As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
Jan 27, 2021
The resolution of the first picture I am sharing is not very good but it is the best that I can find of the First Presbyterian Church that was constructed in 1913 to replace the original church, built around 1892, that burned to the ground in 1911.
First Presbyterian Church
The church in this picture was destroyed by the Bandon Fire in 1936, and an article in the Jan. 4, 1940, Western World celebrated the opening of their new church, which is the one that still stands today on Edison Avenue.
I turned to the Bandon Recorder in April 1911 to learn more about the fire that destroyed this church and the manse alongside it.
The fire loss for both buildings was said to be about $5,000 with one-fourth of it covered by insurance.
"The cause of the fire is unknown, but many think it to have been incendiary, while others think it might have been caused by defective wiring for electric lights.
"The fire was discovered about 5 o'clock by Night watchman Harry Nelson, as he was going to his home, and the alarm was immediately turned in, and people swarmed from every direction to be of assistance if possible. But so far as extinguishing the fire was concerned there was absolutely nothing to be done as there are no hydrants on the hill, and no water for fire protection, although the manse could easily have been saved and probably the fire could have been extinguished from the church, had there been any water. And this brings us face to face again with the fact that Bandon is sorely in need of fire protection, and something must be done at once or some morning we will all wake up to find that we have been made paupers in a single night."
That premonition came three years before a fire in the business district along First Street wiped out a good share of the buildings, and 25 years before the Bandon Fire of 1936.
"The Presbyterian society of Bandon was organized in June 1891, and Feb. 9, 1892, they purchased the lot where the church stood. The building was believed to be about 19 years old when it burned. It was a substantial building and quite commodious, although it was becoming too small for the needs of the congregation and steps were being taken to raise the building almost two feet and build a full basement under the church with a ten foot ceiling, when the church was destroyed. The manse was practically a new building, being completed only about three years ago. The furnishings were all saved from the manse and most of the windows and doors were taken out, but there was very little saved from the church," explained the article.
The 1940 article adds, "The Presbyterian Church that stands today was built on approximately the same ground on Edison Avenue where the first one was built nearly 50 years ago. This old church was the first Protestant church in Bandon."
As I was going through the old Bandon Recorders from 1913 I found an interesting story about Bandon High School publishing its first newspaper, which was apparently a first for the county. But what excited me the most was when I realized that I had a copy of the paper, known as The Klakahma, in my collection and it turned out to be the second one published in March of 1913.
The Klakahma, 1913
The logo on the front of the 24-page booklet is interesting as it featured mining, lumbering, dairying and fruit.
Among the advertisers were the Bank of Bandon, the R.H. Rosa Co., Geo. W. Moore Lumber Co. (later Moore Mill), J.W. Mast Fancy and Staple Groceries (he was the long-time mayor), John Nielson Notary Public (father of Rod Nielson and grandfather of Barbara and Bruce), Bandon Water Co. (privately owned), A.G. Thrift (who was urging people to invest in Bandon and buy a lot on Bandon Heights), The Coquille River Manufacturing Co. (which announced that it would commence operations April 1 at Bullards, Ore), McNair Hardware Co., City Meat Market (George Erdman), M. Breuer's Shoes, Hotel Gallier, J.E. Walstrom Central Warehouse, The Golden Rule Store, Bowling Alley (billiards and pool), First National Bank and the Bandon Shooting Gallery.
I didn't recognize most of the names of the students involved in putting out the paper except for John Gardner (who retired many years later from the cheese factory) and Archie Rosa (long-time official with Bank of Bandon), who was senior class reporter. Esther Solve (later Mrs. Archie Rosa) was part of the editorial staff. Although he was not mentioned in the article, Jack Kronenberg (Jean and John's father) was part of the debate team.
This is an extensive publication and in future columns I will be sharing some of the articles which appear in it.
The third picture features the centennial court, which was part of the big celebration honoring Oregon's 100th birthday in mid-1959.
The Centennial Court, 1959
Centennial Queen Joan Goodbrod pins a button on the lapel of Bill Cook from the Coquille radio station KWRO.
Princesses from left are Mrs. John Wright, Mrs. James Corwin, Mrs. Dean Woolley, Mrs. Melvin Borgard, Mrs. Dave Franson and Mrs. Ken Hickam.
