As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
July 27, 2022
The first picture I am sharing is of Moore Mill, taken not long after the Moore family bought what was then Cody Mill, before it burned in 1909.
Moore Mill
An article in the Feb. 3, 1916, Western World carried a very large headline: "Moore Mill to Re-open."
Even in those days, the mill was one of the area's largest employers and it was big news when it shut down .... or reopened.
" 'We have reached an agreement with the Coach timber interests and will open our logging camps within a week or ten days, in view of starting the mill by the 15th of March. Geo. W. Moore.'
"In an interview with a representative of Western World (owned and edited by my grandfather, L.D. Felsheim), Mr. Moore stated that an agreement has been reached with the Coach timber interests, for the purchase of their product. The price agreed upon is $2.25 per thousand. Mr. Moore having been successful in making arrangements whereby his company is able to pay the price demanded, although it is in advance of what the company has heretofore been able to offer.
"We expect to open our camp within a week or 10 days, employing about 45 men in the beginning. This will enable us to get things in shape so we can start the mill, which will employ about 75 men. Our product will be carried to California ports by the Estabrook steamers, as before.
"The Moore mill is the largest on the Coquille river and one of the best equipped in the county. It has been closed down since the summer of 1914, when Bandon was swept by fire. At that time the lumber market reached such a low figure that it was impossible to continue operations. The mill had been one of the main contributing features to the success of local commerce and it is anticipated that its resumption will put new life into the community, acting as an entering wedge to a general rejuvenation."
The second picture I am sharing is of the Beaver Hill Coal Mine, a photo which came from a 1909 Coos County chamber publication.
Beaver Hill Coal Mine, 1909
"Coos County has the only coal mines in operation in the state of Oregon and practically the only coal in marketable quantities on the Pacific coast south of Puget Sound. It is estimated that the coal area of the county is about 400 square miles. Lignite coal of a good quality is mined. It retails locally for $4 and $6. San Francisco and Eureka furnish a market and Portland is expected to be a big future market. Many of the coal burning steamers get coal at Coos Bay. The quality is declared by experts to be suitable for naval vessels. A company has been formed to start a briquet plant and use the coal from the local mines.
"While coal mining has been an important feature of the industrial life of the county in past years, it is believed to be only in its infancy of possible development. The harbors of Coos Bay and the Coquille river give the water transportation, and the coal lands are obtainable at reasonable figures.
"Minerals of a valuable kind are also found in Coos county in a belt south of Myrtle Point where there is gold, silver and copper. Several holdings in that locality are being developed among them being the Salmon Mountain mine. In the pioneer days gold was washed from the beach sands and considerable prospecting done."
The third picture features the Bandon Concert Band, around 1910, as they play in concert on First Street looking west toward what is now Edgewaters Restaurant and the vacation rental dwelling in the old Breuer building.
Bandon Concert Band, 1910
A publication put out by the Bandon Commercial Club has this to say:
"There are but few small towns that have ever had a band, and but few cities, much larger, that can boast of as good a band as the Bandon Concert Band. The band was organized about Feb. 28th, 1902, after many struggles, under the direction of several musical artists, men, who by the way, were popular with the members of the band and the people. The band now ranks with the best concert bands in the country. It is now composed of 24 men, fully equipped with high grade instruments and fully uniformed. The Bandon people are proud of their band, and well they should be, for it is thoroughly popular with all who had heard it render the most difficult standard music and operatic selections."
* * *
Speaking of music, Bandon's own Rachel Eickhoff has returned from a "once of a lifetime" trip to Europe where she joined 460 other Oregon students on the Oregon Ambassadors of Music Tour of Western Europe, after being nominated for the honor by Dave Weston, BHS band teacher.
Rachel, a sophomore at Bandon High, is the daughter of Linda Eickhoff, who is best known for her cheery smile as she answers the phone and works the front desk at City Hall.
Other students have been nominated, but Rachel is the first Bandon student who earned the money for the trip. She credits Bandon Rotary, the VFW, Bandon Booster Club, Oregon Old-Time Fiddlers, family and friends for helping her reach her dream.
