We have woken up to hazy mornings. By early afternoon, the haze burns away and we bask in glorious sunshine. Later, the winds pick up, then calm down again in the early evening.
I did a bit of scavenging on the Internet to find out a little history about Coos Bay and the origin of its name. Our US history follows a predictable pattern. Prior to the Europeans, always in search of opportunity and settling in the region, there were Native Indians living here. For thousands of years this southern Oregon coastal area was home to the Coos, Lower Umpqua, Siuslaw, and Coquille tribes. The name Coos in Indian means both lake and place of pines, an apt description of the geography of the area.
The Coos and Coquille tribes occupied more than 700,000 acres along Oregon's southern coast and the lower valleys. They lived in family groups in plank houses along the waterways. Seasonal camps were used for hunting and fishing. Most were hunters, fishermen, and gatherers. A network of footpaths linked the tribes and facilitated trade. Recreation included foot races, canoe races (still an annual event), dice games using bone and sticks, and a type of field hockey called shinny.
The Coquille Tribe owns and operates the Mill Casino and RV Park.
From the mid-1800's, European settlers began arriving, though it is believed that British and Spanish explorers visited here as long as 400 years ago, and that in 1579 Sir Francis Drake sought shelter for his ship, the Golden Hinde, near Cape Arago (the lighthouse we saw from Bastendorff Beach). Traders, like fur trader Jedediah Smith, and explorers searching for an inland passage, like the Hudson Bay's Alexander McLeod, are known to have been here too.
In 1852, survivors of a shipwreck set up camp here until they could be rescued. By 1853, a permanent settlement and the town of Marshfield, Coos Bay's original name, became established with the arrival of more settlers. The area remained remote and difficult to reach, other than by sea, largely due to the Coastal Range which was a barrier until the arrival of roads and the eventual railroad.
Coos Bay is Oregon's largest bay, has the largest concentration of people on the Oregon Coast (over 16,000), and still remains the commercial center of Oregon's south coast. The Port of Coos Bay is the largest and deepest coastal harbor between San Francisco Bay and the Puget Sound. Judging by the size of the gargantuan we watched glide past the casino, I can see that it must be so. 
There is a rail line that runs through here and we have watched occasional trains transporting lumber.
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| the giant sawdust pile south of the casino grounds |
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| lumber, trimmed and ready for shipping north of the casino grounds |
The casino name and its emblem is in keeping with its lumber and mill history.
We have driven along the very scenic coastal Highway 101 several times in the past. It's a small 2-lane ribbon hugging the coastline, connecting a few small towns that mostly attract tourists and vacationers. And so it was surprising to discover that Coos Bay and the adjoining town of North Bend are a busy and thriving commercial area. We chatted briefly with a taxi driver at the casino who has lived here for over 30 years and loves it. According to the information brochures on Coos Bay, even the weather sounds rather attractive, with mild temperatures year round. The down side is the 69 inches of rainfall (Bellevue gets an average of 37 inches), but supposedly it falls mainly in December and January, and June through August are dry and sunny. And mild.
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| view from the RV park |