Dr. Ben J. Grant was chairman of the festival, which was held June 5-6, 1959.
* * *
In a recent issue of Woman's World, I read a neat article about a woman who refurbished old school buses for homeless families. And it turned out the woman, Julie Akins, lived in Ashland.
I wanted to send a donation for her foundation, but could not find an address, so I decided to Google Julie Akins.
You can imagine my surprise to learn that she was the newly elected mayor of the City of Ashland. I wrote to her, obtained an address, and sent a donation for her foundation. It's a small world ....
* * *
The Southern Coos Hospital and Health Center has issued a statement about the availability of the Covid-19 vaccine. Although the entire statement is too long for my column, in part, here is what it said.
"Understanding that many in the Bandon community are feeling a sense of high urgency to access the COVID vaccine, we ask that everyone remain patient over the new few weeks. Vaccine availability is a quickly changing and evolving situation.
"SCHHC is working in close collaboration with Coos Health & Wellness and local medical facilities, including Coast Community Health Center, Coquille Valley Hospital and Bay Area Hospital on distributing the vaccines we have and planning for public distribution with large scale vaccination events when we receive future supply.
"When will the public be able to get the vaccine? The short answer is that as of today (Jan. 22), SCHHC expects that the county health authority will begin distributing vaccines to the public in about one month.
"The district received a small, initial supply in late December designated for healthcare providers and these were used for employee vaccinations, and vaccines for other local healthcare facilities and offices.
"As a vaccine provider, SCHHC may receive future shipments of vaccine. As of today, we don't know when or how much. We believe we might receive more vaccine in about a month.
"Some have noted that in the state's framework people 80 and older are eligible to receive the vaccine on Feb. 8. This date is a guideline for eligibility but does not guarantee availability.
"We are faced with a scenario in which groups who are eligible for the vaccine may not be able to immediately access vaccinations due to lack of supply. However once vaccine is available, vaccinations will be scheduled as soon as possible," said the district press release.
* * *
The city council recently put a six-month freeze on new water connections for out-of-city customers. There are several reasons for this:
We need to re-evaluate the City's water supply, which all comes from Ferry and Geiger creeks. In severe drought years, the creeks may not have enough water to serve the city and provide safe fire flows. One option is a new off-channel reservoir, but it would be a very expensive project. Without rate-setting authority, the City cannot take advantage of state and federal loan programs.
With currently approved subdivisions and vacant land already in the city limits, there is room for around 2,000 more people here. We need to make realistic population forecasts in order to be sure we can serve lots that have already been approved.
It is also important to remember that often times a house can be a second home for the owner and may not be occupied year around. Over the years, in spite of optimistic populations predictions, most did not materialize as Bandon's growth has been slow and steady for many years. We have been averaging around 34 new housing starts a year.
* * *
Have you ever had one of those "I can't believe I did that moments?" Well I had one Thursday night. My smoke detector had started beeping several weeks earlier. I had managed to twist it off the wall, but could not figure out how to get the battery out, so I put it out in the garage where the infernal beeping would not bother me ... until I decided to sit out in the sun right outside the garage. Earlier I had moved it to the front porch before realizing I could now hear it back in the living room. And so it went back into the garage. But as I tried to relax in the sun, contemplating what could or would happen next, there it was .... beep ... beep .... beep. Determined to figure out how to get the battery out, I took a screw driver and pried open the case, completely damaging it ... only to learn that I still could not get to the battery, which just kept beeping away. Then I turned it upside down and realized that all along all I would have had to do was flip open the hatch and remove the battery ... without completely destroying the smoke detector. But it's been that kind of a month, so what can I say, except that I will soon be purchasing new smoke detectors, and hope they fit the base on the wall.
But, with my luck, they won't ... but at least I silenced the beep.
As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
Jan 20, 2021
I love this old picture of the Coquille River Lighthouse, which was built in 1895 and still stands today. But there was a move afoot in 1911 to have it relocated.
Coquille River Lighthouse
Here is what an article in the Aug. 8, 1911, Bandon Recorder had to say about the lighthouse.