The band performed in four countries: France, Switzerland, Austria and Germany before returning home July 20.
Rachel will present a slide show of her trip on Tuesday, Aug. 9, at 6 p.m. at the Bandon Library Sprague Room.
* * *
And now on a less happy note, I have learned that three Bandon residents have died in the last couple of weeks.
Diane Kimes, 72, died at Swedish Memorial Hospital in Seattle, with her husband, David, by her side. Diane was a CPA who provided tax service for free at The Barn for many years. Her husband previously served on the Bandon city council, the planning commission and as codes enforcement officer. In addition, Diane is survived by her mother, who made her home with them.
Ann O'Sullivan, who was active with the Bandon Senior Center for many years, died last week at the age of 89. Ann lived off Beach Loop Road near the site of the proposed Keiser Hotel at Coquille Point and could often be seen walking to the post office.
Lawrence Ashton, a member of the BHS Class of 1960, died last week at the age of 80. A lifetime resident of Bandon, he was the son of former fire chief Walt Ashton and his wife, Ione, and the brother of Walt Ashton Jr. He is also survived by his wife Carol. I remember that he was a standout pitcher for the Tiger baseball team during his high school career.
* * *
Residents are reminded that if they see more than the usual number of tourists in town this week it is because Bandon Dunes is hosting the USGA Junior Amateur golf championships, which are bringing hundreds of people to the Resort.
Golf (and Bandon Dunes) fans can watch the last two days of the tournament on the Golf Channel (401 on Dish) Friday and Saturday, July 29-30) from 3 to 5, Pacific Time. The last time the Resort hosted a national USGA event, I was riveted to the TV, not only to watch some of the country's best golfers, but also a chance to view the beautiful courses up close.
* * *
I attended the memorial reception for Johnny Lorenz Wednesday at the VFW Hall, and reunited with people I had not seen for many years, including Florence Moore Litzenberger and her two daughters, who are cousins of the Lorenzes. Florence graduated with the Bandon High Class of 1950, and I recently shared in my column a photo of her and Joan DeCosta (Goodbrod) in the First Grade.
Johnny's wife, Jean, gave some of us file folders with things she had found among Johnny's stuff that she thought we might like. Mine was a page out of the Oct. 3, 1963, Western World, which contained some photos I had taken as a cub reporter nearly 60 years ago, as well as pictures of the three Felsheim children, Lucy Jacob's second grade float, the three Gagnon children, Gail Lorenz and Mary Ann Wilson, and the float entered by Mrs. Thelma Chandler's first grade class from the Bandon Heights School.
But on the back of the picture page were the classifieds and real estate ads, which was a real jolt from the past. Thelma Lindvall, realtor with the Lindvall Agency, (who today makes her home in Eugene with her daughter Kathie Copsey) was selling a two-bedroom home in East Bandon, near the school, for $6,500, with $1,000 down, balance $60 per month, including interest.
To put that into perspective, I found a "Help Wanted" ad for a person to help with housework, for $1 a hour, and a two-bedroom rental near Wilson's Market for $55 a month.
* * *
Bandon Playhouse is sponsoring a theater boot camp Saturday, Aug. 6, at a cost of $10 for newcomers or $5 for members, but you need to email TheBandonPlayhouse@gmail.com to reserve your spot.
* * *
Aug. 6 is also the date of the All-School Reunion, which is being held at the Bandon High School gym from noon to 4 p.m. My class (1957) is holding our 65th reunion Aug. 5 at the home of classmate Jerome Johnson and his wife, Danielle. That also happens to be my 83rd birthday .... but who's counting!
* * *
Another important event is National Night Out, being held Tuesday, Aug. 2, from 5 to 8 p.m. at City Park, hosted by the Bandon Police Department. Also participating will be Bandon Fire and Bay Cities Ambulance. It's free, so come out and meet your first responders, enjoy a bite to eat and play some games.
