As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
October 26, 2022
I love the story of old Mike Breuer, who was still repairing shoes at his little shop on the waterfront when I was in junior high. Back then it was an old building, having survived the Bandon Fire of 1936; today it has been lovingly renovated into a vacation rental.
The first picture is of Mike when he celebrated his 90th birthday in January of 1950. He died two years later at the age of 92.
Mike Breuer, 1950
The following biographical sketch of Michael "Mike" Breuer was prepared by his oldest son, Victor.
"Michael Breuer was born in Golinitz, Austria-Hungary, January 22, 1860.
"As a boy of 13, he started to learn the trade of shoemaker which he has followed throughout his life. He was drafted into the Austrian army at an early age, but as he did not believe in military rule, he deserted at the age of 21 and came to the United States, where he found employment in the Wheeler & Wilson sewing machine factory at Bridgeport, Conn.
"As soon as he had saved enough money he sent for his childhood sweetheart, Josephine Andraschofsky, and the young couple were married at Bridgeport in 1882.
"Mr. Breuer studied government reports on climatic conditions of the United States, and from these he decided to make his home in Coos County.
"Mr. Breuer took up a homestead six miles above Myrtle Point. There were no roads in that part of the country at that time and the only means of transportation were boat and packhorse.
"In 1884 there was quite a lot of activity at Bandon. So, being a little weary of the rough mountain life, he decided to open a shoe shop there.
"He would fill a pack sack with enough provisions for the week and leaving the homestead Monday morning, he would walk the 28 miles to Bandon over Lampa mountain. After working in the shop all week he would return home the same way.
"Finally, after arranging for living quarters for his wife and son, Victor, who was then four years old, the family moved to Bandon.
"A short time later their first house (second photo) was built across the street from where the present Coast Guard station now stands.
Mike Breuer's first house and store
This place was sold in later years and the new store and present house were built (third photo).
Mike Breuer's second house and store
(In the second photo the name Brewer, on the side of the house, is spelled incorrectly, which probably means that whoever printed the old photo did not know the correct spelling and enhanced the lettering with a pen).
"In Bandon six children were born: Ilona Albert, Joe, Irene, Josephine, and Otto. Mrs. Breuer died in 1932.
"During his 50 years in business here, he has seen Bandon grow from a few hundred people to a prosperous community of several thousand, and is today its oldest active businessman.
"He has never carried one bit of fire insurance throughout his life, and he was one of the very few who didn't lose his home in the disastrous fire of 1936.
"Being a firm believer in public ownership, it was he who advocated for the city hydro-electric plant and worked for its completion. And it was while he was serving the city as a school director and city councilman that through his efforts the present city park was acquired. He was also instrumental in the opening of the first public library in Bandon.
"He has been a member of Bandon Masonic Lodge No. 130 for over 50 years, and has always had the good of the community at heart."
* * *
We all received our ballots this week. I am blown away by the viciousness of the ads that pound our TV sets, and our senses, but I think we all need to stop and think about what we want for Oregon when it comes to casting your ballot for governor.
I have been a strong supporter of independent candidate Betsy Johnson, but it is now clear from the polls that the real race is between Democrat Tina Kotek and Republican Christine Drazen.
Crime is the number one issue in my long list of concerns, and one-party rule, which has been the norm for too many years, has not made us safer. Quite the contrary, legislation fostered by the majority party has freed hardened criminals, turned their back on lawlessness and homelessness in our major cities, failed in its operation of the state mental hospital, and made it even harder for small cities to deal with the problem of the homeless because of legislation like HB 3124. Not to mention the latest no-bail law (SB 48) which makes it easier for criminals to avoid jail time.
Coming on the heels of the Ninth Circuit Court ruling that cities cannot cite homeless people for sleeping on public property unless there is someplace for them to go, the Oregon Legislature, led by House Speaker Tina Kotek, drafted HB 3124 which now requires 72-hour notice before governments can clear out homeless camps and their belongings. And, it also requires that government (make that cities) collect valuables left behind at a campsite and store them for at least 30 days at a site within the same community from which they were collected. And if their belongings are not kept in a secure place, they can sue. Johnson and Drazen voted against the bill.