"There has been considerable agitation to move the light house across the river to a point near the lookout and this proposition has the support of all the sea captains who come into this port. They say that the light house, where it now is, is a hindrance to coming in after night because the glaring light shines in their eyes, blinding them in a way that they cannot see the channel. Also it is impossible to see the light or hear the fog horn when approaching from the south, consequently the light house where it stands at present does not answer the purpose in any way. Whereas if it were on the hill near the lookout, it could be seen from all directions, and the cost of up keep would be reduced to practically nothing. Whereas it has cost nearly ten thousand dollars in the last few years where it now stands."
(Update: In the July 30, 1912, Recorder, I found a headline titled "Arc Lights on Jetty Big Help to Mariners." Here's what the article said: "Lighted by a system of electric arcs recently established on the Coquille by the city of Bandon, and maintained by the municipality, the matter of taking a vessel into the Coquille River at night, has been made comparatively easy, according to Captain Levi Snyder, master of the gasoline schooner Anvil. About a dozen arc lights have been placed on the jetty. The string of electric lights extended on down to the city and it was like going along a well-lighted street, according to the captain.)
The lookout referred to was the U.S. Live Saving lookout on Coquille Point, featured in the second photo, which was located at the end of 11th Street.
U.S. Live Saving lookout on Coquille Point
Not only did the Life Saving unit have a boat at their station at the west end of First Street, but there was also a boathouse directly below the lookout toward the mouth of the river which housed a surfboat, breeches buoy, life preservers and other equipment. This was often used in case the bar was too rough for the power boat to cross.
The third picture I am sharing this week was taken in December of 1949 when a fire south of town at Dew Valley left 21 people homeless. All 10 units of the Dew Valley auto court burned to the ground. It was located about five miles south of town, across the highway from the Dew Valley clubhouse. I am guessing that it was situated where the Misty Meadows complex is now.
Dew Valley Trailer Court Fire, 1949
The only casualty was a little dog that was trapped in the cabin where the fire started. H.H. Hugh, manager of the court, was knocked down on the porch by a blast of flames as he opened the door to go after the dog.
The blaze, of undetermined origin, was discovered about 8:30 p.m. as flames broke through the roof of cabin No. 1 at the south end of the L-shaped court. Seven of the 10 units were occupied, and only a few blankets and other personal effects were saved.
The court was owned by Mrs. Ellen Tregonning of Bandon. The store and service station, situated near the court, were saved through efforts of members of the Bandon fire department who wet down the building with hoses until the fire truck's water supply was used up. Among those who lived at the court were Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Stiltner, Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Young and Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Foster. The men in the families worked in three mills in the area, including the S.R. tie mill, the Carl Bowman mill and Schonfield mill.
"After the fire broke out Saturday night, a dance beginning at the Dew Valley clubhouse across the highway was called off. Instead of holding a dance Mr. and Mrs. Andy Anderson, Speed Anderson, Mr. and Mrs. S.W. Brown and daughter, Del, pitched in to serve hot coffee for the fire refugees, care for the children and provide a warm shelter," according to the article.
It was said to be the worst fire in the area since the Bandon Fire of 1936.
* * *
I was sorry to learn of the passing of former Frank C. High Medal of Honor VFW Post 3440 Commander Royce Kelley, who died Jan. 15. Royce and his wife, Deborah, were such big ambassadors for the VFW and were always so welcoming when I would visit the Post. He was a true gentleman, and a real patriot.
* * *
I saw a post on Susie Korenko Jones' Facebook page that her step-son, David McMahon (son of John McMahon), had died in a car accident last week on his way to visit Susie and his sister, Ashley Newell. David was in his mid-40s. Susie and David had talked on the phone for an hour before he left on his trip to Bandon, and they were all looking forward to his visit. He had many relatives here, and it is so sad.
* * *
People are reminded that their stimulus check may be coming in the mail in the form of a debit card. It looks just like one of the many credit-card offers that we regularly receive in the mail, so be sure and look at it carefully before throwing it away. Because it might really be your $600 stimulus check as I know at least three people who have received one of the debit cards. Another friend received hers through direct deposit in her bank account.
It's too bad the government did not let people know that they could come in the mail as a debit card, or maybe they did, and I just missed it.
* * *
I was afraid it was coming. Coos County's restaurants, bars and gyms are once again closed because the county has been moved back into the Extreme Risk category, which means our Covid-19 case load exceeded the equivalent of 200 cases per 100,000 population.