As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
July 20, 2022
The first picture I am sharing came out of a weathered little pamphlet about Coos county which was printed in 1909 to be distributed at the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition. A stamp in the inside cover indicates it belonged to Bandon Real Estate, Loan & Insurance Co., Col. C.T. Blumenrother, manager.
The 48-page book describes what life was like in Coos county in those days, with particular emphasis on what made each area of the county special.
Titled "Ship Building," this picture shows the launching of a boat from Price's Ship Yards.
"Ship and boat building is an important Coos county industry and one which has won much fame for the place in outside localities. Coos county has the wood needed for the construction of ships and many of the vessels employed in the Pacific inland waters were put together at the ship yards of the inland waters of Coos county and are made of the woods native to the locality. The white, or Port Orford, cedar particular to the county has been especially valuable in the construction of boats.
"At North Bend on Coos Bay is the large Kruse & Banks ship yard where the builders are now engaged in the construction of enormous railroad barges for use by the Western Pacific road in San Francisco Bay. Many of the fine steam schooners and lumber carriers on Pacific waters were built at these yards.
"At Marshfield are two boat yards, the Timmerman and the Holland plants. Both builders make a specialty of gasoline launches used in the bay and for the deep sea work.
"There are in use on Coos Bay and tributary streams about 300 gasoline boats. They are used to make passenger runs, for towing log rafts, as private boats of ranchers and as pleasure crafts. They are the chief mode of transportation.
"At Bandon at the mouth of the river is the big Price ship yards where the firm has turned out some fine ocean going vessels. Coos county offers exceptional opportunities to ship builders seeking new locations and the industry will in the future be even a more important one than in the past."
I know I have used this second picture in previous columns, but not the story that accompanies it. "Officers Tired of Chasing Cows" read the front page of the April 15, 1926, Western World, referring to animals just like this one pictured near the old Breuer Building (at right) and directly in front of where Edgewater's Restaurant is now located, taken years before the Fire.
Chasing cows, 1926
"The running at large of cattle and horses within the city limits, endangering gardens and lawns and generally creating trouble around people's homes, has caused the city officials more than the usual amount of grief recently and they have decided that it must be stopped.
"Violators of ordinances No. 227 and 482, which pertain to horses and cattle running at large, may satisfy themselves in advance that if their horses or cattle are taken up they will be fined in accordance with the ordinance and that if the animals are not claimed within the required length of time they will be sold. The leniency shown in the past has, in the opinion of the officers, bred a disregard for the municipal law."
The owner "would be required to pay a minimum fee of $1.50 and such other fees as the Council may provide. Ordinance No. 482 provides that animals impounded and not claimed within 48 hours shall be advertised and sold to the highest bidder for cash plus costs of sale."
The third picture I have chosen is the Bandon Steam Laundry, which was an early-day Bandon business.
Bandon Steam Laundry
An ad in the Dec. 16, 1915, Western World read:
"Biggest Family Washing Done FREE." As an explanation, the ad says that "during the next two weeks we are going to give a Xmas present to the family who has the biggest family washing done by us -- and are going to do it absolutely free.
"Give a coupon book for Xmas. We have them in amounts, from $1.00 to $10.00. By buying a book worth $5.00 or over you get a 5 percent discount. Good for any kind of work done here.
"We give special attention to family washing, and guarantee satisfactory work. Give us a trial. Bandon Steam Laundry. Remember we also sell ice. Telephone 1174; Let the wagon call," apparently referring to the horse- drawn wagon in the photo.
As I was writing this, I decided to see what Dow Beckham had to say about the business in his book "Bandon-by-the-Sea," and was surprised to learn that "the Bandon Steam Laundry, owned and operated by A. F. Derringer, burned April 9, 1913, at a total loss." Either that is not correct, or Bandon Steam Laundry rebuilt or moved to a different location because it was clearly thriving two and a half years later.
* * *
This year's city council election is a bit different because there will be five positions open, instead of the usual four (mayor and three councilors). Since Councilor Geoff Smith was appointed, he must run for a two-year term. As mayor, I will be filing for re-election, as will councilors Madeline Seymour and Chris Powell. Peter Braun has indicated he won't seek re-election, and Port of Bandon Project Manager Josh Adamson has taken out the paperwork to file for a council seat.
