Bill 10, a statewide land use planning initiative.
Senate Bill 10 established a system ofstatewide planning goals. The Act required counties to
271. The U. S. Census surmised that since the "occasional use" category was not used prior to the 1960 census it may partially
explain the surge in vacation housing during the 1960 census.
272. U. S. Department of the Interior. Bureau of the Census. "Census of Housing. Historical Census ofHousing Tables;'
<http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/housing/census/historic/owner.html> (accessed IS April 2009).
273. Wallace Turner, "Every Beach, Hill Spawns Cabins." lhe Oregonian Magazine, May 5, 1946,8.
274. Sherwood, Robert, "Land Use: Why Plan?," Open Spaces: Views From the Northwest. Open Spaces ~rterly Magazine
vol. 4, issue 2 (2007-2008), http://www.open-spaces.com/article-v9n3-sherwood.php (accessed May 14, 2009).
108
plan for their land in a way that met the nine long range and intermediate goals laid out in the
bill. These goals included guidelines for preserving air and water quality, to conserve open space,
to provide recreational amenities, to conserve farm lands, to protect life and property in areas of
floods and natural disasters, to diversify the economy of the state, to develop timely and orderly
public facilities, and finally, to ensure development is "commensurate with the character of the
land." 275 This bill began to layout the state's planning goals. McCall was extremely concerned
with growth and the management ofsuch growth for a growing Oregon population and contin-
ued to push for a more comprehensive statewide planning tool. Senate Bill 100, unparalleled at
its time, greatly expanded on the goals and priorities ofSenate Bill 1O. Senate Bill 100 required
cities and counties to make comprehensive plans that were consistent with the statewide goals
and to adopt zoning, subdivision, and other ordinances to support their comprehensive plans.276
This is the point in Tillamook County history that planning documents become available,
maintaining growth becomes a priority, and city goals begin to take shape.
Tillamook County published their county-wide comprehensive plan in 1982 with eighteen
ambitious goals for shaping the county's natural and urban landscapes for years to come. The
1982 community plan created a Community Growth Boundary (CGB) for all the communities
in Tillamook. While these community plans have been useful for shaping land use regulations,
implementing height restrictions, lot sizes, understanding area hazards, and wetland and natural
resource protection, they do not mention historic preservation of the built environment as a
step towards maintaining the beach town feel of their communities. This was not uncommon, as
most communities have enacted provisions to plan for their historic structures.
Some communities went as far as to say that the rate ofdevelopment was the largest concern
that the community faced. Oceanside's comprehensive community plan was the most explicit
about the rate ofdevelopment being the areas most pressing concern. The plan states that "in the
275. Oregon Senate Bill 10, 1969.
276. Oregon Senate Bill 100, 1973.
109
late 1960s, development oflarger tracts ofland adjacent to the core of the village began. Avalon
and Avalon Heights were developed, followed by Camelot, Terrasea, and in the 1990s, by the
Capes and Ocean Pines" neighborhoods.277 Oceanside viewed the development of these neigh-
borhoods as a historic pattern, but they found, as many other communities have found, that "the
speed and scale of the latest real estate developments reflect a continuing trend for the entire
community."278 The concern for the rate ofdevelopment was the communities biggest issue, as
they now learn to plan with a community that had drastically changed between the 1980s and
the time Oceanside compiled their report. Oceanside ultimately decided that they favored the
growth ofsingle family residence, rather than multi-family, and they are "strongly opposed to
more motel/hotel development, vacation rentals, and commercial services."279 This is consistent
with most of the comprehensive plans along the coast. Most municipalities were against any
type ofmulti-family or commercial development beyond what was already in place, and favored
the construction ofnew single family houses.
These guidelines have helped to slow sprawl and, in many places, kept development in areas
where the human impact will be the least harmful. They also tend to restrict any type ofmixed
use, apartment, or condo development. Nothing in these plans stops developers or property
owners from buying a piece ofproperty and tearing down the house that already exists to
redevelop the site.
277. Oceanside Community Plan, 1998-1999, Oceanside Neighborhood Association website, http://judsonrandalL
mystarband.net/ (Accessed April 18, 2009).
278. Ibid.
279. Ibid. Survey results, 4.
110
CHAPTER IX
CURRENT PRESERVATION CONCERNS IN
COASTAL COMMUNITIES
The scenic Oregon coast had long been viewed as an ideal place to live and visit. Early
settlers describe the coast as being one of the most beautiful and breathtaking natural places
in not only Oregon and the Pacific Northwest, but in the entire country. The Oregon coast,
sometimes referred to as "Oregon's playground;' offered tourists, and resident alike, a variety
ofleisure activities for every season.280 As visitors increased, so did the quantity ofhousing
and resort architecture. While the agriculture, fishing, and logging industries all had buildings
and practices that changed the landscape over time, it was the recreation and leisure industries
that substantially changed the fabric of the built environment-especially in these smaller
communities. Furthermore, as transportation improved and travel to the coast became far
easier, housing steadily increased. These advancements in travel enabled more people to visit the
beach to ultimately build houses specifically ofa recreational nature. Particularly for the earliest
arrivals, houses were developed along the beachfront in order to maximize the view of the ocean
and have easy access to the sea shore. Vacation beach house owners and full time residents of
coastal towns, especially in recent times, feel compelled to retain the "feel" or the "look" of the
landscape in their seaside cities and towns.
Historic structures and landscapes, both the newly historic and the very historic, present
numerous individual preservation concerns. Most commonly, these threats include wear to the
280. Herbert Lundey, "Oregon Beaches Make Bid as All Year Outing Spots," The Oregonian. January 4, 1931.
111
resource due to age, neglect, the weather, encroaching development, and a lack ofappropriate
construction techniques and education about preservation's integral value to the community.
Historic houses are, by their very nature, a high maintenance possession. These basic issues are
always part of the struggle when preserving a community's resources, but along the coast, the
issues are heightened because ofongoing development, the wet coastal conditions, erosion, cor-
rosion due to the high salt content of the air and water, the lack ofadvocacy for many historic
resources, and the seasonal, tourist-based economy.
Historic preservation can be difficult to promote in even the best oftimes, and preservation
is often considered for only the grandest buildings. It is easy to understand why these small,
vernacular beach houses are not given the same type ofattention that the Empire State Building,
the Washington Monument, or even the home of a 19th century industrialist might receive.
These beach houses are small and unadorned, but they serve as a physical record ofthe history of
these coastal areas and the ingenuity people demonstrate in producing shelter to support their
pursuits. They will never be as grand as the nation's greatest historic resources, nor do they retain
the integrity ofa historic district that could set them apart as a group, but they do stand as a
record ofone ofAmerica's favorite pastimes.
Current literature doesn't specifically cover preservation in coastal areas, but there is a
diverse body ofwork from other concentrations of the preservation field that will help to lay
the groundwork and describe some of the issues for this microcosm ofhistoric preservation.
Bringing together these topics in one place is an important focus of this study. Primarily these
will include a discussion of the rural/urban preservation planning issues in these areas, and the
current difficulty these areas are facing. These topics all offer insight on an aspect of the complex
preservation ofbeach houses in rural, ocean-side towns.
RURAL PRESERVATION PLANNING IN TOURIST RICH COMMUNITIES
Preservation of the built environment in rural communities is a multi-faceted problem
with few pat answers. Preservation of the rural landscape includes agricultural lands, ranches,
112
and small town America. The National Trust for Historic Preservation views rural preservation
as encompassing nearly 80% of the American landmass. It is aimed at helping places that have
suffered from disinvestment as well as those that are being threatened by encroaching develop-
ment from an adjacent city, or because ofdevelopment due to heightened use,281 Comprehensive
preservation planning can help to retain a variety ofbuildings that may otherwise be in danger
ofdemolition or insensitive remodeling and reuse. The communities found along the Pacific
Northwest coastline are relatively small in terms offull-time population, but are constantly in
use recreationally because of their pastoral setting. There are a variety ofdefinitions as to what
population or density defines a place as rural or urban. Regardless of the definition, the term
"rural;' by most standards, includes most coastal towns in the Pacific Northwest. 282
While their population defines most of these coastal towns as rural, these communities tend
to have a disproportionate ratio ofhousing units to population due to the number ofsecond
homes and vacation rentals along the shore. The needs of these coastal towns are extremely
different than the needs ofsmall towns in the deserts of the American West or the mining
communities in the deserted hills ofeastern Oregon. These American frontier places most often
suffer from a decrease in population and from disinvestment. This is not the case for the towns
along the Oregon and Washington's coastline. They struggle with the constant development of
the coastal recreational housing market and the constant use of the area by the tourist industry.
Most of these communities have a solid understanding of their rural/urban nature. They
support utilities such as sewer lines, electrical services, roads, and potable water. They often have
city zoning ordinances and development guidelines. They do not, however, have many of the
characteristics generally attributed to larger cities, including: administrative staff, public school
systems, public safety organizations, and other elements ofa self-sustaining community. The lack
281. National Trust for Historic Preservation, "Preserving America's Rural Heritage;' http://www.preservationnation.org/
issues/rural-heritage/ (accessed January 31, 2009).
282. The U.S. Census Bureau defines rural areas as having population less than 2,500 people per square mile. The United State
Census Bureau, "Census 2000 Urban and Rural Classification;' http://www.census.gov/geo/www/ua/ua_2k.html (accessed
January 29,2009).
----------~------------_.- --_._._-----------
113
ofcentral government can be problematic from a preservation perspective, because small local
municipalities or small boards ofcommunity members are planning for the future of their built
environment without access to preservation resources or an understanding ofhow preserva-
tion goals can shape their community. In some communities, where preservation is actively
publicized or incorporated into a comprehensive plan, citizen groups become one of the most
effective catalysts for small town, local preservation efforts. However, in communities where jobs
are scarce, where there has been a shift in full-time population, or where organized governing
bodies don't exist, it is difficult to propel preservation efforts.
Homeownership, community development, comprehensive planning, local, state, and
federal planning programs, and preservation need to have an intertwined, delicately balanced re-
lationship. Planning for an area must include the community in order to avoid a one-sided, top
down, and ultimately self-defeating style ofmanagement. This is not to say that the top-down
approach is not a useful tool in some of these partnerships, but community supported initiatives
often have the broadest impact and the greatest longevity. When local governments and higher
governmental organizations work at odds, historic preservation, community development, and
governmentally mandated programs are the least effective.
Coastal communities tend to be an affluent group offairly well planned housing clusters.
The leisure community is generally arranged in strips along the beachfront, often with the most
historic houses along the tree line and the newer developments closer to the ocean. It is the
continuing nature of these new developments that often spark community interest in neighbor-
hood planning. The rise in development rates in these bucolic ocean-side retreats is the number
one reason communities look to reorganize their planning priorities or create guidelines for
future development. Unfortunately, communities normally voice their concern for neighbor-
hood change after the intrusion of "too many" or "too different" non-conforming intrusions.
These newer developments can seriously harm and even destroy the historic integrity ofa place.
Regardless of the catalyst for citizen participation, concerned residents generally create
114
the longest lasting community visions and community plans. Still, creating an active group of
citizens in an urban community can be difficult under the best ofcircumstances. Working in
communities with large transient populations of recreational visitors can be even harder. Often
the preservation ofthese areas is left to a handful ofcommitted full-time residents and a few
part-time volunteers. Government agencies frequently have mixed feelings about involving a
non-professional force in their efforts, but they need these active citizen groups. Without a local
constituency, they are unlikely to succeed. In Oregon, comprehensive plans governing land use
decisions are required from every county and town to govern land use decisions. There is also
a requirement that counties help to coordinate comprehensive plans for their unincorporated
communities. Accordingly, all of the coastal cities in Tillamook County have prepared compre-
hensive plans. These plans deal with everything from sewer lines to school busses. Not one of the
plans from these places specifically highlights preservation. This trend is all too common, since
smaller communities frequently are unaware ofhow preservation can work to help them create
the communities they desire.
Since small unincorporated places don't have significant financial resources devoted to
planning, they rely on their citizens to create master plans for the ongoing success oftheir com-
munities. These community-driven plans appear to garner a large amount ofpublic support.2S3
While these plans offer a basis for land use management, they tend to focus on environmental
issues when it comes to making recommendations about the built environment. Once again,
preservation tends to fallout of the equation. For the most part, rural preservation planning and
implementation is a pale shadow ofurban preservation programs. This is not surprising as urban
areas have larger populations, larger budgets, and a better chance at mobilizing a community or
local government around a historic landscape or structure.
In these towns along the beach, more than fifty percent of the residential housing is
283. ORS 197.165. Oregon Legislature, Comprehensive Land Use Planning Coordination, The Department ofLand
Conservation and Development, http://www.leg.state.or.us/orsIl97.html (Accessed on April 17, 2009).
115
classified as being vacant housing for "seasonal, recreational, or occasional use" or, in other
words, as vacation homes.284 These statistics provide a clear picture of the areas recreational fo-
cus. Tillamook County as a whole has roughly 16,000 housing units and almost 5,000 of them
are listed in the vacation home category. According to this census data, Tillamook County's
percentage ofvacation homes in 2000 was 34.5%. Current data sets show that the percentage
ofvacation homes in Oregon was only 2.6% in 2000.285 This extremely high rate ofvacation
housing, from a preservation perspective, makes it more difficult to encouraging homeowners
to preserve their beach house or their beach community. Encouraging preservation is often
difficult when area homeowners are full time residents in their community. Having a transient
population, in a rural setting, with a large housing stock, creates another layer ofdifficulties for
the preservation of these places.
In Manzanita, for example, there were 564 residents counted in the 2000 census, but a total
of 1,078 housing units.286 This is fairly typical of these smaller beach towns. The populations are
otten less than one-third of the total number ofhousing units. Huntington, Oregon, which has
a similar population to Manzanita, has only 236 housing units. Yet Manzanita has nearly four
times the housing units for approximately the same population.