It has been shown pretty conclusively that the majority of the new cases come from unrestricted social gatherings and congregate care facilities. Not restaurants, bars and gyms, who now must close to indoor seating and indoor workouts.
A case in point: The Coos Bay Life Care Center has recorded 81 cases of Covid and seven of the county's 14 deaths, while Bob Belloni Boys Ranch has accounted for 27 cases and one death.
But it's our local businesses that pay the price. And they are the ones who have gone the extra mile to conform to the social distance restrictions, strict cleaning regimens, and the pared-down occupancy restrictions.
Too often it seems that common sense takes a back seat to a matrix system that does not account for where the cases are coming from .... and it should.
* * *
The Oregonian had a timely editorial in Sunday's paper, expressing the frustrations felt by so many Portland business people, who have been the target of repeated acts of vandalism.
As the writer put it, "Portland vandalism reports are up nearly 50 percent and many other property crimes are spiking amid an unchecked crime wave that is unnerving the city's businesses and prompting some to consider walking away."
"Downtown Portland business owners have been complaining for months about a sharp uptick in vandalism and other crimes, often committed by people who have used protests for racial justice for cover. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler promised to take a tougher stance on vandalism after more than a dozen businesses and buildings were damaged during back-to-back nights heading into the New Year, but admitted this week that the city and police are ill-equipped to crack down on the criminal destruction."
Among those businesses that have been repeatedly vandalized are restaurants, who are already facing hardship and possible permanent closure because of the pandemic.
And you wonder why business owners and Portlanders in general are losing hope?
And it's not just one group that is causing havoc in Portland.
For example, the new Portland city commissioner (councilor) Dan Ryan, has had his home vandalism seven times by the group of people who are protesting his vote NOT to further defund the Portland Police Department. He has refused to go along with black activist and fellow city commissioner Joanne Hardesty, who is determined to defund the Portland police (at a time when crime is rising exponentially).
The same group of "social justice" activists occupied the three block area around the "red house on Mississippi Street," protesting the eviction of a black and indigenous family, who had missed 17 mortgage payments, moved to another home and the house had been sold to a man who agreed to sell it back for what he had paid for it.
Then there is the group of vandals, basically opportunists tied to neither political party, who are taking advantage of peaceful protests to vandalize, loot and burn other people's property.
Then there are the Proud Boys and Patriot Prayer groups, comprised almost entirely of white males, who took part in the riot at the US Capitol, converged on the state capitol in Salem and are often seen as counter-protesters in Portland and Seattle gatherings that often turn violent.
There is enough blame to go around .... for extremists in both political parties.
As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
Jan 13, 2021
I never realized what an important role the local harbor played in the early days of shipping until I found an article in the Oct. 6, 1911, Bandon Recorder headlined "Many Vessels come to the Coquille River." The subhead read: "The Largest Fleet of any Port Between San Francisco and the Columbia River," as the article talked about the 26 vessels plying in and out of the Coquille River and the total carrying capacity of those ships.
That is why it makes sense that the government would send one of their top power boats to the local life-saving station in the form of the Defiance, which is picture number one.
The Defiance, 1912
The Jan. 2, 1912, Bandon Recorder had this to say, in a top front-page article. "The new power life boat for the U.S. Life Saving Station arrived on the (Steamer) Bandon this morning, and she is certainly a beauty. She is 36 feet long, has a 40 horse power engine and is calculated to ride most any kind of a sea.
"The boat was built expressly for the Bandon station and is the first one of its kind to be put on the Pacific coast. Every detail of the boat is perfect and it makes the life saving equipment of the Bandon station most complete indeed.
"It is built entirely of mahogany and white oak, with copper fastenings throughout and weighs 9 tons."
Another article in a subsequent paper explained that the Defiance was the first of 12 boats scheduled to be built, and "is therefore the only boat of its kind now in use in the life saving service, not only in the United States but in the whole world."
The local life saving station (the crew quarters of which can be seen in picture number two) "has quite a wide coast range to cover in case of an accident at sea, as there is no station between here and Humboldt Bay, and it is possibly partly for this cause that the good boat was sent, but the excellent service rendered by Capt. Johnson and his crew, no doubt had much to do with it."