* * *
Bandon Library Friends and Foundation's A Different Kind of Book Sale will be held Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 5-7, at the library's Sprague Community Room in City Park.
From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, everything will be two for a dollar; on Saturday, 10-4, it's $5 a bag, and on Sunday, from noon to 2 p.m., everything that is left over is free. All proceeds benefit the Bandon Public Library.
You may also want to mark your calendar for Aug. 12, for a special program at the Sprague Theater from 7 to 8 p.m.
In conjunction with the release of Mark Yaconelli's latest book, Between the Listening and the Telling: How Stories Can Save Us, "this inspiring and interactive presentation will show how stories can heal our families, our world, and ourselves," said a spokesman for The Hearth foundation.
* * *
Following a recent comprehensive article on Ballot Measure 110 in the Register-guard, a letter in the public forum pretty much echoed my frustrations and those of just about everyone who is concerned about the rampant drug use in our state.
"Voters who approved Measure 110 legalizing certain quantities of life-ruining substances such as methamphetamine and heroin have been duped. A year later and there is no clear indication, contrary to the ballot measure contention, that funded treatment programs have materialized. Hard-drug abusers should be given the option to receive the treatment they need, or be forced out of our communities through incarceration.
"Either way, voters have been fooled on this one. Bureaucratic infighting and red tape have prevented the immediate roll out of treatment centers, and police have one less tool to combat rampant drug abuse and property crime in our state."
My advise: before you jump on the next initiative band wagon, understand the ramifications and consequences of what you are signing and supporting.
This is one "first in the nation" that Oregon did not need!
* * *
The next free household hazardous waste collection event at the Beaver Hill Transfer Site is set for Saturday, July 23, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and if you plan to drop off your unwanted household hazardous waste, you need to call 541-396-7624 to make an appointment. The best time to call is Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The collection event allows Coos and Curry county residents to safely dispose of a wide range of materials such as poisons, pesticides, solvent, fluorescent lights, pool chemicals, aerosol cans, caustic cleaners, mercury thermometers and flammable liquids. No industrial or commercial waste will be accepted.
* * *
The First Presbyterian Church of Bandon has a new pastor, the Rev. Jim Vickery, who moved to Bandon recently with his wife Michelle. Sunday church services are weekly, with the song service at 9:50 a.m., followed by the weekly sermon beginning at 10 and a coffee hour downstairs following services. The church is located at 592 Edison Ave., SW.
Early in his life, Vickery felt the call to the ministry, but later earned his Juris Doctor (JD) degree and practiced law for approximately 30 years.
* * *
In addition to the World track meet in Eugene this week, Bandon Dunes Golf Resort is hosting the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship July 25-30, which is expected to bring 264 12-18-year-old players to Bandon, along with 200 plus parents, 100 plus college golf coaches, 70 USGA committee members, 20 USGA staff, 10 future site visitors, 80 NBC/Golf Channel staff and 250 volunteers.
This is just one of the 13 USGA events to be hosted by Bandon Dunes through 2045.
NBC/Golf Channel will televise the semi-final and final, with coverage for July 29 and 30 from 3 to 5 p.m.
As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
July 13, 2022
I have chosen a very old picture of Face Rock to illustrate my first story, which appeared in a March 1925 issue of Western World, headlined "Old Timer Gets the Bug; Becomes a Motor Tourist."
Face Rock
" 'Familiarity breeds contempt' has so long been the case with the beach at Bandon that old residents here can hardly understand the enthusiasm of people who see the beach for the first time. In the past, there were a few who would stroll along the shore when there was nothing else to do, but their numbers were small.
"But with the opening of the Roosevelt highway last summer and its virtual completion from Roseburg to Bandon, tourists came rolling into Bandon in numbers undreamed of in the old days of bad roads and slow boats.