Studies concerning the interest in public preservation programs verses private land manage-
ment have shown divergent views depending on the individual's type ofland ownership, length
of tenure, level ofeducation, personal and social values, potential economic gain, and economic
perceptions. Inman and McLeod (2002) studied this issue in rural Wyoming. The particular
study area was being transformed by the changing use of the land, either because ofvacation
284. The United State Census Bureau has profile data for ten coastal towns along Tillamook County's coast. Five of the ten
cities listed have more than forty five percent of the housing classified as having a primary use for seasonal, recreational, or
occasional use these include, Neskowin, Pacific City, Manzanita, Oceanside, and Rockaway Beach. There is no census data for
many other smaller unincorporated communi ties along the coast. "Census 2000 Demographic Profile Highlights" under "U.S.
Census Data Fact Sheet;' http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFFacts. (accessed January 29, 2009).
285. U.S. Census Bureau, "Historical Census of Housing Tables: Vacation Homes;' U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Housing:
2000, http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/housing/census/hisroric/vacation.html(accessedJanuary 27,2009).
286. U.S. Census Bureau, "Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000;' United States Census Bureau, 2000,
http://factfinder.census.gov (accessed January 31,2009).
116
home ownership or the decline of the western ranch.287 They described the defining characteris-
tics that lead to one beliefor another in four broad categories: values, social integration, owner-
ship, and demographics. They concluded that residents who valued rural atmosphere, recreation
opportunities, lower populations, and who also happened to be higher wage earners were more
likely to support public preservation programs rather than private land management strategies.
The study also found that the attitudes ofa full-time resident verses a part-time resident were
often at odds. Full-time residents were more likely to support private management strategies,
while part-time residents were more likely to favor a public management program.288 Private
management strategies would be as simple as having little to no governmental control over the
development and type ofuse for a given piece ofland. Public management strategies would have
government entities limiting the available uses and development.
This type ofstudy has not formally been conducted in any coastal area in the Pacific
Northwest, but the implications that a divide exists between the local, full-time populations and
the recreational part-time populations is evident. The Tillamook County Planning Department
described this divide in a 1975 report about the county's recreational environment by stating:
Local people frequently express concerns about "too many outsiders" coming over to
use county resources [and] some worry that the revenue from tourism will never be able to
compensate for the burdens it imposes on local communities. They may dislike growth in
general because it alters the otherwise quite and relatively unchanging order oflocal affairs.289
Moreover, this relationship between varying uses increases the difficulty these areas have in
creating a cohesive voice. Divergent views and conflicting goals can make government programs
work at odds with community groups.
287. Katherine Inman and Donald M. McLeod, "Property Rights and Public Interests: A Wyoming Agricultural Lands Study.
Growth and Change;' Growth and Change, 33,1 (2002),92.
288. Ibid., 106.
289. Lamont Hempel, The Recreation Environment ofTillamook County, Oregon. (Tillamook County Planning Department.
1975). Oregon Collection. University of Oregon, Special Collections.
117
William]. Murtagh, author ofKeeping Time: The History and Theory ojPreservation
in America, gives a general overview ofpreservation in rural areas. Murtagh states that, for the
most part, rural preservation is similar to preservation ofa historic district in an urban area. He
argues that the primary difference between the urban and rural landscape is the density of the
historic resources. In urban settings there are a variety of building types in a small space, but
in rural areas the space between resources is much larger. Accordingly, open space, he states,
"becomes the predominant component."290 Many coastal towns are nothing more than a cluster
ofhousing. Although a few communities have well developed, focal point commercial areas,
most lack the town center that might historically be the focus ofpreservation. Many coastal
towns don't have a traditional "main street." Often, small housing clusters are the only built
envitonment that exists. Murtagh's argument, that density is the difference between urban and
rural preservation, highlights the need to view smaller communities in the larger context of its
historical relationships.
Because small town coastal planning has so many barriers, it would be impractical not
to make use ofas many resources and tools that are available to meet the area's short and long
term preservation planning needs. When looking for strategic preservation planning resources
for these communities, it becomes quickly evident that there is very little available in terms of
national governmental or private non-profit programs that would benefit the planning process
for historic resources in the study area. Preservation planning is so specific to both the physical
place and the wants of the community members who actively pursue preservation initiatives,
that larger national programs are not really applicable to the areas needs or they are too broad in
scope or not flexible enough. Although these programs might not fit exactly with the neighbor-
hood fabric, they do offer some insights into the process ofplanning for historic resources and
some general guidelines for defining historic resources and assessing their integrity and to create
290. William]. Murtagh, Keeping Time: The History and Theory ofPreservation in America (Pittstown, N.J.: Main Street Press,
1988), 119.
118
a preservation framework to be followed.
These days, preservationists are more likely to discuss the preservation ofsmall towns,
agricultural settings, and vernacular structures and landscapes as part ofthe national conversa-
tions in preservation. While the preservation of rural landscapes has been gaining popularity
in the American preservation movement, it hasn't translated into a national program ofhow
to classify and interpret everyday, vernacular architecture. This problem ofthe documentation
ofvernacular architecture has been problematic since even before the implementation of the
National Preservation Act in 1966. The 1966 law required states to conduct comprehensive
statewide surveys ofhistoric properties and to maintain inventories of these surveys.291 Earlier
surveys normally did not incorporate vernacular architecture in the survey process.
Barbara Wyatt discussed the trouble with surveying and categorizing vernacular structures
back in a 1986 article, "The Challenge ofAddressing Vernacular Architecture in a State Historic
Preservation Survey Program." She argued that many surveyors were under-trained and that
they tended towards the documentation oflarger more ornate buildings. She did, however, state
that at the time that trend was changing for the better.292 This effort to catalog vernacular houses
has continued to improve over the last thirty years, but the process is far from perfect. Both
Oregon and Washington State Historic Preservation Offices have taken commendable steps in
classifying vernacular structures by incorporating the houses floor plan type into the descriptive
listings ofthe resource. This helps to describe places by their shape and layout which paints a
fuller picture of the building.
The State Preservation Offices in both Washington and Oregon have categories to describe
the original use of the building. Unfortunately, neither state has a category for recreational
housing. In Oregon's Recreation sub heading, the options for further classification include
291. The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. Public Law 89-665.80 STAT. 915; 16 U.S.c. 470 Section 101 (b).
292. Barbara Wyatt, "The Challenge ofAddressing Vernacular Architecture in a State Historic Preservation Survey Program."
in Per.peetive,. in Vernacular Architecture II, Edited by Camille Wells, 37-43 (Columbia, MI: University ofMissouri Press, 1986),
37.
119
amphitheaters, dance halls, dance pavilions, drive-in theaters, opera houses, rodeo grounds,
social amusement halls, and theaters. Similarly, Washington lists theaters, auditoriums, muse-
urns, music facilities, sports facilities, outdoor recreation facilities, fair buildings, monuments,
markers, and works ofart as options for their recreational categories.293 By excluding housing
from these lists they are failing to identify an entire class of resources.
PRESERVATION AND CHANGING LANDSCAPES
One of the greatest changes to the overall landscapes ofcoastal communities has been the
changing size ofhome lots, the growing size ofhomes, and current designs are incompatible with
historic precedents. Individual beach house lots have become much smaller and, in some cases,
new developments have sprung up on split lots. At the same time, the new houses being built in
these communities generally have become much larger.294 This has modified the landscape from
a collection ofsmall recreational houses to a collection oflarger "second homes."
Many older, smaller beach houses are razed to make way for newer, larger homes and, more
recently, condos. This is an ongoing problem in many communities throughout the United
States. The National Trust has been documenting the impact oftorn down houses and buildings
in historic neighborhoods and towns since 2002. The list has grown to cover over 500 commu-
nities in forty states. The trend to buy a house with a good location and to immediately bulldoze
it to build a brand new house has been gaining momentum in the last fifty years.29S Developers
often argue that the construction ofa new structure is an easy and more cost effective alternative
to remodeling an old structure. Even when an old structure has to be removed from the site
before the new one can be built. This trend is neither good for the community or good for the
environment.
293. Oregon Department of Parks And Recreation, "Guidelines for Conducting Histotic Resource Surveys in Oregon;'
(Revised Februaty, 2008).
294. Alastair Gordon, Beach Houses: Andrew Geller (Princeton Architectural Press: New York), 9.
295. The Tillamook County Planning department estimated that request for demolition permits had been increasing steadily
since the early 1990s. Debbie Tupper, Community Development Office, Personal correspondence, January 23, 2009.
120
New houses rarely fit with the historic landscape and older houses are commonly dwarfed
by new construction. Most beach houses built today are more than twice the size of their 1925
beach house counterpart. They also often resemble typical American subdivisions, rather than
having the look of a cabin or beach house. Figure 43 and Figure 44 show stark differences in
beach house design, size, and construction. Figure 43 represents beach houses during the post
World War II era. 111is house is roughly 470 square feet with a 200 square foot deck.296 It was
simply constructed and was likely built with local lumber by the property owner. Figure 44
shows a beach house constructed in 2003. 1his house is approximately 3,145 square feet and has
672 square feet of outdoor deck space. 297 This latter house was probably constructed by a team
of builders, probably built from a plan, and the lumber could have come from anywhere. 1hese
Figure 43: This 1964 A-frame in rhe unincorporared communiry ofTeni Del Mar has a small firsr Roor aod a Ion. 1he enrire
house has only slighrly more rhan 470 square feer. Phoro by aurhor.
296. Tillamook Counry Assessmenr and Taxarion, Real Properry Accounr Summary, Map Number: 4SI006-CB-09200.
hrrp:! Iwww.co.rillamook_or.L1s/gov/A&T/public/Dcfaulr.hrm (Accessed March 5, 2009).
297. Tillamook Counry Assessmenr and Taxarion_ Real Properry Accounr Summary. Map Number: SSI12S-CC-03900.
Imp:!Iwww.co.rillamook.or.us/gov/A&TIpublic/Defaulr.hrm (Accessed March 5,2009).
121
Figure 44: This 2003 beach house in Neskowin has more than 3000 square feet of living space. Photo by autnor.
examples represent the extreme ends of the spectrum, but they help to illustrate the changing
ideals for construction of houses between the mid-century and today. It is estimated that hous-
ing size has more than doubled since 1950.298 This trend is acutely noticeable in coastal towns,
since housing no longer seems to set itself into the landscape. This small A-frame fits into it's
setting, while the Victorian row house seems out ofplace. It is not only out of place because of
its size, but also because the excessive detailing creates a texture that is rarely found in coastal
commun ities.
The changes that are taking place undermine the cohesive nature of the built environment's
landscape. When evaluating an area for a district, it is customary to look at each resource within
the district and determine if it is a contributing or non-contributing historic resource. Because
so many beach houses have been remodeled and adapted in ways that have severely jeopardized,
298. Davis B. McKeever and Robert B. Phelps. "Wood Products used in Single Family House Construction 1950-1992,"
Forest ProdttmJoumal, 44. 67.
122
or sometimes, destroyed the structures historic integrity, the designation ofa district would be
impossible. While the loss ofneighborhood continuity and integrity is unfortunate, it is still
imperative that measures be taken to plan for the future ofhistoric beach houses that remain.
Not only has infill changed the open spaces in coastal areas, but also remodeling has vastly
changed the integrity ofmany beach houses. Beach houses from the early or mid-century have
often been altered beyond recognition. Repeatedly, while searching for case study houses for this
thesis, beach home owners reported, that while their house was built in the 1920s or 1930s, it
was gutted, remodeled, or added on to in the 1990s or the early part of the 21st century.
The Umi House, formally a 1925 bungalow in Neskowin, is a perfect example ofhow
massive remodels change the landscape (see figure 45 and 46). The house was remodeled and
an large addition was added in 2006. The original house is visible on the west facade ofthe
structure, but the addition dwarfs the historic portion of the house. These changes were made
to "make the house livable for the family today."299 The Umi House certainly shows how houses
are added onto in ways that undermine the cohesive nature ofthe neighborhood. The original
portion of the Umi House (seen on the left ofboth figure 45 and 46) has similar massing and
style to the former residential scale and feel of the neighborhood. While this addition looks
large, it makes the house size average by today's standards.
In terms ofpreservation, it is commendable that the original portion ofthe Umi House is
still standing. Many homeowners would have removed the historic house to build a larger beach
house in its place. It is inevitable that these places, these little towns, change. They have been
changing for generations and nothing will stop all change from happening. The real concern is
that these changes will happen too fast and be too much. When given a choice, an addition like
the Umi House's would be preferred over the demolition ofa historic beach house. While this
may not save the houses historic integrity in a formal sense, it will show the way the community,
and our needs as recreation seekers, has changed since the early days ofvisiting the beach.
299. Dale Depweg, Personal correspondence, February 25, 2009.
123
Figure 45: Addi[ion ro [he Umi House, Neskowin. I[ is commendable that [he hisroric portion of [he house was nor demolished
for [his project. Phoro courtesy of homeowner Dale Dcpweg.
Figure 46: Comple[ed addition ro [he Urni House. Tillamook County L'\x Records Phoro, 2006. Imp://www.co.[illarnook.
or.us/gov/A&T/pubJic/
124
Weekend travelers come looking for a retreat from the urban pace of there lives, while
locals may be looking for either a seasonally-based livelihood or a small town environment.
Preservation, in the eyes of a local contractor, can be construed as stifling new development. A
local real estate agent might be more likely to view preservation related planning restrictions as
a hurdle to selling more houses. In contrast, retired full-time residents, vacation homeowners,
and weekend visitors may have more ofa connection to the intangible aspects of these places.
They may have romantic ideas of the their town by the sea. These ideas could be the reason they
return year after year. Groups that enjoy the place for its intangible aspects may be more likely
to push for preservation programs. Each of these groups is looking for the place to provide them
with a different experience. These divergent views are common problems in the preservation of
architecture at both the local and national scale.