Life Saving Station, 1911
I love seeing pictures of the life-saving crew because I can always recognize Leslie Kranick, who served with the crew for many years, and later became one of the areas leading cranberry growers.
The article adds that "the local life saving station is now perfectly equipped as any station in the United States. In addition to the new life boat, which cost approximately $12,000, the government has spent about $4,000 fixing up and beautifying the local station, a part of which was spent on the concrete retaining wall and sidewalk on First Street."
The concrete retaining wall that the article refers to is still there. I believe the boats launched from the ways, located in the boat station on the west end of First Street and directly across from the crew quarters on the hill. The "new" Coast Guard station was built in 1939.
The third photo shows the building of the north jetty (known in those days as the lighthouse jetty), and dovetails with an article in the Aug. 8, 1911, Bandon Recorder headlined "a portion of the lighthouse jetty goes down." It seems that a stretch of 220 feet was washed out by the big breakers.
Building of the North Jetty
The article explains that the latest washout, coupled with the area which previously had washed out, made a gap of nearly 400 feet.
'The lighthouse jetty was built only two years ago at a cost of about $4,000 to the light house department and it would appear that it is impossible to build a jetty that will stand against the continual pounding of the surf in that particular place. It will be remembered by people who were here two years ago, how close the water came to undermining the dwelling of the lighthouse keepers and only for the erection of the jetty at that time, the building would have been in the sea in a few days."
* * *
Most of us are still reeling from what happened at the nation's capitol last week. I sat glued to the television set hour upon hour, horrified at what I was seeing.
It's hard to put into words what I felt, but a letter to the editor in Sunday's Register-Guard said it pretty well. This was not written by a columnist for a national newspaper, a TV commentator, or an editor.... but by an ordinary citizen.
It was written by a senior-aged American who said he believes in peaceful protest, free speech and justice.
"What I saw on Jan. 6 shook me to the core. Having lived overseas for 10 years and living through two revolutions, survived the overtaking and burning and looting of our school by extremists, I never thought I would see this again and in the country I love and serve.
"If you are one who thinks this is OK or justified, you have been misled and misguided. Those involved are not patriots; they are terrorists.
"They need to be to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. And what happened is insurrection, and people from the highest power down to the rioters need to be brought to justice."
Not sure why we are so shocked that this could occur considering what has been happening nightly on the streets of Portland and Seattle, and on a smaller scale in Eugene and at our own state capitol while so many in authority turn a blind eye.
* * *
One of the three Oregonians arrested in Washington, D. C. that day happened to be from Bandon. Rodney "Rod" Taylor (not to be confused with Rob Taylor), 57, was charged with violating the curfew. The other two people arrested were involved with the Republican party organization.
Taylor's "take" on what happened in Washington, D.C, differs greatly from what we saw on the national news. He said "it was not a riot. There were some paid agitators who did some damage on the doors and a couple of windows at the Capitol, and I was trying to alert others to not follow the lead of the agitators engaging in that behavior. Later at our hotel I was trying to show a police officer some video of an innocent woman being beaten by police batons, and I was arrested for a curfew violation at that time. I spent the next three and a half hours in cuffs, total seven and a half hours in custody before I was allowed to pay my $25 fine and go."
Saturday night, he held a debriefing session at Pastries ' Pizza in Bandon. I understand Taylor was not the only Bandonian who was in Washington, D.C., that day, but I have no way to confirm that as Taylor was apparently the only one from Bandon who "made the news."
He had only recently presented a petition to the city council at our December meeting urging us to allow our businesses to reopen. His group (Free Coos County), which also included several local business people, who have a very legitimate concern, and Rob Taylor, gathered in the council chambers to express their concerns about the closure, mandated by Governor Kate Brown.
Outside of bullhorns blaring from the parking lot in front of city hall, urging people to attend the meeting, most people expressed their feelings in a respectful way.
Unfortunately, that is not what happened in Washington, D.C.
* * *
I was so sorry to learn that the man who had suffered a medical emergency last Tuesday on north Harlem not far from his Harvard Street Apartments home was Gareth Williams, 57, who is best known as the gentle giant who was on stage for a number of Bandon Playhouse performances over the years. He was a towering presence of a man, with a wonderful singing voice and a quiet demeanor.