"Of course, the real old-timer still scoffs at the idea of putting in time on the beach when a fellow might just as well be hunting or fishing. There isn't any sense in watching more than two or three waves; they are all alike. But if some of the romantic visitors stay so long on the beach that they get hungry -- that's something different. The old timer has reached a point where he is willing to cater to the wishes of the tourist -- when it pays. And he found that it does pay.
"Hundreds of farmers and dairymen have found that the tourist wants and is willing to pay well for anything that can be converted to the uses of a traveler, especially if it can be eaten without too much bother. Even so simple a thing as a nice place to camp, if it be supplied with wood and water, can be made a source of income.
"So now the old-timer has mowed his whiskers and got his wife a new ax and put a fence around the yard where he can raise something to sell. Mind you, he doesn't approve of the maudlin business of taking pictures of a string of seagulls standing in a row on a plank. The dang critters always come around where there is anything to eat.
"If they buy stuff next year like they did this season, he will sell enough truck (produce) to take a trip back to see the folks in Ohio or Illinois. Hasn't been there for 28 years now. He wonders what it will be like to get into a car and go gallivanting over the country without let or hindrance, taking his time and seeing every thing he wants to see.
"The old-timer doesn't realize that he is in line to join the throng of wholesome, travel-hungry folks who are just like himself and his neighbors, eager to get out and see something of the world and the people who live in it. It will be something of a blow to him when he does understand that he has changed by the simple process of getting into a car and driving out of the county -- in short that he is a tourist, himself."
I often write about the original high school, built in 1894 on the hill overlooking the waterfront, but this second photo from about 1910 shows where it was located in relation to the Breuer Building (now a vacation rental just east of Edgewater's Restaurant), which is at the bottom right in this photo.
1910
On top of the hill, west of the high school, is the Life-Saving station, and along the waterfront, north of the Breuer building, was the Life-Saving boat house, which is now part of the old Coast Guard station, owned by the Port of Bandon.
The third picture I am sharing was taken after the 1949 Cranberry Festival when young parade winners lined up to have their picture taken. This was a small snapshot found in the collection of the late Johnny Lorenz, and shared with me by his widow Jean.
1949 Cranberry Festival parade winners
Even though this photo did not appear in Western World, I found a list of the parade winners on the front page, which helped me identify most of those in the front row and even a couple in the background.
From left are David Lorenz, Ronelda Riley, Pat Olson, Marcia Helferstine, Mike Dobney (the pirate), Margaret Lorenz, Carol Tucker, Sue Sweet (the three in white), Mary Jane Hartley (on her tricycle) and Larry Baker, dressed as a bell boy.
In back, at right, I can see D.H. Miller and, in the white cap, George Dow, who was one of the parade judges.
* * *
While listening to the ODOT road report for the Fourth of July weekend, I heard mention of the possibility of traffic slowdowns in the Reedsport area and knew exactly what they were referring to. It was the Road Diet, which reconfigured the highway through Reedsport, resulting in a serious bottleneck. Again, I realized how fortunate Bandon was to have dodged the proverbial bullet when the city council voted against the Road Diet. In the beginning some felt it might be helpful to slow traffic through town and we decided to take a good look at it .... but that was until we got a petition signed by most of Bandon's business community urging us to turn down ODOT's Road Diet. And we said, "thanks, but no thanks."
I've been told by one of the Reedsport councilors that the state has agreed to eventually remove the Road Diet configuration, but he mentioned that cost was the holdup.
* * *
As crime continues to be a huge issue in Coos County and the entire state, it has been reported that a schizophrenic man from Springfield, who in 2015 beat his father to death with a baseball bat, critically injured his mother and then killed two other innocent victims in the Eugene-Springfield area is being released from the state mental hospital to a less secure facility in Woodburn. Lane County District Attorney Patty Perlow called the decision "terrifying." She feared for the safety of the people of Woodburn and other members of his family. The TV report indicated that he might even be allowed to leave the facility unsupervised.