One of the primary reasons for Oregon's steep increase in the number of drug overdoses and drug addiction can be directly tied to BM110, which makes Oregon the only state in the nation to decriminalize user grade amounts of meth, heroin and cocaine. Kotek is quoted as saying she will NOT move to overturn BM110 because "it was the will of the people." Both Johnson and Drazen have said they will work to overturn it.
Because I now realize that Betsy Johnson cannot win, I will cast my vote for Christine Drazen. Oregon will still be among the most liberal states in the nation, which means that hot button issues like abortion and LGBTQ issues will not be impacted, but one thing that a Republican governor will have is the right to veto legislation that comes out of the legislature. Crime is the number one issue over which a governor and the legislature actually have control and we have seen what one-party rule has brought us.
And since our state representative (David Brock Smith) and our senator (Dallas Heard) are both Republicans, we will have a better chance of having our voices heard than has been the case in the past.
I am way more afraid of single party rule than I am of a Republican governor.
* * *
I learned this week that Gary Carroll, a star athlete and hall of famer from Coquille, died Oct. 21 in Myrtle Point where he lived with his family. Gary was a member of Coquille's 1966 state championship basketball team. Other members of that team were Harold Brice and Craig Johnson, who still live in the area.
* * *
I also heard about the death of Cory Easom, whose father Irv Eason, was superintendent of schools in Bandon for several years in the mid to late 1970s. Cory, who lived in Ontario, was 52. His brother, Cody, 57, who lives across the border in Boise, Ida., posted that his brother was struck by a motor vehicle in the early morning hours of Oct. 17 and died immediately. Cory had been a professional photographer. His mother, Charlotte Easom, died at age 80 in Ontario in 2017. Irv died at age 85 in 2019.
* * *
This year's Thanksgiving community holiday meal will be take-out only.
The committee has agreed that while a meal will be prepared on Thanksgiving Day, there will be no Christmas meal this year.
People need to pre-register for their meal, which can be picked up during certain hours at the community center on Thanksgiving Day. The phone number to call is 541-347-4717, and you are to leave your name, phone number, address and the number of meals you need (one meal per person). Meals need to be pre-ordered by Nov. 4.
If you are physically unable to pick up your meal, it can be delivered.
* * *
I saw an ad for a police officer, with a $5,000 signing bonus. Chief Cory Dhillon told me that Officer Trevor Sanne will be joining the North Bend police department, as their pay will be based on "Coos Bay's more lucrative pay scale." He said he could not afford to move to Bandon and the "daily drive was wearing on him financially." He lives in the Coos Bay area.
* * *
People are reminded that they need to mark their ballots for a candidate they support even if they are running unopposed. I have learned that a man, who some months ago recorded and posted a video of himself being stopped by the Coquille PD, is urging people to write his name in for mayor.
* * *
In addition to voting for Christine Drazen for governor, I am supporting Captain Gabe Fabrizio for sheriff. I am also urging people to support local ballot measures 6-204 (the five-year jail levy) and the city measure 6-207, which will allow the council to set System Development Charges on new development. The bottom line is this: should locals pay for increased costs of infrastructure for new development, or should the developers pay?
As for statewide measures, I have studied them closely and taken into consideration the recommendations of the major newspapers, and I urge people to vote No on Measures 111, 112 and 113, and to vote yes on 114.
Josh Marquis, the former Clatsop County DA, points out the unintended consequences of Measure 112, which supposedly cleans up language in Oregon's Constitution about slavery and indentured slaves. Because of legislation passed some years ago, prison inmates are required to either work or go to school. If 112 passes, he says activists could push for inmates to be paid minimum wage, which could have enormous unintended financial consequences.
* * *
It was a sold out crowd for the Calvin Jones Band concert at the Sprague last week. Judging from the posts and the people I've talked to, it was a great event and people thoroughly enjoyed it. One man who had never been to the Sprague was blown away that such a beautiful facility could be in such a small town.