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CHAPTERX
CONCLUSION
These houses, and in many respects these ocean side communities, are a dying breed. Family
vacations, especially of this simple nature, are in decline. Bertha H. Smith, when writing for
Sunset, The Pacific Monthly, in 1914, stated that "The Northwest is yet young. Its is great day is
to come. But for unalloyed joy in the natural beauty of its coast, the great day is now-before
man has gone too far with his alleged improvements."30o Almost one hundred years later that
period ofimprovements has changed and rearranged the coast's habitations. Now is the time to
take action to preserve what we have left for future generations to enjoy.
Preservation is a place-based activity. Sometimes place works for the preservationist.
Places like Savannah, Georgia and Virginia City, Nevada are such remarkable concentrations
ofhistoric resources the recognition of the value is almost instinctive. Other locales may have
a more diffuse resource base, but each of the structures is tied together by a common event,
such as colonial settlement or the discovery ofore. The challenge ofpreserving the vernacular
beach houses on the Oregon coast stems, at least in part, from the lack ofconcentration of
resources and the resolute plainness and simplicity ofmany of the structures. True there are a
few marvelous examples from Oregon's greatest architects. Some of these houses are well cared
for and respected by their owners. Some are even listed on the National Register ofHistoric
Places. Most, however, are in danger ofprecipitous deterioration, insensitive remodeling, or
300. Bertha H. Smith. "Sandyland" in Sunset, the Pacific Monthly 33, no. 11. (July 1913). Southern Pacific Company's
Passenger Department. (San Francisco: Southern Pacific Company Publishets: 1913),305.
126
inappropriate additions.
The hisrory ofeach place helps to describe the relationship the built environment has to
the people and places where it exists. It is for this reason that a hisrory of the development of
recreation, in the region, was vitally important to this study. Each place is a unique reRection of
the people and the landscape. Accordingly, any preservation recommendations are made with
the hope of regional application, but each place needs to develop preservation strategies based in
their own needs and their history of recreation by the sea.
The National Parks Service, the federal governing body responsible for the preservation of
our historic resources has developed guidelines for preservation planning. The guidelines are
based on the following principles:
Important historic properties cannot be replaced if they are destroyed. Preserva-
tion planning provides for conservative use of these properties, preserving them
in place and avoiding harm when possible and altering or destroying properties
only when necessary.
Ifplanning for the preservation ofhisroric properties is ro have positive effects,
it must begin before the identification ofall significant properties has been
completed. To make responsible decisions about historic properties, existing
information must be used to the maximum extent and new information must be
acquired as needed.
Preservation planning includes public participation. The planning process
should provided a forum for open discussion ofpreservation issues. Public
involvement is most meaningful when it is used to assist in defining values of
properties and preservation planning issues, rather than when it is limited to
review ofdecisions already made. Early and continuing public participation is
essential to the broad acceptance ofpreservation planning decisions.301
Historic context statements are otten created as the initial planning tool used to help
communities understand groups resources ofa specific nature. These documents are meant to
describe a broad pattern ofevents, themes, and associated individuals. A historic context offers
information about historic trends and properties grouped by a common theme in the history of
301. Ibid.
127
the community. The National Parks Service views contexts as one of the most importance steps
when undertaking any type oflong term preservation planning, because, "it is within the larger
picture ofa community's history that local significance becomes apparent."3D2 Historic context
statements are generally described in terms of their theme, place, and a period oftime.
The theme of the context identifies the type of resources, the beach houses and the
recreational environment, that are going to be studied. It would be helpful ifeach town cre-
ated their own context for the resources within their boundaries. The focus will be to identify
specific events that contributed to the historic growth and development in terms ofcommunity
planning, recreational housing and recreational amenities, innovations in transportation,
architecture, and prominent architectural styles and their character defining features.3D3
The time boundary of the historic context statement would define the period of the study.
Tillamook County's context would likely focus on the historical development and the resources
that exist from the earliest planned resort towns to the end of the 1960s. This period would be
defined by the resources themselves and ideally would move beyond the fifty year mark that
normally circumscribes what is historic to give the document longevity as a planning tooL The
place boundary of the study should be defined by the county lines and then again limited to
resources within one-fourth mile ofthe ocean. This geographical limit will encompass resources
that have continued to logically and spatially influence the county's development and its built
environment.
This study does many of these things. Further research to identify the pattern ofevents that
helped to shape Tillamook County's recreational resources such as the businesses, the resorts,
the active city governments, the social groups and clubs, and an expanded look at the local
architects and builders who were influential in the creation of these buildings would help to
302. Department of the Interior, "Archeology and Historic Preservation: Secretary of the Interior's Standards and Guidelines"
http://www.nps.gov/history/local-law/arch_srnds_lO.htm (Accessed May 5,2009).
303. David L. Ames & Linda Flint McClelland, National Register Bulletin, "Historic Residential Suburbs:' (U S. Department
of the Interior: September 2002). 7.
128
fully understand this resource type.
Tillamook County has a wealth of information about the area's pioneer roots, the early
lumber, fishing, and dairy industries, and the early settlement patterns that existed. The general
themes ofdevelopment and the common architectural styles are also well known from the pio-
neer era. A themed context regarding Tillamook County's recreational history would provide
an avenue to look at the events that occurred as leisure became more affordable and better define
the houses and recreational activities that were created to serve those needs.
These planning tools would become the groundwork for other programs the federal
government has implemented. Currently a variety ofpreservation specific programs for the
formal documentation of these resources and landscapes exists including the National Register
of Historic Places, for individual properties, National Historic Districts for groups ofsimilar
properties, and the Multiple Property Submittal Program to designate similar properties over a
larger geographic area. These programs, which have been in place for nearly half a century, are
the most common avenue for preservation efforts and provide good models for other avenues of
preserving the areas history.
The National Register ofHistoric Places is "the official list of the Nation's historic places
worthy ofpreservation."304 Since its conception in 1966, the program helps to "coordinate
and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America's historic and
archeological resources."30S Some of the A. E. Doyle cottages have been listed, but for the most
part, beach houses do not retain the integrity necessary for this type ofdesignation.
The aspect ofintegrity is an important consideration. In the most formal sense, integrity
is based on seven guidelines. These include location, design, setting, materials, workmanship,
feeling, and association. They are defined by the National Parks Service as follows:
304. The National Parks Service, The National Register of Historic Places, http://www.nps.gov/history/nR/abollt.htrn>
(Accessed 9 May 2009).
305. Ibid.
129
Location: the place of construction where the historic event occurred.
Design: the variety and combination ofelements that create the form, plan,
space, structure, and style ofa property.
Setting: relates to physical environment of a historic property. Setting refers to
the character of the place in which the property played its historical role.
Materials: the physical elements that were used to form a historic property.
They indicate the availability ofparticular types ofmaterials and technologies.
Workmanship: the physical evidence of artisans' labor and skill in constructing
or altering a building, structure, object, or site.
Feeling: the property's expression of the aesthetic or historic sense ofa particu-
lar period of time. It results from the presence ofphysical features that, taken
together, convey the property's historic character.
Association: the link between an historic event or person and a historic prop-
erty. A property retains association if it is the place where the event or activity
occurred and is sufficiently intact to convey that relationship to an observer.306
With historic beach houses, many of these aspects have not been retained over the life of the
structure. Location is generally retained, as it is rare for these houses to be moved. It becomes
much more difficult for many of the other elements of integrity to be applied to beach houses.
The harsh climate and the contemporary desire to make these cabin or cottage homes into larger
second homes through various additions and alterations has compromised the integrity by
altering the materials, design, and workmanship. Likewise, feeling and association of the ocean
side villages has changed substantially over the years as housing and lot sizes have grown and
shrunk. This is not to say that there are not houses that retain the needed integrity, it is just that,
in many cases, there are only a few. In the situations where a National Register listing is feasible,
as the Doyle cottages were, it should be one of the first used tools in documenting and retaining
these little pieces ofhistory.
306. Department of the Interior, "How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation, National Register Bulletin," 15.
(Washington, D.C.: U.S. National Park Service, Interagency Resources Division, 1991),44.
--------------_.__ .._..._---- ---
130
The Department of the Interior also has outlined a formal documentation process for the
preservation oflarger areas and clusters ofstructures. National Historic District are defined as
groups ofbuildings that meet similar criteria for their architectural characteristics or historical
significance. Districts vary in size, but need to encompass a group ofstructures that are similarly
related, sometimes combined with a small number ofnon-contributing resources. To find logical
districts, a survey of the area's resources would need to be undertaken. These types ofsurveys
can be done by a preservation specialist with the help oflocal volunteers. To find districts in
Tillamook County, a reconnaissance level survey should be conducted in each town. These
surveys would document the building's style, materials, size, and year ofconstruction, and then
define them as either contributing or non-contributing. Districts would be most logical in the
areas that had the most contributing historic resources, which in turn would create a cohesive
district buildings.
Because beach towns have seen fairly constant infill throughout time, it may be hard to
define any large districts along Tillamook County's coast. Small districts seem more likely, but
another very good tool to help facilitate the National Register listing ofeligible beach houses
would be to create a county-wide Multiple Property Submittal (MPS) for historic properties.
The MPS is a document used to nominate individual structures that share a similar time period,
geographic distribution, theme, and importance. In Tillamook County the period ofsignificant
beach house development would likely be between the years of 1895 and 1970. Further research
would need to be conducted for the document, but upon its approval, any beach house that
meets the criteria set forth would be able to become National Register listed in a more stream-
lined process. This would be a program that Tillamook County could administer to help retain
their historic resources and create community interest in the preservation ofthe area's built
environment.
Although a MPS is more difficult and time consuming to prepare than a National Register
nomination for a single property or historic district, there are several advantages to using this
131
format. For example, once a MPS designation is created, it is often easier to nominate qualifying
resources. Properties that might not normally be individually eligible for the National Register
can sometimes be listed under a MPS. Existing MPS documents are also easier to expand to
include new types of resources, as long as these new properties share a similar history to those
already listed. This provides the ability to expand the scope periodically when it makes sense, so
that resources of the recent past can join their historic counterparts.
Another viable option would be for Tillamook County to work with communities to
create Certified Local Governments (CLG). This distinction would make some funding for
these projects attainable through federally sponsored grants from the Oregon State Historic
Preservation Office. The CLG program was designed to be flexible so local municipalities could
plan for the distinct needs of their community. This would be a good way to begin the hard
process ofplanning for the historic houses in Tillamook County.
Many of these houses are so small and unadorned it seems unlikely that a contemporary
legislative body (state, county, city government) could be convinced to create binding legal
historic protections for any house, especially not a thousand square foot beach house built in
1962. Zoning and planning might keep a third story from being built in a residential neighbor-
hood or a canning business from going into the middle of the block, but it won't stop one beach
house from being torn down and replaced by another. Furthermore, by creating regulations that
are too strict for remodeling, there is a risk that people will be encouraged to destroy what they
might have kept in order to get what they really want. Likely, the best solution is a combination
ofplanning guidelines and education as to why these buildings are important in the first place.
A major focus should undoubtably be on public education programs. Public education and
interpretation of recreation along the county's coast could be used to encourage visitors and
homeowners alike to recognize that the house they own or the house they rent were part of
the county's history, and should be interpreted in a similar fashion as the lumber and the dairy
industries.
132
Describing why people should preserve these old buildings, especially when there is an
opportunity to put something new in its place, is a difficult task. These small houses are histori-
cally important because they bring those ofus in the present together with everyone who has
been here before. They are the way we historically got back to the sea. At some level, they, better
than most historic resources, transport us to a simpler place in time. They are a tangible link
to the past. Once we move beyond the very small number ofarchitectural gems that do exist,
the majority of these houses are not predisposing in their own right. The real challenge is to
describe their historical feelings and associations to a contemporary homeowner or visitor in
a way that means something to them. They need to be metaphorically described through their
unique relationship visiting the ocean years ago-at a time before cottages had all the amenities
ofa regular home. Describing the historical aspect ofwhat it means to see the ocean though a
beach house window creates a romantic view of these homes. The only real hope is to create an
excitement about these small towns by the ocean. In this way, the six-hundred square foot cabin
becomes a portal, a touchstone, a means of remembering who we are and where we came from.
People filled these lots with whatever sized house they could afford at the time. Every lot has
a house and every house is different. Making a generalization ofwhat all the houses once were
would be impossible. Some homeowners had small lots and filled only the tiniest percentage
with a house. Other lots were large and filled to their maximum. There are no rules that would
work for everything. The goal needs be to find ways to help people who own beach houses (and
visit them) to understand what they have, why it is important, and what they can do to keep
them and use them in a way that would bring them pleasure. Certainly one avenue is to help
these owners relate to the generations that have gone before and to understand the sacrifices
that were made in the name of recreation. This process ofpublic education would hopefully
reveal the world ofpossibility that is housed within these structures and the joy that the houses
themselves gave to their visitors and owners.
The house itself is just a mechanism to make being next to the sea easy and enjoyable. While
133
a beach visitor may spend some time inside, the sea is the real draw-along with the recreational
opportunities that come with it. Furthermore, the reality of the actual time spent indoors, in
a beach house next to the sea, on a sunny, windy, or rainy day, is very different than a day spent
indoors at home. Beach activities are inherently more leisurely than the activities that might be
found at home. At home, there is no time to put together a puzzle, or read a summer novel, or
paint a cloudscape by the window. At the beach, we are allowed to be extracted from the con-
straints ofnormal life. The life that pays the bills, balances the checkbook, mows the lawn, cleans
the basement, goes to Target or walk the dog-admittedly walking the dog would be pleasurable
at the beach-is left behind. This has forever been the promise of the beach. People came to
spend time with their families and friends away from it all. Generations ofbeach house owners
and visitors have gone on hikes, collected seashells, watched the sunset, ate meals together,
played games, and had vacations full ofserendipity and splendor. All were accomplished in small
houses, here by the sea. It suggests that a variety of tools need to be used to make history come
alive in order to save the vernacular beach house. By providing these little places with history,
with context, along with guides for how to maintain the house, it is possible to create an aware-
ness that is currently underutilized along the coast.
At the same time, an appeal should be made to homeowners' own self-interest in their
community and surrounding landscape. Homeowners should be interested, because towns that
maintain a historic village feel tend to have more value, both in economic and social terms.