He had worked in the kitchen at a number of different restaurants over the years, including Bandon Dunes, Edgewaters and McFarlin's, and on the day that he apparently suffered a massive heart attack, he was delivering food from Good Neighbors Food Bank for people who needed help but did not have vehicles.
After suffering the attack, his car veered off the road and struck a vehicle parked in a driveway on the east side of Harlem, with the driver standing outside of it and his dog inside. While the vehicle was badly damaged, the dog was fine. Emergency personnel tried hard to revive Gareth, but they were not successful.
His mother, Dawn Williams, who worked for a time in the city office, died in 2013. Since that time he has lived at Harvard Street Apartments and was an active member of Faith Baptist Church where a memorial service will be held in the next couple of weeks, according to Pastor Don Conn in information posted on Facebook.
* * *
A woman posted on Facebook Sunday that while driving along Beach Loop Road, she encountered the road closed sign in the dip near Crooked Creek, and proceeded through it as many of us have done over the years. But she was greeted by a sheriff's deputy on the other side who gave her a stern warning about the dangers of driving through water, and she just wanted to alert people that they might be cited if they ignore the warning sign.
This has been an ongoing problem for years, but apparently the cost to the county of installing a culvert would be prohibitive; at least it has never been taken care of in all the years that I can remember.
* * *
A friend Pat Hutchens (Gripentog) posted a number of pictures of the mess which occurred Sunday at the South Jetty parking lot when the King Tide threw debris and large logs onto the parking lot. She said a lady, who was watching the water, did get knocked over, but she was ok.
This was a very potentially dangerous situation. Had one of those huge logs hit a vehicle or a person, the end result would not be good. One of Pat's photos shows a log in the parking lot right alongside the north end of the public restrooms.
So in case you think it's safe to be in a vehicle on the parking lot at the South Jetty during a storm at sea, please think again and use caution.
As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
Jan 06, 2021
The first picture I am sharing this week comes from a small snapshot so it's pretty blurry, but it more closely depicts what it was like to ride across the Coquille River on the Bullards Ferry.
Bullards Ferry
People who lived across the river had to depend on the Ferry to get "to town," but unfortunately it wasn't always available when they needed it, and that is what prompted the front-page Western World article of Oct. 16, 1941, headlined "Bullards Ferry Seen as Local Bottleneck to Lower River Folks."
"In this day of modern transportation, no one ever thinks of time when they start out to go somewhere unless, perhaps, they live on the North Bank Road and want to come to Bandon, or live in Bandon and want to go to the North Bank Road.
"Although the people of the Bullards area have commercial, social, educational and religious interests identical with the people of the Bandon area, they are restricted in their opportunity for intercourse by limited ferry service. And vice versa, Bandon people who have interests on the Bullards side of the river must likewise time their activities to suit the restricted schedule of the ferry service.
”The Bullards Ferry has been the bottleneck for years between the two sides of the lower Coquille river, and now that conditions are on the up and up, it is believed by the people of the two sides that this bottleneck should be removed and that Bullards Ferry should be operated 24 hours a day, or that the county should sponsor the construction of a bridge.
"Acting upon the assumption that a bridge might be inopportune at this time of high prices and shortage of materials due to the defense program, the people of the lower river are preparing to ask the county budget committee to provide means for 24-hour ferry service. A petition is being circulated at this time."
I do think the ferry operated 24 hours a day for a few years, and I do know that it was 13 more long years before the new Bullards Bridge officially opened on April 1, 1954. The ferry had been operating for 45 years, having begun in 1909.
The bridge was financed by federal, state and county funds. The county's share was financed by a $300,000 bond issue, which was estimated at the time that it would be repaid in 20 years from savings realized by discontinuance of the county-owned ferry.
Regarding the second photo, I knew that the Gant Brothers (operated by Elmer) had a clothing store on Second Street after the fire, but I was never exactly clear where it was located, until I found an item in the July 17, 1941, Western World.
Kronenberg & Waldrop Insurance
The article described what was taking place at the Bandon Medical Center building, which housed Fuhrman & Shindler drug store, and the offices of Dr. E.F. Lucas and Dr. Floyd Dodds. (Today that building is occupied by Winter River Books).