Only recently, a man who walked away from a less secure facility like this in another state broke into a family's home and killed them. It is time that the safety of our communities outweigh the concern about keeping people who commit heinous crimes in secure lockdown.
These kinds of decisions, coupled with a new state law which basically prohibits jailing people for a number of crimes, makes us all less safe.
Property crimes are particularly out of control in the north part of Coos County, and because of a lack of space in the jail's 48-bed pod (the only one open in the 250-bed jail), there is no room for them, often even if they met the matrix to be jailed. Apparently the reasoning behind SB48 is that minorities are being unfairly targeted because they cannot post the bail necessary to get them out of jail while they await trial. So the legislature, in their infinite wisdom (said with a great deal of sarcasm) felt it would be better not to require bail ... but just release people on their own recognizance, hoping, I guess, that they will show up for court. This week in Portland a man arrested for a hate crime against an Asian father and his son was released and failed to turn up for his court hearing. Fortunately he was soon found, but Portland's mayor and other officials are pointing the finger at each other as to how this could happen.
* * *
Friends of the late Johnny Lorenz are invited to attend John's Celebration of Life on his 75th birthday, July 20, at noon at the IOOF cemetery, followed by a reception at the VFW Hall.
John and his wife Jean were long-time residents of the Eugene-Springfield area. He graduated with the BHS Class of 1965.
* * *
Langlois native Lowell Kreutzer died June 24 in Grants Pass, a couple of weeks shy of his 95th birthday. Lowell and his twin brother Lloyd were born in Bandon's Leep Memorial Hospital July 6, 1927, the oldest of five siblings, who included the 1947 Cranberry Queen Ruth Kreutzer and longtime Bandon businessman Ken Kreutzer. He was a lifelong resident of Langlois, operating dairy, beef and sheep ranches and later hauling hay and rock.
He is survived by five children, Susan Silva, Ed Kreutzer, Kathleen Meader, Rhett Kreutzer and Colleen Roberts, and his significant other, Carrie Eggert. Services will be July 30 at 11 a.m. at the Langlois Community Church, followed by graveside services at Denmark Cemetery. A celebration of life will follow, with barbecue and potluck, at the Langlois Cheese Factory.
* * *
One of Bandon's popular Old Town businesses, D'Lyn's, owned by Dorothy Lynn Saunders, will be closing soon. Because of Lynn's medical condition, she is no longer able to run the store. In the meantime her daughters and her husband, Larry Saunders, are operating the business, and are selling the merchandise at sale prices.
They had hoped that someone might want to buy the business, which leases the bottom space from Bill and Louise Moore, on the corner of Chicago and Second Street, but that has not materialized.
* * *
People are reminded that the next Alive After Five wine walk is scheduled for this Friday, July 15, from 5 to 7, with $10 glasses to be purchased at the picnic shelter on the Port of Bandon Boardwalk.
* * *
Oregon basketball fans who have followed the illustrious career of former Duck Sabrina Ionescu were thrilled to learn that the 31 points she scored for the New York Liberty, in their 116-107 win over Las Vegas recently, was the highest scoring triple double in WNBA history and tied Candace Parker's league record of three triple-doubles.
We all knew she was something special, and her latest accomplishments bears that out.
* * *
I've been following closely on Facebook the last few days two searches in the county: one for a beloved grandfather suffering from dementia and the other for a much loved black French bulldog, for which a $5,000 reward had been offered.
George L. Lagrou, 84, was last seen at milepost 7 on Weyerhaeuser Lane in Alleghany around 11:23 a.m. Thursday, July 7. He lives at milepost 5.5. The sheriff's office is conducting a search, and it was reported that a dog team was taken to the place he was last seen, but just went in circles as they could not pick up the scent, which led officers to believe someone might have picked him up and taken him into town. He is believed to be carrying a metal fold-up chair. Anyone with information is asked to call the CCSO at 541-396-7830.
I received a robo call Saturday asking if I had seen the bulldog, Oliver, in what appeared to be like an Amber Alert. Sadly, a post Sunday said the family had determined that Oliver drowned.