Houses are usually worth more in areas where people feel the historic sense ofplace are also
more likely to travel to towns that offer that old-time beach feeL Appeals to self interest have
seldom failed in the past.
The on-the-ground preservation projects that would be the most effective are the ones that
can engage an often, absent population. Full-time residents can help to be the voice for their
out-of-town counterparts, but to give the full-time residents this opportunity they need to
understand why the place is important. A newsletter to residents about the history of the town
134
and the growth of the community might help to ignite dinner table conversations about the
value ofplace. Pamphlets at the grocery stores and the coffee shop entitled "Why is My Beach
House Important?" or "How Does the Style ofMy House Shape My Community?" or "Beach
Houses: A HistorY;' might entice one homeowner to ask another if they knew the history of
their own home. Other pamphlets could talk about the materials used historically and how they
should be maintained such as, "Materials and Your House" or "Maintain Your Beach House
the Sustainable Way." This type ofpamphlet would be a fitting way to start conversations about
practical preservation along the coast. These houses matter just as much for their character
defining features as they do functionally within society. The preservation plan for these houses
will need to be described in ways that tie them with both their architecture and their long rela-
tionship with recreation in the shadow of the ocean. A website with the information contained
herein would be a convenient way for people to access this knowledge when they need it and to
find ways to obtain other resources.
Ultimately, the most readily deployable, and likely most successful approach, is education
and persuasion. The opportunity exists to arm beach house owners with the information to
proudly reject more expensive 21st century fixes, in favor ofperiod and use-sensitive approaches.
The latter can be promoted as cheaper, more effective, and a driver ofmaximum value for
minimum investment. Accordingly, workshops would be a good way to energize coastal popula-
tions, especially the full-time residents. These meetings could help communities think about
how preservation might work for them. Communities along Tillamook County's coast have all
recently completed community comprehensive plans. The networks created during this process
would be an effective vehicle for creating interests in workshops and seminars about preserva-
tion. This is a place where academia meets reality, where workshops, speakers, and traveling
displays are likely to capture the attention ofa populous that is not distracted by the day-to-day
life that they lead in the city. These events will, ofcourse, have to compete with the ocean, but
that is just more of a reason to be concise and entertaining.
13S
All of these acts are about creating appreciation for what is already there. Oregon has a good
chance ofkeeping the coast a place people love to visit. Education to owners, elected officials,
and relevant employees will be key to preserving not only the built environment along the coast,
but also the lifestyle that made these coastal towns a reality. This type ofawareness building is
marketing, more than anything else. The target audience needs to hear the message and then all
we can do is hope for the best. Happily, that kind ofpreservation is the best, where the people
themselves understand how wrong it would be to tamper with a structure that has already stood
the test of time.
APPENDICES
136
137
APPENDIX A
HISTORICAL CENSUS OF HOUSING TABLES-
PERCENT OF TOTAL HOUSING RECORDED AS BEING USED FOR
SEASONAL OR RECREATIONAL USE: 1940-2000
The full data set with real numbers ofhouses, and data classifying the unit as seasonal or occasional use can be accessed on the
United States Census website (as ofMay 2009) at http://www.census.gov/hhes/wwwIhousing/census/historic/vacation.html.
2000 1990 1980 1970 1%0 1950 1940
US 3.10% 3.00% 3.20% 2.90% 3.50% 2.30% 2.00%
AL 2.40% 2.10% 2.10% 2.20% 2.20% 0.70% 0.30%
AK 8.30% 7.40% 7.40% 5.70% 6.20% 0.80% NA
AZ 6.50% 5.80% 6.00% 2.70% 4.20% 2.30% 3.20%
AR 2.50% 1.90% 2.30% 2.50% 3.80% 1.30% 0.40%
CA 2.00% 1.80% 2.00% 1.90% 2.40% 1.70% 2.60%
CO 4.00% 4.40% 4.00% 4.20% 4.80% 4.60% 4.20%
CT 1.70% 1.60% 1.80% 2.00% 3.90% 3.70% 4.80%
DE 7.60% 6.70% 6.80% 4.20% 4.50% 3.10% 3.20%
DC 0.80% 0.60% 0.30% 0.40% 0.20% 0.10% 0.00%
FL 6.60% 6.90% 7.00% 3.40% 4.20% 2.60% 3.80%
GA 1.60% 1.30% 1.50% 1.60% 2.00% 0.80% 0.40%
HI 5.60% 3.30% 1.90% 1.40% 1.80% NA NA
ID 5.30% 6.10% 6.10% 5.40% 6.60% 2.90% 1.70%
IL 0.60% 0.60% 0.70% 0.80% 1.10% 0.80% 0.80%
IN 1.30% 1.70% 2.00% 2.10% 2.60% 1.80% 1.50%
IA 1.30% 1.30% 1.40% 1.80% 2.00% 0.90% 0.70%
KS 0.90% 0.70% 1.10% 1.40% 1.60% 0.60% 0.20%
KY 1.80% 1.40% 1.60% 1.90% 1.80% 0.60% 0.20%
LA 2.20% 1.80% 1.90% 2.10% 2.30% 0.80% 0.40%
ME 15.60% 15.00% 15.90% 19.20% 17.70% 12.10% 10.10%
138
2000 1990 1980 1970 1%0 1950 1940
MD 1.80% 2.20% 2.20% 2.00% 2.70% 2.60% 2.30%
MA 3.60% 3.70% 3.70% 3.60% 5.10% 4.10% 3.80%
MI 5.60% 5.90% 6.00% 6.00% 6.70% 5.10% 4.00%
MN 5.10% 5.70% 6.10% 5.80% 6.90% 4.50% 2.90%
MS 1.90% 1.60% 2.20% 2.50% 2.90% 1.00% 0.30%
MO 2.70% 2.50% 2.70% 2.80% 2.50% 1.00% 0.80%
MT 5.90% 5.80% 5.80% 5.40% 6.00% 2.80% 1.90%
NE 1.70% 1.70% 1.70% 1.80% 2.10% 0.70% 0.40%
NV 2.00% 2.20% 2.20% 2.10% 2.50% 1.40% 1.90%
NH 10.30% 11.30% 11.90% 15.70% 15.10% 12.70% 10.00%
NJ 3.30% 3.30% 3.80% 4.50% 6.10% 5.20% 5.40%
NM 4.10% 3.60% 4.70% 3.40% 3.60% 2.10% 3.20%
NY 3.10% 3.00% 3.10% 3.30% 4.40% 3.50% 2.90%
NC 3.90% 3.60% 3.70% 3.00% 2.80% 1.30% 0.70%
ND 3.00% 2.80% 3.60% 3.90% 3.80% 1.30% 0.50%
OH 1.00% 0.90% 1.10% 1.10% 1.40% 1.00% 0.90%
OK 2.10% 1.80% 1.60% 2.10% 2.30% 0.80% 0.40%
OR 2.60% 2.70% 2.80% 2.60% 3.80% 2.40% 2.40%
PA 2.80% 2.90% 2.70% 2.10% 2.40% 1.40% 1.00%
RI 3.00% 2.90% 3.20% 3.70% 5.10% 4.50% 4.50%
SC 4.00% 3.50% 3.80% 3.40% 3.10% 1.40% 0.70%
SD 3.10% 2.90% 3.90% 3.70% 3.70% 1.40% 0.90%
TN 1.50% 1.20% 1.20% 1.50% 1.60% 0.60% 0.30%
TX 2.20% 2.20% 2.80% 2.90% 3.40% 1.80% 1.30%
UT 3.90% 3.50% 2.60% 2.30% 2.10% 1.10% 0.80%
VT 14.60% 16.80% 15.40% 15.30% 13.30% 8.70% 6.60%
VA 1.90% 1.70% 2.00% 2.10% 2.00% 1.10% 0.70%
WA 2.50% 2.90% 3.30% 3.30% 4.20% 2.70% 2.60%
WV 3.90% 2.90% 2.50% 3.00% 2.40% 0.80% 0.30%
WI 6.10% 7.30% 7.50% 6.40% 6.80% 4.90% 4.40%
WY 5.60% 4.90% 4.60% 4.50% 5.80% 2.30% 2.20%
139
APPENDIXB
AVERAGE TEMPERATURE DATA (IN FAHRENHEIT) AND
AVERAGE TOTAL PRECIPITATION AND SNOW FALL FOR PACIFIC
NORTHWEST COAST WEATHER STATIONS
From the Western Regional Climate Center. Data compiled from http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/summary/Climsmor.html. (accessed
April 2009).
Data Station (Sta- Period of High Temp Low Temp Average Total Average Total
tion # in Parenthe- Record Precipitation Snow Fall (in.)
ses) (in.)
Aberdeen, WA 1891 to 2007 58.3 42.4 83.14 8.7
(450008)
Astoria, OR 1953 to 2007 58.4 43.7 68.25 4.2
(350328)
Brook.in~s, OR 1912 to 2002 61.2 45.6 76.34 0.7
(351055
Cape Blanco, OR 1952 to 1979 54.9 45.7 75.86 0.3
(351360)
Clearwater, WA 1895 to 2007 58.2 40.8 116.52 8.1
(451496)
Cloverdale, 0 R 1940 to 2007 60.4 43.2 82.6 2.6
351682)
Denmark,OR 1956 to 2007 62.7 45.7 73.65 0.0
(354721)
Gardiner, 0 R 1983 to 2007 60.7 44.8 69.06 0.0
(353193)
Gold Beach, OR 1948 to 2007 60.8 45.7 79.65 0.2
(353356)
Grayland, WA 1948 to 2007 57.8 42.7 73.21 0.8
(453320)
Honeyman 1971 to 2007 60.3 43.6 70.11 0.8
State Park, OR
(353995)
140
Data Station (Sta- Period of High Temp Low Temp Average Total Average Total
tion # in Parenthe- Record Precipitation Snow Fall (in.)
ses) (in.)
