DEPOE BAY HISTORY

CHAPTER III

(Click on any picture for large view.)

It is difficult now to imagine what Depoe Bay Harbor looked like in 1878 when Dr. Vincent and his grandfather anchored their sailboat offshore and rowed into the “secret cove.” After noting anchor chains and other signs of boat wreckage littering the harbor, Dr. Vincent felt the name “Wreckers Cove” was an appropriate name for the harbor. It was obvious even at that time, that to be safely navigable the harbor would need development. In its centennial book, The First Hundred Years, Lincoln County 1893-1993, The News Times reported that in the early 1900’s Coastguardsmen rowed 26 foot boats called “monomoys” out of the harbor.

In 1937 Congress authorized development of Depoe Bay’s inner bay area. At the development’s completion in 1939 the harbor was 375 feet long, 125 feet wide and 5 feet deep. But as the town grew and the harbor came more and more into use, the development proved to be inadequate.

The inner bay was still shallow with a beach area on the east side surrounded by coastal forest. The entire east side of the harbor was grass and fishermen pitched tents there. There was no sea wall. Boats anchored in the bay were afloat during high tide and resting on their sides on the harbor bottom in mud flats at minus tides. And the low tides not only grounded boats in the shallowest waters, it grounded them in the deepest waters also. At least one fishing boat was lost to fire because the rescue boats were grounded and could not reach it. Unwary fishing boats often ventured into the harbor then became stranded on their sides in low tides causing fuel to leak into the harbor. Boats laden with fish could not be re-floated immediately when normal tides returned and their boats and catches often suffered severe damage.

The U.S. Army Engineers recommended the Depoe Bay Harbor Improvement plan in 1941. The plan would create an inner basin of 750 feet by 350 feet, extend the depth of the harbor to 8 feet at mean low tide, construct a concrete retaining wall and a 30 foot wide and 8 foot deep entrance channel. But as the project had no military value it was put on hold until after the World War II.

The Depoe Bay Coast Guard Station had been established in 1940 as a substation of the Yaquina Bay Station, but was not immediately headquartered in Depoe Bay. For a time during the War, the Coast Guard headquartered in a portion of the Spouting Horn Restaurant and its boats were tied up at the docks just east of the bridge that are presently being used by the Tradewinds. The upstairs rooms at the restaurant were used as barracks for the 30 to 40 Coastguardsmen stationed there. At the end of War the Station was closed for a time, then re-opened in May 1946, manned by one regular Coastguardsman.

With the end of the War, attention was again focused on the need to obtain appropriations for the U.S. Army Engineers Harbor Improvement Plan for Depoe Bay. Members of the volunteer Flotilla #78 United States Coast Guard Auxiliary assisted the Coastguardsman in rescue operations. According to some who were members of Flotilla #78, if the Coastguardsmen were not on duty, the Auxiliary men took the rescue boat out themselves. One of the many continual rescue operations was keeping disabled craft offshore with a towline until there was enough water for a safe entrance to be made into the harbor. The Federal Rivers and Harbors Act of March 2, 1945 had approved the Harbor Project but appropriations had never been approved. It was scheduled for construction for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1949 but before the budget for the year was presented the estimates for the project were removed.

In December 1948 the City of Depoe Bay formed a joint Committee consisting of Flotilla #78 U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, The Booster Club and The Chamber of Commerce. On January 11, 1949 the Committee was advised that President Truman did not recommend to Congress that any work on the Depoe Bay project be done, and that it was very unlikely the Appropriations Committee would consider any projects not recommended by the President. The Depoe Bay Joint Committee did not give up. On January 14, 1949, Jack Patterson, a fisherman whose boat the Michael M. was out of the Tradewinds, was elected by the Committee to travel to Washington D. C. to present the City’s need for the $400,000 Harbor Improvement Development plan to Congress.

Patterson kept a scrapbook and written accounts of his trip. He considered being elected for this mission a great honor and traveled 7 days by automobile to reach the Capitol.

Upon reaching Washington D. C. Patterson talked to many people, both senators and representatives from Oregon and other states in attempt to get a hearing before the House Budget Committee. He received no encouragement. He was then advised to attempt to get a hearing before the House Sub-Committee on Appropriations. He contacted nearly every member of the Committee personally and showed them pictures of the harbor and grounded vessels. The members seemed to be interested in the project.

On February 5, 1949, Ray Platts of Flotilla #78 Coast Guard Auxiliary wrote to Patterson advising him that he was doing an excellent job and the Committee had voted additional expenses for a continuation of his stay in Washington to speak to the House Sub-Committee. Patterson had the support of several Congressmen, particularly Senators Wayne Morse of Oregon and Guy Cordon, Representatives Norblad, former Governor of Oregon, and others who prevailed upon the members of the House Sub-Committee to give Patterson a hearing before them. Patterson was granted five minutes to speak to the Committee.