As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
July 06, 2022
I found the most interesting story in the March 1913 Klakahma, a magazine published monthly by students of Bandon High School, with two seniors on the editorial team, Archie Rosa and Esther Solve, later marrying and becoming productive members of the Bandon community.
I have chosen three photos to illustrate a letter in the Klakahma, written by a May Kinley to her friend, Katherine, dated March 14, 1913.
"We had a very pleasant trip down the Coquille river and enjoyed the beautiful scenery which is at its best at this time of year. You know we took a boat from Portland to Marshfield, and then a train to Coquille before we started on our down-river trip (first photo).
Dispatch (sternwheeler)
The ride from Marshfield to Coquille on the train was not very agreeable, but we soon forgot it as we were coming down the river. We passed several sawmills and small towns, but I was not very much interested in them. But as soon as we came in sight of Bandon I could hardly restrain my impatience, so anxious was I to see the town which I had heard so much about. It seemed so much larger than I had supposed and there were so many factories and mills scattered along the water-front that it looked quite city-like.
"There is quite a large harbor here and the citizens are trying to have the bar deepened so that large ships may enter. However, there are several large boats here now, the largest one, the Grace Dollar (second photo), just arriving last week.
Grace Dollar
"There are two or three fairly good hotels here (third photo of the Gallier Hotel) and seven or eight fine stores, besides the warehouses.
Gallier Hotel
The streets seem to be filled with people all the time, and everything has such a busy, prosperous look. I was surprised, too, at the number of automobiles they have here as I expected that there would be only two or three.
"Yesterday we visited the school house and were shown through the building. It is a fine building, three stories high, besides a fine cement basement. Eighteen teachers are employed in the school for about 600 pupils.
"They are beginning to build a new school house next year, as the attendance is increasing so rapidly that one school house cannot accommodate them all.
"There are about 70 pupils in the high school, with four regular teachers. An up-do-date gymnasium is badly needed, and as yet there are no manual training nor domestic science departments; but there is a special teacher in commercial work, also one in music.
"There are churches of almost all denominations here. The new Presbyterian church which is now under construction to replace the old one which burned a few years ago, will soon be finished and is a fine one, and will be spacious enough to accommodate large gatherings.
"The Bandon Beach, of which you have probably heard, is one of the grandest on the Pacific Coast. It has so many large, beautiful, wave-sculptured rocks, which makes it appear so rugged. Its beauty and its short distance from the town make it very popular, and some day it will be a famous summer resort. Even now there are hundreds of campers who come here in the summer to camp for several weeks to escape the heat of their home places. Some come from as far away places as Roseburg and Portland but the greater number of them come from up river points. They camp on the bluff above the beach and there is a regular 'tent city' there every summer.
"They tell me that the chief industries here are lumbering and dairying. Bandon is the shipping point for all the farm produce, and this industry will gradually increase as new and better roads are being built. The lumber export is gradually becoming the greatest factor in the city's growth, and with new boats being built for this port all the time, it will become even more important.
"There are about three thousand people in Bandon now, but there are so many travelers coming and going that it seems many more. The population has increased greatly within the last two years, and strangers coming here have difficulty in renting houses. Residences are being built all the time, but the demand is greater than the supply. Your friend, May Kinley,"
Ironically the two large ads on the back cover of the publication belonged to Archie Rosa's father, the R.H. Rosa Co., dealers in general merchandise, and Bank of Bandon, where he spent his long career in banking, following in the footsteps of his father, who served as an early Vice President and Director at the bank.
* * *
Just a reminder for Bandon High School graduates of all ages, the all-school reunion is set for Saturday, Aug.6, from noon to 4 at the high school gym on Ninth Street. It is sponsored by the Bandon Historical Society. We are urging people to communicate the information to others, who may not be on Facebook and not know about it.
* * *
Speaking of the museum, of which I am a board member, we recently received rubbings from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., which contains the names of two Bandon High graduates, Terry Williams and Terry Sumerlin, class of 1966, both of whom died in the War.