Hoquiam,WA 1953 to 2007 57.6 44.3 69.49 4.8
(453807)
Long Beach, WA 1922 to 1967 58.0 42.2 80.91 0.2
(454752)
Long Beach, WA 1967 to 2007 57.8 42.9 80.26 1.2
(454748)
Newport, OR 1893 to 2007 57.7 43.9 67.82 1.1
(356032)
North Bend, 0 R 1902 to 2005 60.1 44.7 63.49 1.3
(356073)
Otis, OR 1948 to 2007 59.1 42.6 97.59 3.0
(356366)
Point Grenville, 1947 to 1979 55.5 42.6 87.68 3.2
WA (456584)
Port Orford, OR 1905 to 1963 59.7 45.1 69.34 0.6
(356779)
~illayute,WA 1971 to 1990 57.3 41.1 102.05 13.2
(456858)
Reedsport, OR 1937 to 1983 60.7 43.8 75.73 1.9
(357082)
Seaside, OR 1930 to 2007 59.7 43.8 76.03 1.8
(357641)
Tatoosh Island, 1931 to 1966 53.1 45.4 77.55 8.8
WA (458332)
Tillamook, 0 R 1948 to 2007 59.3 41.9 89.50 2.3
(358494)
141
APPENDIX C
TILLAMOOK COUNTY BEACH HOUSES
(ARRANGED BY YEAR OF CONSTRUCTION)
Address 9275 5th Street, Bay City
Architectural Classification Gothic Revival
Date of Construction c. 1880s
Ivfaterials Shingle
Stories 1.5
Square Feet 762
142
Address 5510 Pacific Street, Bay City
Architectural Classification Colonial Revival
Date of Construction c. 1900
Materials Horizontal Board
Stories 1.5
Square Feet 1144
143
Address 37480 2nd Street, Neahkahnie Beach
Architectural Classification Early Northwest Regional
Date of Construction 1910
Materials Horizontal Board
Stories 1.5
Square Feet 1562
Architect A. E. Doyle
144
Address 6760 Bayocean Road, Unincorporated
Architectural Classification Vernacular
Date of Construction 1911
Materials Shingle
Stories 1.5
Square Feet 1004
145
Address 37890 Beulah Reed Road, Neahkahnie Beach
Arch itectural Classification Bungalow/Early Northwest Regional
Date of Construction 1914
Materials Shingle
Stories 1.5
Square Feet 1773
Architect A. E. Doyle
146
Address 37475 1st Street, Manzanita
Architectural Classification Early Northwest Regional/Craftsman
Date of Construction 1916
Materials Shingle
Stories 1.5
Square Feet 1558
Architect A. E. Doyle
147
Address 37465 Beulah Reed Road, Neahkahnie Beach
Architectural Classification Early Northwest Regional
Date of Construction 1916
rvraterials Shingle
Stories 1.5
Square Feet 1780
Architect A. E. Doyle
148
Address 38070 Beub.h Reed Road, Ne:1hkahnie Be:1ch
Architectural Classification Early Northwest Regional
Date of Construction c. 1916
Materials Horizontal Board
Stories 1.5
Square Feet 1085
Architect A. E. Doyle
149
Address 47940 Hawk Street, Neskowin
Architectural Classification Bungalow
Date of Construction 1920
Materials Wood Shingle
Stories 1
Square Feet 625
150
Address 48845 Breakers Boulevard, Neskowin
Architectural Classification Vernacular
Date of Construction 1920
Materials Horizontal Board
Stories 1.5
Square Feet 884
151
Address 37850 Beulah Reed Road, Neahkahnie Beach
Architectural Classification Early Northwest Regional
Date of Construction 1922
Materials Shingle
Stories 1.5
Square Feet 1853
Architect A. E. Doyle
152
Address 1555 Tillamook Avenue, Oceanside
Architectural Classification Bungalow
Date of Construction 1922
Materials Wood Shingles
Stories 1
Square Feet 670
153
Address 1005 4th Street, Oceanside
Arch itectural Classification Vernacular
Date of Construction 1925
J\tlaterials Wood Vertical Board
Stories 1
Square Feet 402
154
Address 5480 Violet Street, Oceanside
Architectural Classification Bungalow
Date of Construction 1925
Materials Horizontal Board
Stories 1
Square Feet 662
155
Address 1790 Rosenberg Loop, Oceanside
Architectural Classification Bungalow
Date of Construction 1934
Materials Horizontal Board
Stories 1
Square Feet 504
156
Tillamook County Assessment and Taxation: Photo on file. c. j 974. h[[p:lIwww.co.tillamook.oLus/gov/A%26T/public/
a%26tpubliclTel11p/983880560 183539Imp.rif (accessed April j, 2009)
Address 5485 Daisy, Oceanside
Architectural Classification Vernacular
Date of Construction 1937
Materials Horizontal Board
Stories 1
Square Feet 380
157
Address 4375 Amity Avenue, Neskowin
Architectural Classification Modern
Date of Construction 1946
Materials Wood Shingles
Stories 1
Square Feet 1416
158
Address 47630 Hawk Street, Neskowin
Architectural Classification Modern
Date of Construction 1946
Materials Shingle
Stories 1
Square Feet 1152
Arch itect Van Evera Bailey
159
Address 1455 Tillamook Avenue, Oceanside
Architectural Classification Minimal Traditional
Date of Construction 1947
Materials Asbestos
Stories 1.5
Square Feet 1389
160
Address 4355 Amity Avenue, Neskowin
Architectural Classification ModernIShed
Date of Construction 1947
Materials Horizontal Board
Stories 1
Square Feet 1522
161
Address 38 Treasure Cove Lane, Manzanita
Architectural Classification Early Ranch -No Garage
Date of Construction 1955
Materials Shingle
Stories 1
Square Feet 1074
162
Address 5000 Crab Avenue, Oceanside
Architectural Classification Minimal Traditional
Date of Construction 1954
Materials Horizontal Board
Stories 1
Square Feet 875
163
Address 47705 Breakers Blvd, Neskowin
Architectural Classification Shed
Date of Construction 1960
Materials Board and Batten Asbestos
Stories 2
Square Feet 1250
164
Address .4365 Forest Grove Avenue, Neskowin
Architectural Classification Nlodern/Shed
Date of Construction 1961
Nlaterials Shingles
Stories 1
Square Feet 1170
165
Address 48035 Breakers Blvd, Neskowin
Architectural Classification Modern/Shed
Date of Construction 1961
Materials ShingJes
Stories 2
Square Feet 1800
166
Address 47835 Breakers Blvd, Neskowin
Architectural Classification A- Fran1e
Date of Construction 1961
Materials Shingles and Vertical Board
Stories 1.5
Square Feet 992
167
Address 8755 Pelican Lane, Manzanita
Arcllitectural Classification Eclectic Beach Motif
Date of Construction 1962
Materials Shingle
Stories 1.5
Square Feet 1760
168
Address 5890 Eloise Avenue, Tierra Del Mar
Archi tectural Classification A-Frame
Date of Construction 1964
lVlaterials Shingle
Stories 1.5
Square Feet 483
169
Address 1070 4th Street, Oceanside
Architectural Classification Modern/Shed
Date of Construction 1965
Materials Wood Vertical Sheet
Stories 1
Square Feet 884
170
Address 47895 Breakers Blvd, Neskowin
Architectural Classification Googie
Date of Construction 1968
Materials Board on Board and Horizontal Board
Stories 2
Square Feet 1632
171
Address 1570 Hillcrest Avenue, Oceanside
Architectural Classification A-Frame
Date of Construction 1968
Materials Wood Sheet
Stories 1.5
Square Feet 1012
172
Address 249 University Avenue, Manzanita
Architectural Classification Northwest Regional
Date ofConstfuction 1971, 1991
Materials Stone: Other/Undefined
Stories 1.5
Square Feet 1493
173
Address 47170 Beach Crest Drive, Neskowin
Architectural Classification Other/Unique
Date of Construction 1972
Materials Horizontal Board
Stories 1
Square Feet 540
174
Address 8280 Treasure Rock Road, Neahkahnie Beach
Architectural Classification Octagon
Date of Construction 1973
Materials Shingle
Stories 1
Square Feet 1086
175
Address 9005 Windward Lane, Manzanita
Architectural Classification Vernacular
Date of Construction 1979
Materials Shingle
Stories 1.5
Square Feet 548
176
Address 11030 Ocean Way, Bayside Gardens
Architectural Classification Octagon
Date of Construction 1999
Materials Horizontal Board
Stories 1
Square Feet 1013
APPENDIXD
PROMOTIONS: "A TOURIST'S PARADISE"
177
S1)U11fflfN PACJne lINts SOUTtlfRN PACIFIC LlNfS
Southern Pacific Railroad, Tillamook County Beaches, Tourist Pamphlet, c. 1914.
Oregon Collection, University of Oregon's Library, Special Collections.
",
178
0 ,II~ Illdbll:- say the whik mall is always gcttin~;• rvady to enjoy life While.' ~hc Indnll fnjoys life a:-he g"')(~:; along. ?'lIon; and mOrE" we are beginnin;:"\(1 I"l'alill' that we \\'ill !Jn~ hilger and better Ii, t';;
:llld Iw happier if we takx an occa"itmal ft>::,pite irom ttw
d:lily grill(} of busiill~.sS worries ;tnd ~()cial obligation~.
Tlll'f{, is r~:;tl wisdom in the old pro ..... erb that <ill work alid
110 pia) lllak('5 Jack a dull btl)". \Yc need relaxatiotl
'1'11\' 1),,\·.. tlwt is alw<ty.s strung at last ]osrs its elasticit),
\\'IH'll \'f)U ,Ire mentally alid physically weary of the wi!.,
"1 lhl" 111rnHlil and the tUlllult of the work-day world yn'.l
will lind th;l( to get bark rn nature and sojourn for a
",hill' hy tllt' sea will restore your poise and yigor. Th.r
~j IIl't'd ;"" ;1 (.. hange of environment and for 'recrt'utioll l~
-'-i. il 1"1·;t! JH {,·d rhE very word. recreation, tells its O\\'!l
-j ,',Iup', l<n'1"ealio!1 means In n·-rn'ate. to create ",new, 10
"~ ....,-l,\"ii:di/f.• <ll1d make strong.
\Vhy not ::,pclld your \'acation this: year at -the St(l
} l'lla~l;' YOl1 will come back to \"pur work' with kecll<T
/l':.1 afll'l" :'[ll'nding a Jew days or wcek5 by the side rd
Illd oc('an,
1
i
')
!
,
1
Portland's Nearest Seaside Resorts
[lllrt1and's nearest seasi~le r('sort~ are those locat~d
1111 Tillamook County Beach('~. Drdw a line due west
fmill Portland and it will ml~rt the Pacific Ocean in tbe
Ill'a rt (If the Tillamook GJUIll\' Be.1ch Resort district.
\VlJilt- we think of the Till-amook seashore resorts as our
Il('west Ocean playground, yet for many years the olft-
tillll' residents of Portland and thc Vpper \Villametl.e
Y:lIil-y have be-en going there ear.h summer by team a[:d
w:tg(lll Since t1lc huilding of the Southern Pacific bram:h
Ihle !(l Tillamook, the Tillamook County Beach Resons
> ,Ire (~;\sih a('.ce<,~ibl(,\ and each season sees increasing
COUNTY
BEAcHES,~. - .' - - -.. J
llIlIllhl'r,:; of sununer \'i;,it'Jr~ spending their \-at-at1ntls
Lhue.
The trip from Porlland tlJ the Tillamook Coumy Bt'olCh
Resorts prest:l1ts an e"er-changing panorama of scenic
charm. \Ve pass through f.kan'xton, Reecldlle and fTills··
bora, thriving tOWn<; which recall the carl\' da~·s of Ore-
gon's histOry. - .
The Mountain)s Matchless Scenic Charm
Soon the foot-hills arE' erll<:'rcd and on bolh sides of.
tht: track the wild currelll bravely flings to the breeze its
hanner of bloom, At. Timht'r station, located in the heart
of lhe great woods and Ilear the summit of the Coast
Range, an artistic station of logs shcn.\·~ that timbcr i::; the
principal product of the section.
From the Summit to the Se.
The altitude at Cochran, the sltmmit, i~ 1811 feel.
Cochran is fh·c miles west ()f Timber and here tltt:
train begins to descend the western .;;;Iope oj the Coast
1foulltains. For miles the track winds and t\yist:c,
through a dense anti apparently impenetrabk fore.st.
Deep and precipitous r::!.drH~s are crossed, on high
trestlft.6 and. where it scellls that nature has com-
pletely blocked the W;;j \' to further progress, nature is
circum,·ented and tilt' ~rain, being unable to get over:
or around the obstruclloll. f!ne~ through by means "-f
a tun11eL As the train winds in and OLit the p8.'<;Sf'n~
gers experience a :"Nie... 01 thrills as one heautiful
or majestic scent? after another is revealt-d
The line ('rosses and rccrosse5- the Salmonberry
River' mally times. Th(" hills become precipitous
and drop abruptly to the ',.Yater's edgc. 'tT ere and
there a mountain-born ~trealll drops in wmd-blowll
silve.ry spray o\,er the cliff to join thc swiftly-flowing
river far belo\\'. Here ;)nd there, too, great masses
of interlacing vines and briars hang, oyer the edge of
the cliff like a green waterfall arrested in mid-air in
the act of railing. From the car, Wil}dow the pa.<;~enger
can watch the Salmonberry rushlllg llllpetllQ\ls1y arot11ld
against or over the huge boulders that are lhickly
strewn in the COtuse of it" sea-seeking \~-atL'rs.
How an artist would reye! in the merging tints of
green to b~ seen from the car winnow, The \yater in
179
Hotel Elmore, Elmore Pade.
places is lllilk-'~'hitc shading off imo the delicalt' light
greell OT jade and iIUI)(>r('cptibly .sJ1.1ding off inti)
darker green till it is ;l~ dark ;tS llnlacbite. The colo!
:'l:hcmc is duplic,tted in the tender I\-ile green of the
ne\\" growth of Tile ferns ?l.I1J wi1\,,\\·.~ and the darker
green of Ihe firs and ced;lr.'O
The Salmonberry. Famous for Fish
\Yc make a brief slop "t pit'! ufcsqlle Salmonberry
station where pedestrian;:; erl)s::; rhe stream on a railed
bridge l11fl.Of; of a singk tree. Here WE' arc apt TO
lose 50111(; 01 Dill' passcnger.:" for Saimonberry', like
:\layo. Enrig'ht, RectoL .:.taple.'), ::\ehalem Falls and
Batterson, are fain011S p!ac-e..:: for fishing,
Soon the Salmonberry merges its roam-\\'hite wa~
tt'rs with the les5~tl1rbtlicllt \\-aters of the Kehalem,
For mile:.: thc train follo\\-.". the ?\chaltrn Ri\'er,
In Sight of the Sea
At },-Iohler the pa.s.o::.pnge;-'~ n-hnse destination i,~
Xcah-Kah-Nie Tavern '!.l'C Illl~t with antos and tht
si:-:-mile trip through the \\'/l(llb is ,t fitting climax tu
a day of delig·ht,
Passengers desliEf'd to Manzanita, Classic Ridge
or Cains Hotel continue 011 to \rheelcr. wbcre a
launch is takcn to :'-:ehalcm. two and :t half miles !lp
the Nehalem Ri\'cr. Here an <ltlto uuss take;;; vou to
your destination, -
N eah-Kah~Nie Mountain
l\ eJ.h-Kah-l\~ie :'Iotlntain dominates the Scene, IL
is the highest headland along the Pacific's shore from
Tamalpias to the Rriti:-b Columbia border. Tt rises
1')00 ieet above the seZI. \;;. thc erow flics it is 60
miles from Portland. In thp early days ...."hen the
Tndians burned the forest co make open pastures
for their horses the firE tran:ied up the timbered
!'JcJpes of Neah-Kahh?\ic .\Iolll1tain, and long after
the fire on the surrounding hillsides had died dowll
Xcah-Kah-1\lc, like a flaming torch. I1t up the night.
The Indians from their tee. Pl2 C'_<: along thC' ocean's
shore, seeing the dancing flames all the summit of the
mountain, named it Xeab-Kah-;.Iie. which means
"Home of the Firc Spirit."
It is hard to describe Ne;:lh-Ktlh-Kic Mountain,
Pocts speak of the changl;'_les~ Illonntaills. Ever-
changeful would more nearly descrihe N"eah-Kah-Nie
I\Jountain. Now its summit is half concealed and haH
revealed by wisps of fog. a little later you see its crest
A'cu!J-Kah-Nie Tavun.
('Je,lr-rnt as [I (rlllle(.. SrJ(1n the brilliant coloring UII
its sides £ades f(l "'llitcr tints a.s t.he shado's of a
cloud drifts SlcHdy ;1Cl'n ..;:; It..., bee. The uarktf grecll
of the ,,"ind-bem sprucc trecs merge into the tender
lll'\\" green of tbe ~alJJ. Sittlng 011 the sean"ard slope
oi ?\cah-Kah~Xie \-0[1 hear a solemn murmur as the
w;\':es caress the shore Alwa\"~ TO your ears cOlne~
the L.J\\" monotone from the p~lssiol1ate be;Ht of the
sea, "the muslc-hal1l1ted yearning 51:'<105 eternal whis-
perings to the shore."