When Patterson appeared before the Committee he was not only allowed his allotted five minutes, but twice that time. Additionally, the Committee spent about fifteen minutes asking questions. The Depoe Bay Joint Committee had prepared a brief outlining the need for the project, stressing the need for more effective rescue operations that could not be accomplished due to the shallowness of the Harbor. It also stressed the fact that Depoe Bay was known from California to Alaska as a port of refuge for boats in stormy weather. Patterson made his presentation expanding upon the brief supported by pictures of grounded and damaged boats. In compliance with a request from the Sub-Committee he’d prepared a breakdown of rescues and assists by the Coast Guard and Flotilla #78 Coast Guard Auxiliary from July 1, 1947 to January 1, 1949: 76 boats, 19 persons rescued from peril, and 204 persons on board boats assisted. The vessels assisted totaled 505 tons and were towed a total of 418 miles. Ten persons were saved from drowning. The total value of the vessels assisted was $463,820. One hour after the Hearing Patterson was on his way back to Depoe Bay. He had been in Washington for two months and was anxious to return to Depoe Bay and go fishing.

The Sub-Committee members were impressed with Patterson’s presentation but he was not quite finished. When he returned to Depoe Bay fresh salmon was sent to many representative and senators. On July 27, 1949 the House of Representative passed a Resolution: “Resolved, thanks to the Depoe Bay, Oregon Chamber of Commerce we have had a sample of the much advertised Pacific Ocean Salmon.” The representatives personally signed the Resolution. Many sent personal letters to Patterson, one stating she had never seen “such a big fish—only in the movies.” But the House Sub-Committee failed to approve the appropriation.

The matter then went to the Senate Sub-Committee as part of the Army Civil Functions Bill, where Senators Guy Gordon and Wayne Morse, and Representative Norblad testified on behalf of the Depoe Bay project. On May 5, 1949 the Senate Appropriations Committee passed the bill which included the sum of $442,000 for the Depoe Bay Project. The Bill survived a vote of a Joint Committee of the Senate and House.

When the improvement was commenced in 1950 a dry harbor was needed. The harbor was closed. Flumes that diverted the south and north Depoe Bay creeks around the harbor were constructed and the harbor entrance was dammed. Nearing the end of construction a big storm broke the dam and it had to be repaired. The dry harbor allowed construction of the existing sea wall and the dredging out of the harbor bottom. A breakwater outside the entrance was also built but it had to be improved upon a couple of years later.

The Harbor closure for the Improvement Development caused a temporary business depression in Depoe Bay. The Tradewinds’ Kingfisher with Captain Stan Allyn at the helm was the last boat to leave and the first to return when the harbor re-opened in 1950, but the Development was not yet completed. Underwater blasting continued sometimes causing severe damage to buildings located around the bay. The blasting also often caused residents to run for shelter.

A gala reopening ceremony was held on April 15, 1951 and with the return of the fishing fleet, prosperity returned to the town.

Sometime in 1951, after the Harbor development was completed, the Coast Guard moved to its present spot Northeast of the harbor. At that time the station consisted of one small building. Shortly thereafter the Flotilla #78 Coast Guard Auxiliary was disbanded. In the early 90’s the present buildings and boathouse were added. In 2oo3 the Coast Guard has about twenty personnel and three boats: a 47-foot motorboat, the last functioning surf rescue boat in the country and a 24 foot rigid hull inflatable boat.

From 1933 to 1958 the present Depoe Bay City Hall building was the Depoe Bay School. Thirty to forty children were usually schooled in two classrooms containing first thru sixth grades, with three grades in each room. The Depoe Bay Rising Tides reported that for 35 years the school was the social center of the community with plays and other pre-television entertainment being held there. In 1954 Betty Taunton of the Spouting Horn Restaurant and Ted Mudrow performed in “the Rum Runner’s Daughter,” a community production staged at the school.

In 1958 the decision was made to close the school and local children were bused to school in Taft. The citizens’ fondness for the school and the activities held there gave them the impetus to preserve the building that now serves as the City Hall.

In 1979 to 1980 the citizens approved a one-year local property tax option to purchase the building from the Lincoln County School District. At the end of the year, the Depoe Bay tax rate dropped to zero. This decision had the unintended consequence of depriving the City of the ability to obtain a tax base, which continues to be a problem to this day.

Simply stated, an Oregon State Constitutional Amendment, Measure 50, gave taxing districts in existence in 1997-1998 permanent operating tax rates according to a formula. Once the rate was established, it could not be increased by any action of the district even with the approval of the voters. This applied to any district that levied in the past. As Depoe Bay levied a tax to purchase the school building, Measure 50 was applicable. And, as its tax base was zero in 1997-1998, its base was frozen at zero.

Installment IV will continue the Depoe Bay story as the City develops its own traditions and begins the process of becoming an official city.

CHAPTER IV

Acknowledgements: The Lincoln County Historical Society, and Jodi Weeber the Society’s Registrar and Research Librarian; Bob Ward, Founder of the Drake Society in Oregon; Pery Murray, Depoe Bay City Recorder; Fred Robison for sharing his memories and Terry Wells for sharing the scrapbook of her grandfather, Jack Patterson.

Photographs are used with the permission of the Lincoln County Historical Society for research and display purposes only. They may not be reproduced, rented, or resold other than for the described purpose without the written consent of the Lincoln County Historical Society.