Bo Shindler, a BHS grad who lives in Gold Beach, sent the rubbings after he and his family visited the War Memorial several months ago.
* * *
For the month of June, my weather guy recorded 3.07 inches of rain, the most for a June in the last 10 years, to bring the 2022 rain total to 30.21 inches, compared to 35.85 for the same period last year. The difference was this January we only had 5 inches of rain, compared to 14.13 in January of 2021.
* * *
I was surprised and honored to receive an email from the Coos County Historical Society this week saying that I had been named co-winner of the 2022 Nathan Douthit Local Historian Award "for your contribution of your column 'As I See It' telling of the stories and lives of the people living in and around Bandon."
I have been writing my column for many years, and for over a decade it has appeared on line at Bandon.tv, but it wasn't until it began to run in The World (and lately in the Coquille Sentinel) did people outside of Bandon read it.
I will be attending their annual meeting on July 8 to receive the award. I will be joining good company because my friend Jim Proehl received the same award in 2017 for his many contributions as a member of the Bandon Historical Society museum board and local historian.
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Speaking of honors, the Bandon Police Department received word last week that one of our officers, Taylor Bollin, received recognition from ODOT's Impaired Driving Program Manager for his "judicious use of grant overtime in actually making impaired driving arrests (6 arrests in 28 hours), which exceeds many officers' productivity in parts of the state with substantially higher populations and places to consume alcohol before driving."
We will be honoring him at the July 11 city council meeting.
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I learned this week that Lord Bennetts restaurant, including the building and the land, are for sale. The popular restaurant, owned by Rich Iverson, has been listed with Dan Cirigliano for $2.2 million. It is next to Sunset Motel and has gorgeous ocean views. When you consider that a home with river and Old Town views recently sold for $2,175,000, it probably won't be on the market for long.
Fred Gernandt told me this week that "housing is still very tight," indicating "that manufactured homes on city lots are now closing escrow between $380,000 and $410,000."
If you want to see what high-end homes are selling for in this market, go to Realtor.com and you will find several with ocean views in the $1.6 million range.
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Lynn MacDonald Wright (daughter of Bandon's long-time police chief Big Mac) and her husband, Randy, five children and 12 grandchildren recently spent a week in Bandon. Lynn and Randy have moved back to Utah after living in Texas for several years for Randy's work. While they were here, they just happened to be at the South Jetty when the remains of the small fishing boat washed up on the beach, and Randy took photos which he shared with me. I then sent them to The World and the Sentinel to accompany the story I wrote about the heroic rescue of the four men by Charter boat operator Wayne Butler, his crew and several of the 13 passengers on the charter. It made the front page of both papers.
Stories like this bring back the sad memory of a boating accident in June of 1988 which took the lives of two prominent Bandon men, Walt Miller and George "Bud" Anthony, while two others on board the sports boat Nyna C, David Miller (Walt's nephew) and Walt Ashton (former fire chief), survived.
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The year 2022 has been a good year for Bandon High School, both academically and athletically. Last week, in both the World and the Sentinel, I wrote a separate article about the nearly $1.7 million in scholarships earned by the Class of 2022.
Lately, in sports, Hunter Angove earned first place in pole vault at the Nike Outdoor Nationals, Emerging Elite category, with a vault of 15'6".
In softball, Avery Pounder was named Pitcher of the Year, joining coaches Brandon Gallagher, Bandon, and Darren Thompson, Coquille, who were Coaches of the Year.
Avery was one of five players from Bandon on the first team, including first baseman Kadence Teel, infielders Carlee Freitag and Alexis Williams and outfielder Alyssa Duenas. Coquille had one player on the first team, utility player Rory Inskeep.
In Sunset Conference baseball, Tiger pitcher Colton Siewell was conference Player of the Year from Bandon, which won the league title, joined by catcher Chris Butler, infielder Cooper Lang and outfielder Dylan Kamph. Coquille, which finished third to reach the playoffs for the first time in almost 40 years, placed pitcher Patrick Adams and utility player Dean Tucker on the first team.
Previous columns by Mary Schamehorn
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