A Wonderful View
The trip to the sUlllmit of ~eah-Kah-NieMountain
j.~ one that e\'cry yisitor to the resorts alon,':!: Tilla-
mook County's shore ;;;hOllld make. From its Cfest
a wonderful panorama is unrolled. To the east\vard
one sees mile on mile of unbroken forest. FolIo\\" the
g-listening· crescent of the beach and yOll will see Cape
:l\leat'5, and stll1 iurthcl tn the south\\"ard, Cape Lonk-
out. In the fo[egrotll1u Y~Jll see Neah·-Kah-:t\re _Ta\'~
ern and a group of summer cottages. Beyond, hke a
stream of quicksilver, is tl~c :\ ehaleru River. Like
toy \·jllages, 1\ehalem. \YhetJer <li!d the resorts of
Garibaldi Beach appear. To the northward the eye
follo\\'s the rugged and picturesque coast line to Cape
Falcon, Tillan1oo·k Head. Cantloll Beach and North
Head. Glistening in the SI1!l like a sinuous thr~ad
of siln... r across the green. OIlC sces the sea-see.k1l1g
Columbia. To the ·we<:.tward, almost at :ronr feel,
the eye swceps uncounted leagues of ocean. which.
changeless, rolls eternally in its age-old wooing of
the shore. Emerson says. "I do not count the hour~
I spend in wandering by the sea, the forest is my
A Bohemian
Lunch.
E,erybody
;\.f~cf's the
Train
loy,J.! friend, a Dd·
phiL shrine to me"
°F-Jm\" he would have
re ...·clecl [1\ the beatl-
tit'~ of the N eah-
Kah-l\'ie district.
The Golf Course
One of the much
appreciated pleas-
ures at Neah-Kah-
~te is the l6G-acre
golf COurse. It lies
on the upland mead-
0\\'5. and OTIe plays
Or1 a soft carpet of
yielding-grass dotted
with wild flowers 1fore than 70 \'arieties of \\'iid
tloi,yers tlre fonnd on l he slope of the mouHtain.
Great bed:; of fragrant "iolet anJ dandelions make
the golf course a ti"ld of pnrple and gold. The golf
courSe was laid oUl b.\-' ;) g(df C'nthusiast and golf
expert. The total length of the course is 2720 yards.
Probably no COllr~e i~ more picturesquely sitnated.
Neah-Kah-Nie Tavem
\·eah·-J<alJ-p~ie TaYNII i;.: picturesquely located on
a bench of land a Ie\\ rods back from the line uf roll~
ing :->Ilrf. Frol11 the l:lvern the eye sweeps the wide
horiJ.oll of ~ea and shore Neah-Kah~Nie Tavern,
h;wing the resources oi a thousand-acre farm to draw
upon, has (10 lack of h011lc-grown things upon the
lable.
Classic Ridge and Manzanita Inn
In addition to Xcah·Kah-Nic Tavern there are
,-'l'\'eral dcligb,tflll rC;';(Jrl~ in the immediate \"ieinity.
Cla~sic Ridge is \\it.bin (:as\" reach from l\~ehalenl. Jt
\~ locateo on Classic H.1.!lge Lake and is 111 the mid~t
of inspiring scenery.
Nehalem itself i~ a pleasant place to l1\'e. It.c::
l'limate i5 ideal and it i::: picturesquely located on tht~
.:'\ehalel11 Ri'"er not far from the oceall.
l\Ianzallita Inn, at .i\Ianzanita, is beautifully located
in a grove of evergreens and is abotlt 200 yards back
fto111 the beach.
Frnm Manzanita 1\111, Keah-Kah-?\ie Tavern and
~bc other resorts in the vicinity, trips are made to
many nearby points ot imerest. Onc of the favoritc
Jaunts is the trip down the beach to the mouth of
,11e: :\"ehalcm River. A.nothcr trip, some\" hal J1Wre
stn'J1UOl1:5 but \'ery enjoyable, is the trip by the Old
J ndian trail arounJ 1\ C'ah-Kah- N ie ),1 '...untain. Jt lS a
lrip iull uJ thrills, Olle no SUllimer vacationist should
miss. The trail winds around tbe [ace of the mOUll-
lain which ill mallY places oYerhangs the sea. ,\t
Short Sand Beach af- \Veil as at l:\ecarney Crcek. l'X-
eellent fishing is to be had. From Short Sand Beach
the trail 'wmds up\\'ard to Cape Falcon. .-\ climb ttJ
lhe Ilext ridge and you can Sc'e Cannon Beach, '\rdl
:ape, Srl"VaIl Cape, Hng Point, Humbug Point, Ha~'­
"'tack Rock awl Tillamook H cad, while nit shore
Tillamook Rock Ugh lhollse is [0 be seen.
Garibaldi Beach Resorts
Continuing wesl from \Vheelcr the Southern
Paciiic lines skirt.s tilt:: south shore of N elw.lt'tIl Day
until the seashore is readIed. Turning south It.
traverses GaribaldI Beach a shorL distanl'c from and ill
plain sight of the ocean sevell miles to Barvjew,
thence along the north shore of Tillamook Bay to
the City of Tillamook.
Each season thc GarlLaldi Beach resorts are
thronged with Summer \'<!CatioIl15tS. They are de-
servedly popular with pLcasure seekers and are grow-
ing more in favor year by year. 1Ianhatran Bcach,
Lake Lytle, Rockaway, Elmore Park, S;J.lt;J.ir, Ocean~
lake and Harvie\\' will saotl torm a l:ontinuol1s settle-
ment from eud to cnd of Garibaldi Beach. Already
they are touching elLmys and soon the intervening
spaces will be occupied by SlImmcr cottages or tents
The surf bathing is p;:trticularly fine along the Gari-
baldi Beach and full advantage is taken of this de-
lightful feature of the various resort::;"
At low tide the beach ,"aileS from ~ thol1~,and to
fifteen hundred feet in \':id!h. The sand is so smooth
and firm that it makes Rn ideal driveway. The Gari-
baldi Beach is sometimes referred to as the Hi\.fllsieal
Strand" on account of the fact that in many plaCes
the sand gives out Illusical sOlluds whell walked upon
or when the hand is passed rapidly across the sand.
Just back of Ocean lake is a fresh water lake which
co,Yers eighteen acres. Tt lies back irol11 the ocean not
Cl\yer :! hundred yards and is surrounded by trees.
Holel Ba)}ocean.
180
181
.,.
J~,-; ..
lamoo~ County Beache$ ma~e an ideal vacationland.
--1
182
COQI Qnd
Rc,~llul TrQih.
City. '\ ft'\\' 111111'." Illrllll'r Oil i~ Tillamook.. the l'otlllty
scat of Tilln.1J10llk ("Juilly and the metropDlis of this
~eC'tion. Till;t1JJn(,j~ !J 0;1.:-; l." a modern hotel, paved
strcets, .'-"cll()oi.-" t Itll!'t']H'<; ;llld mercantile e-stablisiJ-
Il1('llt" wor[ll)" of :1 1IH'lrO\H)lis, 'Voods, Neskowin,
.?\ctarls :lIld r':!crlic City are promising Tillamook
COUllty SlIlIlllll'r rc~orls.
TIle SU1l1111l']" \':ll ati'llli;::t ("all find a wide diYersity
of pll'asllrt' sport and rcncation at the Tillamook
('(qUIt v hcat'h re",nr[s, and best oj alL thc cost is rea~
'\ollalJlc <Ilnj lllev are ,Yithil1 a few· hO\.lr:;J distance
01 Portland. •
'I'illnownk County Seashore hotpls-liste(l Lor the COI1-
\'cnicrwe uf ~ummer \'isitors-al'e as follows:
Neall-Kah-Nie Tavern, Neah-Hall-Nie, Oregon. S, G.
It(!ed, proprietor; 30 rooms and tenls. Hates (room with
hath) $18.00 10 $21.00 per week, (rooms without bath)
$t;:i,OO to $] 8.00 per ....\'l3ek. A1lH'l'i:cn.n plan,
Manzanita Inn, Manzanita, Ore.gon. G. B. Nunn,
host: 14 roomS. Rates $2.00 to $2.:!ii per olar; $10,00 to
~12.50 per week. Family rntf'~ Oil applicn.tion; two miles-
north of :Neha.leID Bay, 1,.!l mile south of ';':eah-Kah-Ni~
:nountain and hal ( mile from public: golf course. Auto
meets all boats. Boat meets all trainf-!.
Rector Rotel, Wheeler, ~\. ,1. Zimmerman, proprietor:
30 rooms. Rates $3.50 vcr ('la~·, Anwrican plan. (;"onl-
inCLuding yiew of the ocean and !\el1alem Bay.
Nehalem Hotel. Nehalem. H. \r. '.rohl, proprietor: H
ruoms, Rates. $2.00 per dar, American plan, Situated on
I,he ~ehfllcm Bay.
Outlook Inn, Lake Lytle. W. R Rossman, manager
. -\m~-kClJl plan. Rates ~2,OO flml $3.00 per day, an out-
sidc rooms vri th a view uf the Ocean or J..alte Lytle.
EJnclosed SUn parlor, OPCIl fireplaces, baths, hot and coW
\t'atel', S!l.lt 2.Tld fresh \vater, b,lthing, rowing on Lake
Lytle, large dancing flour; telephone connections.
Rajlt'{)[t.d station adjoining inll. Special weekly, monthly,
:trld season ra tes on Rpplir:rLtion.
1,~a~~.ea~~1~e~lo~~::1:-8:ft~j~lm£[~·~hP~~~;·t~]~~tb~~1~~Ii;l;~e~
.'nmp]etely for light ]l(jllseke~ping. Bakery a.nd grocery
nliar Ly. Baggage easily handlNl. Rates $7.00 per week,
~Lo;,{lO per season. Addl"~R~ :'III'S, Hirschnf'l', Elmore: Park,
l-~oPl(a\\ay 1-'. 0,
Hotel Elmore, Elmore Pa,rk. Fil'st~class dining· room
!'It'I''\'iee installed fOI' ~ca::;oll 191(;; ;-;:) rooms, Rate Amer-
iean plan, ~2.00 aod $2.50 -per day; European plan it
desired, Fine ocean Yiei.\'; vcra.nda sleeping I·OOms.
Alidrf-'Sl; illrs, ..\, J. Linfldsey, manager, Hoclm'way P.O.
Hotel Sa.ltair, SaltQ.ir, Rocka.way, Ore., P. O. Accom-
ITIod<:Ltions for 30 guests. Rates $2.00 per dar inclnding
'Heals. Addl'e,s.s :'-Tl·,s. T,. L. Ya.n){ortwie-k, Hoc];:away, Ore.
Bar View Tent City, Ba,r View, Ore. ''i.-ise and :'Ilas-
sey, ]H'opriotol's and mallilgL'rS, Fifty completely fur ..
ni~hed ;.ousekeepin~ tf':nto:' Hntl 25 sleeping tents. Hes-
WlU'ant and delic.al(·.%i'll in connection. Dance ball, pool
,J nd billiard hall, bowling alleys nearby. Ratc):; $1.00
lwr day and up. .
Camp Ca.rter, Bar View. Ejgllleen 1-room cottages,
':omplE-tely furnished, H:ltes ~1.(lO per day am] up, Ad-
.1l"(~sS C. E. Carter, Bar Yi8\V, Ore.
Villa VaU1p, Bar View, Twenly~fiye I, 2 and 3-room
,~oltages, mountain water piped to ground. Completely
r'urnished, Electric lights, Rate $1.00 per da~·. }"rf-
oIl·l'::lS L. J, Tolls, Bar yip\y, Ore.
Baysid.e Inn, Bayoceun. Rates $2.50 per day. Ca-
:litCity, -10 guests. l'
Bungalow City, Bayocean. Accommodations in Bunga-
low City fully equipped for light housekeeping, including
'.\ 00(1, light, watel' and laundry for :Z;1().OO per week or
$lS,OO for two weeks. 'l'he only complete surf-making
Ilwchlne in the world i~ installed in the natatorium. FUll
Informa.tion on application to J, J. Head or H. L, Chapin,
-; \:-.-722 Corbett Bldg., Portlflnd, Oregon.
Hotel Ba,yocea,.n Annex, Bayocean. Mrs. W. E, Hu teh-
Ill~OIl, manager. Capacity 100. Hates $2.50 to $3.50
p~r day; $] 5,00 per week and up,
Tillamook Kotel, Tilln.mook, Ore. Recently comple-ted.
I lining room in L'onnecUon, Hoom and bath if desired,
Bus to and from trains. Ra.tes $1,00 and up, \\"eekly
n~ tes on application, P. J. ~~orl'all, prop,
For full particulars regarding r.rilLamook County Re-
.~urts, consult any Southern Pacific Agent, or address
"~HAS S, FEE, JOlIN M. SCOTT,
l'assenger '.rraffic l\.lanagel' Gen. Passenger Agent,
PUB. NO. 142.. 6'2.0'16, 15M Portland, Oregon
In the H carl of the Fotc5i:
183
17 ;,,-,.,
184
TIL l c\ MOO K COl; i\ L \' 1\ E A C H E S
---~------_._----------..,
Y;lcarioll with till.' C~refrl'c Throng at the: TIII:lnlOok Count}' Benches
I Tillamook County Beaches
'{jHE thl'N' of u:, mel 11; Pon-lo.nd-- 'with ftcommon problem. ',"p wel'l~ trying todel,."irle Wl,lrl'(' 'W: should spenn n,',lr s"mn, ,mer n.le:niull. ?\'IRllY interesting poilltflh:vl lwen :'lllggC'8tcd. when ""uddpn!Y m::-'
frit'ne! from the wheM-gl'C'l\\'ing [nterior
. wide.1l1 v asked:
"Whe"Tf' and whld i~ th(~ Tillumook CotUIt,no?"
"I droye 0)"<'] OIHX', :l(~I't)SI' t.hl" mounk1in8.!t m,- Wil-
L..llnpt·j,e "' alley eOJUj)ullion an!3wered. ,.
",Just thp pia(~('~--a w(mller/and," I sC'conded. r'Tilla_
Jllook is the newest oeClln re:5ort and seaside playgrolUHI
on the Pacific NortlJivE'st-:md neaTe-st to Portland.
And we need not drive acl'OS:'l the Coast l\IOtUltaing
l'lt.hp.l You reJnc)mlwr, don't .rOU, that the P. R. &
:\. TniJrOltd W[\.3 l't'cently completed from Hillsboro
lJlto Tillamook, Xow Uw trip ean hI:> made in comfort
ltncl ea~e. i\1mcoYi.'.l'~ 1he sr.i:.~lwry on the Wi'ty l,:i perhaps
the 1110:-;t varied. wonderful and interesting that you
call find in the ~nl.ir(' W('st.
