The Great Fire of 1845
The Willamette Valley had become quite the settlement by the mid
1800's. There were fertile farm land, plentiful game, and plenty
of rain for crops. Legend has it that one of the new immigrants was
burning brush from his newly homesteaded land as the fire got out of hand.
Fanned by an unusually high easterly wind, it raced west into the Coast
Mountain Range. It consumed everything in it's path including old growth
timber that had stood for hundreds of years.
As the monstrous fire neared
the coast, the local Indian population became under siege. It is
said the Nestugga Indian Tribe was camping on what is now the Big Nestucca
River near what is now called Woods. They were forced to paddle their dugouts
downstream in a panic, leaving all their possessions behind to find refuge
on the sand spit, now called Bob Straub Park. The fire desecrated
the land and the wildlife. For centuries the Indians had relied on
the large herds of elk, deer, and bear for sustenance. After the
catastrophe, their main staple became the fish from the rivers as the game
in the area was virtually eradicated.
By 1854, there were only a handful of settlers in the Tillamook Valley
and the only access from the Willamette Valley was over the very crude
Hebo Trail laid out by these early settlers. This trail ran from
Grand Ronde over Mt Hebo (originally called Mt. Heavo) to where Hebo is
today and then followed an old indian trail 20 miles to the Tillamook Valley.
Before
the settlers began arriving to the Nestucca Valley in the 1870's, it was
populated by Indian Tribes of the Nestuggas and the Killamooks (note the
name origin of the Nestucca River and Tillamook). The original name
of Haystack Rock is said to be "Chief Kiawanda Rock" named after a very
well known Chief of the Nestugga Tribe from the early 1800's (note spelling
difference). By the time the Tribes were relocated from their homes to
a reservation on the Salmon and Siletz River, the Indians numbered around
200. Around 1876, Chief Nestugga Bill and the last of the small tribe,
paddled down the Little Nestucca River across the bar into the Pacific
Ocean and headed south to their new home.
It was along the Nestucca River that many of
the early pioneers came on sea going steamers such as The Della, The Elmore,
and The Gerald C.. These steamers frequented the rivers, bays, and
bars from San Francisco to Astoria. Other pioneers traveled over the mountains
by rough trails crossing many rivers with no bridges. In 1882, a
road from Grand Ronde to the Nestucca Valley was completed greatly improving
travel. Many descendants of the early settlers still
live in the area.
Because fish (salmon) were so plentiful in
the Nestucca Bay, a commercial cannery was built in 1886 by Linewebber
and Brown. It was located on the east side of the bay and thrived
for many years employing both Caucasian and Chinese workers. The cannery
canned and shipped 12,000 cans of salmon a year. The fishermen and
cannery workers both made a good living.
Fishing, Logging, and eventually Dairy Farming,
became the primary occupations in the valley. Because of the unique
location near both river and ocean, it became the focus of recreation.
Early "vacationers" would brave the elements by buckboard and horseback
coming from the Willamette Valley to enjoy the Pacific Ocean and the river.
It was usually at least a 2 day trek. Many of these early resort seekers
had never seen the ocean having come from the midwest on the Oregon Trail.
Campgrounds and facilities soon sprang up to accommodate these travelers.
Originally called Ocean Park, the area was
homesteaded by Thomas Malaney who platted the town in 1893. It was
originally located across the river from Woods, which at the time had already
been established as a major depot and trading hub for supplies for the
settlers. Though Malaney and his brother had already sold some lots, a
flood covered the area in 1894 before any houses could be built much to
the chagrin of the lot owners. Malaney moved the town further south
to higher ground (where it is now) and gave new lots to the previous buyers.
The new town created competition for Woods who were not happy about the
new venture.
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to read page two of the Pacific City History.