"The new building, with an attractive front, will remain of one-story construction, but will include the Elmer Gant clothing store and the medical and dental offices. (The picture that I have shared of what was then Kronenberg & Waldrop Insurance was the spot that Elmer's clothing store occupied in 1941. Today it is the home of Sassy Seagull.)
The article talks about the single recessed entrance (visible in the photo) which had three doors. "One on the east side leading to the clothing store, a center door leading to the alleyway between the clothing store and the drug store, and one at the west side leading to the drug store and the offices of the medical men." By the 1960s that configuration had changed somewhat, with the door to the doctors' office separate from the door that entered the pharmacy.
The photo I am sharing was taken later, probably in the early '60s, but it clearly shows the part of the building where Gant's clothing store was located as well as the alcove and the doors leading into the pharmacy and the doctors' offices.
The article ends by saying that the concrete sidewalk in front of the building, which was badly damaged by the fire of 1936, will be torn up and replaced. In case this isn't clear, it was the sidewalk that was damaged. The buildings on that street, except for the concrete First National Bank (now Masonic) building, were destroyed.
According to my extensive research, which involved poring through hundreds of pages of old Western Worlds, Gant Bros, Inc. (which included Elmer and O.T.) opened a store in Bandon in the summer of 1928.
In March of 1932, an article indicates that Elmer Gant had opened a new store in the Bandon Medical Building on First street, under the name of Elmer Gant, the Clothier. He is quoted as saying that "the new enterprise has no connection whatever with the former one."
So before the Fire, Elmer's business was on First Street; after the Fire, he was on Second Street. It appears that he may have gone out of business in December of 1943. He was in the cranberry business for many years.
The third picture was taken in July of 1966 when the winners of the club championship at the Westmost Golf Course celebrated at the clubhouse.
Winners of the club championship at the Westmost Golf Course, 1966
The club champion was Ray Baird, center; runner-up was Bill Burgher, at left, while Joe Turner was runner up for the first flight. Not pictured was Bill Hopson, first-flight champion.
I love this photo for another reason: the two watercolors on the walls of the clubhouse were painted by my grandmother, Grace Felsheim, an ardent golfer. Four years earlier, in 1962, my beloved grandfather, L.D. Felsheim, had died on the golf course after suffering a heart attack while climbing the hill to reach the 9th green.
* * *
Tony Chatman, spokesman for CERT, wanted me to let readers know that he will be distributing free N-95 masks and hand sanitizer to residents and businesses during January, while supplies last. He said he would be setting up a trailer at either McKay's or Ray's, and he will post on Facebook when he will be there so people can stop by.
* * *
Former Bandon teacher and long-time resident Jim Curran was honored on his 96th birthday last Monday with a drive-by party in Coquille, where he now makes his home. His daughter-in-law, Patti Curran, posted a neat video that showed the many cars driving by to wish their favorite teacher good wishes on his birthday.
Jim and his late wife Flo were big supporters of our museum, and Jim never missed a Bandon Fire program and the opportunity to share his story of being a 12-year-old paper boy in Coos Bay at the time of the fire.
I didn't know about his party until after it was too late to make it to Coquille, but I have talked on the phone with him recently, and I do know how much he misses being around people, so I am sure the party gave him a big boost.
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The calendar year rainfall for 2020 totalled 52.79 inches, compared to 61.66 inches the previous year and 67.13 in 2018. It's hard to predict the average annual rainfall since, in the last 16 years, it has ranged from a low of 34.19 inches in 2013 to a high of 86.59 in 2017.
Rainfall for December was 9.83 inches, compared to 12.01 inches in November.
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I was glad to learn that the board of the Southern Coos Health District had recently given Eugene F. Suksi, who had been serving as interim CEO, a three-year contract.
I met him not long after he arrived here, and was impressed with his knowledge of the health care industry. I am glad to hear that he is no longer the interim .... and that they would not be going through another CEO search.
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I was sorry to hear that Sara Duvall, a former planning commissioner (1992) and city councilor (1993-1997), had died last week in the local hospital at the age of 92.
Sara was also a founding member of SEA (Shoreline Education Awareness).
She was born in Richlands, N.C., in 1928, married Owen E. Duvall in 1970 and had lived at Pacific View since 2017. Owen died in August of 2019.
Previous columns by Mary Schamehorn
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