"'e decided on Tillamook. 'Yc htld il choil.'e between
a morning train aud an afternoon train. \Ye gathered
j-')gethcl everythill,l!: neoded for our oULiug in this varied
Ttllamook land of mountains, giant trO-C's. trom hrnoks,
riyel's, valleys, ba~'s, bC'.fi('hr;'), re~orts, and the great
P.'I.eifio Ocean.
The trip waf; int(~l'('stillg from t.he 'i.ycry br)ginnin~.
;'_'oon after Jea ~'ing rhe C:ity of Portland WP WE're In
thp J.Z:rcat \\'illame.tte '"allpy, with its infinite agri~
('I_dtui'al amI hort-icultllral variety, 'Yestward hom
Hillsboro our train gnHlunJly dimbpd t·he foothills.
[llld almost before WE' knf'w it, we wcre in the C'f)[\st
:\lountuind. The hills became more steep, the roudwar
lJi.ore winrling. the seencl'y more varicd. The trees
hpcnmp, larger; \VU WE'rc now in one of the most rlense:
nlOst vu.lua.ble virgin forests of the Continent.
Southern Pacific Railroad, Tillamook County Beaches, Tourist Pamphlet, c. 1916, Oregon
Collection, University ofOregon's Library, Special Collections.
!
185
'.~.~
i'li
..
Tht> RUlltl' Ls Through Vir~ln Forests
TIL L A~J G (l K
Lake Lytic Station
Outlook (nn, Lake Lytle
W(> p:ts:3ed the 1H'\\" lumbering tmnl of Tim!Jer, "'~'hich
boasts Lh~ high('~l Hag-pole in t,he world, a ~iant DOll~la8
fir nead ,- ::Jon rel!l util. Our train crosseu trest.lcs of
di7,7,Y her~hL, p:I:'i:':lud over (la:;hing clea.r mountain streams
HUlt g"llY(' q,'i the anglers' ite.h, and irresistibly dn]'woat
our ('anICra~ for ~lIap:i n.t bits of nature';:: wonders. We
ilaw (lceasional scduclcd "now banks, and any number of
ideal Ulount.ain clllllping- tlpot-s where the world contd be
forgotten. whcf'(~ we could fish and hunt. for weeks and
mOllth:; ill lar:v oblivion,
Over j 11(' iilHllrnit of the Coast Range, W(' followed
down H<tlmonhclTY Hivm', whieh wns plunging \\'ildly
over great bould(ll's a.nd logs, t.hrollgh gorge;;; at t.he
foot of st(\ep wonded mountain sides. :Several anglers
left th(' train at Salmonb(;rry Station, which E)eemed to
be camping hei\.rlqnmters for fishermen. Farther along,
~~C\~llr~:;l~C~~(~bl~I~~~II(f ~~ B~lt~r~~~~r ~h~feer~r~I:t(;n~~(l~= 2
tions could be had at a large farm house. j
We were now on t.he Or-ean side of t.he Coast Range- ~
and how different from the dusty) parched Interior! ~
t.he heat-ntdia,ting t,owns and cities. Everywhere was ~
cool "Ndure) a pe.rfeet tangle of Yegetation, topped off I·:~·.
with giant trees fifteen and twenty feet in circumference.
Our trail} S0011 dropped down t.o th(' rh-er bottom! which
includes some of the most valuable dairying land in ~
tho world. ~
,\Ve began to smell thr purr) invigorat.iIJg ocean bnleze. :::J
We followed along the wide) deep Xehalem Hiver. ~
Soon we S~lW I.he old town [·f .i.Yehalem) across the beau- ~
Transferrln~for Bayocean t,iful Nehalem Bay, -with its launches und rowboatsL,~~,~~,=r.~,~._~~ "7.r=~~~,·".~·,="~~,~,~,.~",,,,,,,,~~.,,~ 'co",,~~·~~~~~~~rT,~,~'~'%J
LIt•••••••••••S.UIIllIC•••••••••IJI£3I'eiM.J!.i\l••tillQ.WiQ•••••••••LII&R.."''''''I.j
186
TIL LAM 0 () K (' 0 U i'< n 1\ I I( II I S
; ~
, .
I
11IHei llayoce:ln
,\ Fw!i.c With thl.' P~ldtk
U. S, Lire SavIng Station. Buniew
Thr(:\~ Friends:of '[wIn Rocks
One of the Numerous "Tent Citleg"
Fisherman's Headquarters, Salmonberry
l.1nd sail boats, .At Il"!lce.!o. a new town OIl Xf'halclI)
Bay, :::ome of the p:lt'i,senger:::: left the train to DO,uu
awaiting latmeht·s for the l":eah-Kah-X1"e Brnches, '.dJirh
include SZUlMl Beach: Necamey City, Jl{lflZlIlIilo Bwch,
Classic Ridge. and Ncah-Kah-JVie l11olLnlain.
SOUle of the vacationists were proyided WiLh their
own ramping outfits) and of COUl','H~ they rould pi teh
their tents <.Uld unroll their blankets almost nnnvhcl'f'.
Othcrti pl;uUH'd t.o hire tents. which cl.mld be hu;] either
(llwished or unfurniRhf'd. Ot.hp.l'~ wonld soek out small
or large cottages, overlooking the Ocean) supplied with
all eif,- ('omfort~. The remainder of t.he Yfwationists
were L~ound for the large, new, tllld modern Leach-resort
hotel at 1h(' foot of ::\C~dl-J\:ah-l\ie .Mountain.
\Y(' could ;'5(.(, ,Vcah-J((I},-Kic lllololtain in t.he di:3tanoc.
The Mmm1·nin rises abruptly almost 2,000 feet ahove
t.he O('l~Hn, majcHt.ic and beau t-iIlll , ·with grassy and
wooded t'loppti, waterways, gorges and dizzy pr('('.ipkcs.
The historit old Hel\t:iiue tntil is hewn out ahuot:it· half
way up its i-lid(', awl at t.he foot. are legr:nflflry burh~d
treasures and stonet-; carved with strnnge sign~. At
the foot of the ;\Jol.llltain. is the long, bruad. varied Ncah-
}\.ah-Al:c Beach. In the> foreground of thf' Ben('h is the
wonderful old Pacifie Ocean, wit.h its SlUlGS. its breaken;,
its shells. its clams. llnd its S:llt 'Yater. _-\.nd in the
barkgl'olllHl is the :\"ehalcm BuYJ promising to us) as
vaeatiollists, hours of boatiug, sailing. fi:;hing nnd
swimming,
Soon our train, adnl1lcing. hrought us face to face with
lhe old Oce-an, always ncw, alway~ wonderful, always
t'llticing and im.. jg;ol·ating. Around t.he IJoint of the
hill from Brighton, the train paralleled the Paoifio Ocean
&Ci&i&£&Gi&&£.~.e.
187
TILLAMOOK COUNT,Y BEACHES
,
(
Sun9hlne. Salt Air and Surf Bathin~ at Tillamook Countr Beaches
Vacationing In th~ Wilds OrelJ,on Timber 011 P. R. & N.
":iI
I
I;
i
1
t ...c ~_o,cc,=,=~~.::~~o:~~~m_:ok, ..~.,~~o,.,".,,,.
Sometime-you must make the wonder';
unsurpassed in the West for wild grandeur, 1
appeal. First, the Coast Range-with its ~
dizzy gorges, its ideal camping spots. Over
you follow the dashing Salmonberry River.
Bay, crowded with pleasure craft. Aside i
Peak standing sublime and massive, juttiJ
the enticing shores of the Old Ocean-alOl
breakers, clam-digging, bathing. And last]
-background for Bayocean promontory an
metropolis of this newest seaside playgroulll
1 ZlillU_QII!!.l!lllz._
188
:: ;[·~~~J!i1;:;tWiHli
i
I II 1 ,\ \1 U :'1\ 1l1\[IILo
~Ules and 1\filcs of Smooth While Sunil and Delightful Surf
The Picturesque Nehalem
III trip to the Tillamook Beaches-a journey
'ugged beauty, outing possibilities, vacation
:iant trees, its tumbling trout streams, its
, the summit, amidst luxuriant vegetation,
Then the placid Nehalem-~-soonan Ocean
s Neah-Kah-Nie Mountain and resort, the
IIg ruggedly into the Pacific. Then along
tlg the ten-mile Garibaldi Beach, with its
Iy, skirting the picturesque Tillamook Bay
d resort-you reach the city of Tillamook,
) and ocean resort of the Pacific Northwest.
Hunterll. Lodge on the Salmonhcn:r
Some of the Cotta~e8 at Da;rocean
10
189
,
"
lfor' ten miles or tW.J('e-alongthe celebrated Garibaldi Bcac:h.Here. WI' c(Hlld hnrdly rea.lize that Tillamook Coulltyis lit.\.Je more than two vea!";:; old. accepting the cpoch-making beginning dal~' of Ul(' arrival of the firM milroatl
t.rain. Hut1(lr{'d~ of (',amps, and campers, [llld \'a(~ation­
It:t~ crowueu this oJlell beach. Some were' li"ing ill tents,
some in fUlTlisht'd eottag~sJ wme in the uew bungaluw ,;:
hote-Is at or ncar the milroad stations. soJUe at the lnrg(~ ~
new, mouern hot,el [It Lake Lytle. We pa~sed. in order, .;
the Collo'wing distinct beach resort8: JlIanlwUan Beuch, i
Lake Lytle, Sm rit:w, Rockaway, Elmore Park. Sallcl'ir, fi
,l/idl/.·ay. Twil1 Roch l Ocean Lake Park. Rose City ;I
Balch, and Bar Yiell'. Some of t.hl~Sf' were merc ;
flag statiollH: others were t.owns, wit.h stores. mHuse- ~
ment halls. etc. The beach i8 wide, with Twill Roeks Ii
in front; in the hn-ckgrOlmd, a natlu'al sand levee l a
chain of fl'cslrwatr:r lakes) and wooded hills. The r. R.
Li~b~at~·~i~ ~~~~\~.lft i~~~O::~;la;h~I~~', ~~I~~~d Tillamook l.
Bay, the largest buy in the County. At. Gariboldi, i
many of the rCllwining passengers left th(~ trllin~ t-o I.,
t.raugfer to a larg~ launch for a pleasanl. ride ucross the 0<
~~~~~~:~%s~~~:::ll ~~o~~~r t~:a\~(' f~lY~~\?e~r~~~r a~~~~~dl~h~ ~J
P. n. & N. Train at Rock3WllY
TIL LA ~l 0 0 K
Cottage Ufe 'at Rockaway
B3rview Hotel. Banlew
lIjitJUZJE
I
""'-'22
190
Ih':WIlIl Ch,h Studio
1\ I '\' II I S
I
TIL LAM () q.~",~lY \' N I ~
- .' -·-:,:,.~.;~~~;;,:S·~\~·:
Thy t hrou/.(h fIlly ('dl/. and toward Tillamook. we eOltld
gain n ,good vil'w f)f /3I1Y Oceall~occup.ring ft nanow
tOllJ!ll(> of land hordPring the western side of Tillamook
Bny. thl1~ haying (,he tumultuous Ocean at the front)
and thf' more milt) J);l\' wit,h its runnY features of enl(!r-
tainment and amllSI'IJl~'l\t. at the back. The ycry large,
tww. and modern hotel, t.ll(' strC'et paYing, t.he bath houses,
tlH' "I,put eitr" and the l'it·(}r~s could alsn hp locatc(!:
Arriving at' Tillamook, the l'aill'oau termilllls and '.he
llH't.l'o]lolil' of till' Count.y, Wi' were t.old that we {'olllJ
:d:-;o llod jHt('r('~litlg ,'('sorts b .... sN>]{ing COll\'C'YlIlH'<" <JU
to ;\'l'fllr/.<I nllY, .Yn;fw:c{/ Bay, 01' NeRkowi71, fart,hl.'1' down
thl' C'ons1 ill Tillamook Count.v.
Thl'lJ b(:gan our fl·Ullb1es.· We could not Jeeidc
AIllGn~ thp Wf)lll!p('::-; of t,he day-the mountains. the
fOl'csb" t.he trout bruokH, t.lw rivers, the bayii l the bel.lr.h,
t.h(' Ot'call-which should elaim U8. Each partkular
TiU:llllOO].;- l'l':lOl't that we had passed had its own pe~uJial'
lllCI'i1 !:'. Thl'S mntually excelled one another.
But OIl th" olW "it.al point we were all agreed. We
werr glad thnl wp had decided to ::ipend our vacation
at the rWrJlI/ook ('mmty Beor:hes,
For £1111 pal'! it'ulars regarding Tillamook County
Rl'sort~ consult allY bOllthern Puei-fic Agent or addrcttf5
CHAR. S. FEE JOHK M. SCOTT.
P(\~Bengel'Traflie J\Ianager, General Pass. Agt..
San Frallei8co; Cal. Portland, Oregon
\
f
SOUTHERN
PACIfiC.
-'~ -:';.i
~': '
,t(
.- ~~- .
',~, ;-;
f' .
·}t~,
?t
"'''1', --,~- .
'. ..,~
50UTHERN
PACIFIC.
..
~t... ' .... ,.' • J'-:.. ','-'.
191
Southern Pacific Railroad, "Seashore: Tillamook County:' Tourist Pamphlet, c. 1915,
Oregon Collection, University ofOregon Library's Special Collections.
Some of Tillamook County's Wealth.
AYE you heard the enticing vacation call of the
~eashore resorts of 1'illamook County--the nea~
pst resort to Portland and lower WillamettE'
_ Valley-the newe.':it Ocean playground of the
Pacific Northwest?
1'hH seashore l'e~orts of Tillamool,- County are new-
yet net new. Tillamook County was a most popular
vacation land for years-many years--befol'e t11e coOl-
pletio}. of the P, R. & N. railroau, when the only means
of apPl'o<J,C'h was a tedious ocean voyage or a long dl'h"e
acrOSH the Coast ~lountains. In that earlier day the
TiIlal\iOoh country wns hearhled not only for its fascInat-
ing v~.I'iety of ocean sbore, It was also sportsman's
parndise, a land with numberless ideal carnlling-out
spots.
Nr:;' has tile Tillamook country changed-save in
C\qIS
192
A Salmonberry Hunter's Headquarters.
accessibility and variety of comforts and diversions
and pleasures which may now be offered the vacation·
ist. The TlIlamook country will alwnys be celebrated
for its wild -grandeur, rugged beauty. outing possi·
billtles, vacall(m appeal. The proof is the seeing.
Come for a trip tc;> the seashore resorts of Tillamook
County. If you have already made the trip you wlll
need no further persuading-and you will appreciate
the opportunity to learn of the latest improvements
for the accommodation at visitors, the conVincing
e\'idences of ever growing popularity.
We wlll start from POl'tland-though you may
join our party at Hillsboro, If you happen to live In
the WiJlamette Valley or Southern Oregon, You have
put aside alI- hus-Ine_ss cares; you are Qut for a health·
tonic dIversion-a real vacation. He:il~e, you will
find enjoyment In noting the many Interesting fea,
tures of the trip-through the busy state metropolis,
into the ever beaullful Willamette Valley. across the
wlid rugged mountains, to the luxuriant .Coast, along
the Inspiring ocean shore. You will come to ap·
preciate just why this trip Is perhaps unexcelled In
the efillre West for concentrated and varied grandeur
of scenery.
Just out from the PortlalldUnion Statton is the
great steel bridge across the Wll1amette-wlth a near
view of the -do_cks, Iarg~e river steamers, baUererl
ocean schqbriers. perha'ps, a frowniug gun·boat. Past
East Morris""street Statton we see busy factories,
big lumbering mills, and Reed College Campus to the
Cozy Bayocean Cottages.
A Battle With the Breaker•.
193
The Beach at Neah.Kah-Nle.
Twin Rocks and the Kiddles.
A Sun Bath on the Warm Sands.
Lake Lytle and Statlon.
left. A more sweeping view of the \Villamett.e is
af(orded on recrossing on the high bridg-e just out
from Milu.-'aukcc. Then a beautiful section of the
rugged shore of the river, past In-kes, trim fir groves,
fine suburban residences, ne:::;tlfng t.owns, prolific
t.ruc.k gardens-and some of the vineyards and hop
fields and orc}mrds that have brought fame r.o humid
\\'estern Oregon.
The landscape of the fertile \Villamette Valley
broadem'i. Hillsboro. junction point of the P. R. & N.
railroad and the main "west side lineH of the Southern
Pacific, is left behind. The foothills of the Coast
:\Tountalns are ahead, half bald and oak-covered in
the foreground, blue and fir-fringed in the distance.
SawmIllS and logging spurs are passed. The sharp
pufflng of the engine reminds us that we are grad-
ually climbIng. The fir trees become more stately.
Cedar and tamarack are seeu. Soon we are in the
heart of the mountains, lost in Oregon's famoHs bIg
woods. Very appropriately, the station near the snm·
mit is called HTi7nbe-,.," and the depot Is constructed
of great logs. The mountains become more rugged.
the heights more dizzy. Deep gorges are crossed.
Tunnel after tunnel Is shot. Tumultuous little
streams are crossed, clear and eloquent in theIr arpeal
to the angler, and to the lover of the beauties of
nature.
Even more majestic 1s the mountain scenery, down
the west slope from the summit. Some of the timber
194
A Giant FIr.
195
All Aboard 10
The Departing TraIn.
# F'llil
___~.....~,;.{. c ;~ , <~ _
-'-~""'"'~~~;?W:,;~
~~-. j
I OULD you kno~v the pleasures of a 1~1ar\'clo\\s n~oun~ail\ .trip-the crowded cIty. the parched lllteI"lOr. 'Ve wIll glide mtoOregon forests, penetrate rocky cliffs, cross deep gorges. '1'1placid Nehalem, throngh a luxuriance of Coast vegetation, ,\
and the ocean shore. Then for miles along gay Garibaldi be
mook Bay---and across the channel Bayocean peninsula and playgr
Tillamook City, gateway to other resorts and fishiug streams and Ill'f
----------------------------------------------j-
is perfect, from the viewpoint of the lumberman. green luxuriance whic)· b~
The Salmonbf:rr,r River may be Been far, far down fame to Tmamool!: Count~l
Ule mountain sIde. Tunnels and gorges and trestles almost beyond belief. inte
crowd into one another. The Salmonberry River '" vines and flowers and lovel
grows larger, the fishermen cannot resist its apreal. ~~." ,At Molller, one can l·.lmol
Some of them leave the train at .Maple Station, others ocean. Soon, across i le n
at Mayo, SalTnonberrv. Bu·tterson, Nehalem, Falls. nestled under a beautiful
Salmonberry Hiver is now engulfed in the mare placid the city of Ne,halem, the 0
Nehalem, famous for its catches of big salmon trout. I Just bacI[ of Nehalem- just
The vegetation of the lower valley exhibits that ever· of the ocean-is NelJh~hnlh
Hundreds Enjoy the ~xhll
r Sayocear.,
196
-an unforgettable seashore vacation? Then come. \Y r: will leave
the eyergreen foothills of the Coast J\lountains, tra\'erse primeyal
len oyer the summit, and down the dashing Salmonberry. Along the
'e continue. At last, a view of beautiful Neah-kah-nie Mountain,
ach, with ils mallV hotcls and collages and tents. Ahead is Tilla-
onnd. And laslly, 'along the picturesque shores of the Bay we reach
lling meccas in this wondcrful Tillamook vacatioll lanel.
s given world dalrring
The trees are immense
'rwoven with bowers of
:,'s Iaues.
3t feel the presence of the
ow wide Nehalem River,
wooded htl1 may be seen
ldest town of tbe valley.
as we gain a distant view
nie Jlountaill, one of the
'aratlon 01 Surf Bathing.
An Outing Next to Natur'e,
majestic land-marks of the Oregon coa3t, jutting
ruggedly into the Pacific, celebrated in Indian legend
and lost-treasure stories. The mountain is guardian of
three near-by beach resorts-Manzanita. Classic Ridge
and Nea.h-kah-nte-approached by launch and auto-
mobile vIa lV'heeler and Nehalem. Additional attrac-
tions are the Neah·kah-nie golf lInks, and improved
accommodations on the fresh-water lake back In the
woods. Nehalem Bay also offers pleasant launch ex-
cursions, boating, bathIng, fishing and clam digging.
10
On Nehalem Bay.
197
; f I.! ri.1G'lol~:.~-=;~'~,~~ ..I"I.~<
1IIIIoritrE 1891ll'
,II'J '(~'i~j ll~~ <,~:> Iffl.J~[
Neah-Kah-Nle Inn. Hotel Bayocean.
OC"lan-gQ!ng "essels are seen at the docks at
n-7reeler. a vigorous. milling and shipping tOWIl. Past
BriuJrtoll. the sea-jerty bcing constl'ucred across the
ocp~n b:lr Is in "ie.,,·"-and the Old Ocean. Out across
the smooth white sand~sp1t are the rolling breal.;:ers,
and the Pacific stretching off into Illimitable dis-
tance.
It Is onl~' a few minutes now. around the poinl,
to the celebrated Garibaldi Beach, which the train
traverses for nearly ten miles. Now the cnll to the
vacationist is insistent. The individual resorts-
Manhattan Bea('lI. Lake Lytle. Rockct1lJa,y, Elmore
Park. Saltai1", Ocean Lake Park. Bm'view-merge into
e.aC'h other. In front, Is the ever-ehanglng ocean,
charging breakers, the beach with its multitudinous
invirntions to recreation. Farther bad.: is a chain
of fresh-wate-r lakes, surrounded by fir groves, and
overtopped b)' sha.rp mountainous ridges. The in-
dividual resorts along Ga'ribaldi Beach form an almost
eontinllous successIon of tents. bungalets, cottages,
ta verns, and pretentious hotels. And for further con-
,-enience and plea~ure there are post offices, stores,
bowling alle)'s, dancing halls, churches, boats on the
lakes. The U. S. Life 8a"'lng Station at Ba-n;ieu: is a
special attraction.
At Gf11"ibaldt. swift launches are awaiting to carry
passengers across the entrance of Tillamook Bay to
Bayocean. one of the best known of the TIllamook
Count)· resorts. located on a narrow peninsula with
the ocean on one side and the ba)' on the other.
Be-cause of its extensive improvements, its large hotel
and "tent city," its new $70;000 salt-water natatorium,
Its many amusement features, Bayocean has gained
htle of lithe playground of the PacIfic Northwest."
Tillamook Bay, with its setting of fringed hllls and
jagged rock poInts, makes a varied appeal to the
vacatlonist-hoating, hathlng, fishing, clam-digging,
Ball City Is picturesquely located on Tillamook Bay,
JunctIon Salmonberry and Nehalem Rivers.
Surf Bathlng, a Healthy Recreation.
Flahlng Pool. Salmonberry RIver.
11 12
198
SOUTHERN PACIFIC
PORTLAND, OREGON
CH/.S. S. FEE JOHN M. SCOTT
F 115SENGER TRAffIC MA!'lAGER GENERAL PASSENGER AGENT
PORTlAND, ORE.
1n a beautiful little valley near the mouth of the
\VL.sou and Chilchis Rivers, two of the rive well·
kn(I,,"o trollt fishing streams flowing into Tillamook
Bar. And soon we have reached Tillamool,;. raetropolis
of fhis resort region, a modern and attractive- city
with good 110tels and many interesting side trills
for the vacationist. From Tillamook. it is only eight
or ten miles, through a oeautiful wooded country. to
anuther popular seaside resort, Netarts. at tbe mouth
of ~etarts Bay. Splendidly pquipped big automobile
staties also afford transportation ro the soutberll part
of the County, noted [or its fishing streams, ils hunt-
ing and its beach resort::;-at Woods and Padfic Git.1l
at rhe mouth of th{' Nestucea Ri"er; and at Nesco1:;'IJl,
stilt farther south. Tillamook COumy Seasboi'e ho·
tel~'-listed for Ule convC'llience ot slImmer visitors
-H re as follows:
.a:otel Bay-ocean Annex, Bayocea.n. )'11's, ,.y, E.
Ilu1chinson m,tn<lger, Capacity IOU. Rates $2.50 to
$3.;;0 pCI' day; $15.00 per weel>: Hnd HIJ.
9a.yside Inn. Bay-ocean. Rates, $2.;)0 per day. Cu-
pac' ty, ~O guests.
Accommodations in Bungalow City fully equipped
for light housekeeping, includIng wood, light. water
and laundry for $10.00 per week or $18.00 for LWl)
weeks. The only complete surf-mal:.ing machine in tile
wor-ld is installed in the l1atatol'juTll. Full inforrnatif'l'
on appLication to J J. Head or H. L. (:hapin, ilS--;-:!2
COI'bett Bldg.. Portland, Oregon.
Bar View Hotel. Bar View, Oreg-on. Ralph Ackle~
Land Co. Ilroprietprs. :Mrs. ·W'. A. "ise manager. Cs-
pac·;ty. flO rooms and tents. Hates for I'oom $LOO tH~r
day. room an..l board $2,50 per day. Tents and board.
$2.00 per day, Housekeeping tell ts. grounds. dancinr.
pavHion pool and blllinrd hall. Hailroad dfllJOt in fl'otll
of hOleL
~J:be Elmore, Rocka.way. ":1 r~. A. ~I. Lindsey mnn-
dg1~J" Capacity 3\1 J'ooms, Hates $1,00 per day, two
per"olls. European. plan onlr. Restaurant in connec-
tion at popUlar prlces. Superl, ocean .'lew, veranda
sleeping rooms. l'~urllished cottages for familiel;.
Ma.nzanlta. Inn, Manzanit", Oregon. G. D. Nunn,
host. 14 rooms. Rates $2,00 to $2,25 per day; $10.00
to ~12.50 per week. Family rates all application; two
mih'9 north of Nehalem Bay, % mile south of "j\."eah-
Kar..Nie Mountatn and half mile from public golf
course. Auto meets all boats. Boat me.ets all trains.
Nea.h-Xa.h~:Nie Tavern, Beah-Ra.h.Nle, Oregon. S. G.
Rpeu proPJ'ietor, 30 rooms and tents. Rates (room with
hath) $18.00 to $21,00 PCI' week; (rooms without bath)
$15.00 to $18.00 per week. American plan.
Nehalem Hotelt Nehalem. H. W. Toll I, proprietor,
II" loonlS. Rates, $2.00 per day. American plan. Situated
on the Nehalem Bay.
outlook.lnnJ Lp.ke Lytle. B. L, Bailey. pl'opri€tor.Cap·.lcity 30 l'ooms; rates per day, $2.(10 to $3.00; per
WE:(Jk, $10.00 to $15.00. Has enelosed sun pal'lur, priyate
(lilllllg foams, open fire-places. batlls, hot and cold
W3 U~r.
Ocean Crest Apa.rtments, Elmore Park (Bocka.way
P.O.). One block from beach. Each apartment fur-
nished for light housekeeping, pure water In each
Idtr.h€l1. Rates $1.00 per day and up. Mrs. Hirsdll1er,
IDln.ore Park (Hockaway P.O.).
Itector Kotel, Wheeler. :i\lrs. E. L. Rector, proprie~
tres~, sO rOOms. Rp.tes $2.50 per day. American plan.
Con.manding view of the ocean and Nehalem Bay,
This tokler is ·iSSlIed by the
General Passenger Department
A Rockaway Cottage.
Hotel Elmore Hotel Saltalr.
Salt<tlr Cottage. Outlook Inn.
Manzanita Inn.
Studio Beacon Club. Hotel Bar View.
U. S. lIfe Saving Station. Manzanita Beach Cottage.
13
199
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