As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
October 19, 2022
The three photos I am sharing this week will illustrate early day logging methods as outlined by local historian John Nielson in a 1955 Western World article.
John points out that during the 1870s and 1880s, and even later as this first photo was taken in 1902, logging operations with bull teams were being carried on. The first photo, which comes from the Bandon Historical Society, features logger George Pike's oxen team, ridden by his son and his daughter, Mary, who later married Dr. Ellsworth F. Lucas.
Oxen team, 1902
The article points out that the bull teams would haul the logs to the Coquille River where they were dumped into boom sticks.
"When early day logging operations were being carried on in the Bear Creek valley, the logs were hauled to Bear creek with bull teams and then when the water was high enough were floated down stream into the Parkersburg boom.
"Most of the logs from the Bear Creek valley were evidently sold to Capt. Judah Parker, who owned and operated the Parkersburg sawmill, which was built about 1876. This mill burned down in 1882 and was rebuilt in 1883. The second mill burned down about 1907.
"About 1908 steam donkeys were being introduced which just about stopped bull logging, It was not long after this nearly all loggers used the steam method of logging.
"Some loggers built log shutes (note the shute in the rear of photo number two) in which logs were dumped.
The logs were shot down these shutes into the river. This was done in several places along the Coquille River," he explained.
"When logging operations were being carried on during the early days, logs were dumped into booms and floated down the river to mills (photo three).
Some times the heavy rains would raise the river too fast and cause the logs to be carried down the river past the mills ... and in some cases many logs went out over the bar into the ocean.
"Later log booms were constructed along the river eliminating heavy losses. When the high water got back to normal, the logs were sorted and rafted to the various mills.
"Present day methods have eliminated the early day logging in many ways. Railroading and rafting have just about ceased," said Nielson in the 1955 article. "Roads are being constructed into the timber with bulldozers and such roads intersect with the highways. All logs are yarded by diesel donkeys to be cold-decked and then loaded on trucks, then delivered to mill ponds or river booms. The days of steam donkeys are past. Pioneer associations are collecting the steam donkeys for relics."
One of the old steam donkeys is on display in the Powers County Park.
"While I am on the matter of logging, I wish to state that during the 1890s, the loggers were being paid around $3 to $3.50 per thousand feet for logs delivered at the mill. It is little wonder that so many loggers went broke. Later on logs were being sold at better prices. About 1900 to 1907 logs were sold around for $4 per thousand feet. The rebuilding of San Francisco after the disastrous earthquake and fire in 1906 caused quite a boom in lumber, and prices increased considerably and logs were then selling around $8 per thousand."
Nielson said when he moved to Bandon in 1910 "the lumber boom was on full blast. There were not enough houses to take care of the people wanting them. Some laid down lumber floors and put a tent over the floor in order to get a place to live. When the boom broke in 1915, it was not long before houses were available.
"The Coquille river at the time of this lumber boom had the largest number of steamers and sailing schooners carrying lumber and timber products to San Francisco in its history.
"My purpose for writing this was to show people what old timers had to contend with during the early logging camp days and the many things that had to be surmounted in order to make a living.
"If anyone had told me 20 years ago that I would live long enough to see fir logs hauled 100 miles or more profitably, I would have thought at the time that he should have consulted a doctor, as to his mental condition," said Nielson.
* * *
I learned that a member of the class of 1976 Rick Reavis, a long-time resident of Bandon, died last week in Portland after a lengthy illness. His wife said that in accordance with his wishes, there would be no service.
I know that he was the son of the late Alma Lou Gillespie Reavis, who was in my BHS class, and he had a number of relatives in Bandon. I have not seen an obituary, so I don't have any more information to share.
* * *
I just talked with Randy Texley, 72, a 1968 graduate of BHS, who is slowly recovering after being run over by a 16,000 pound backhoe several weeks ago and suffered extensive injuries, including a broken ankle, a torn Achilles tendon, and torn muscles throughout his rib cage.
He was spreading shavings for his wife's horse when the backhoe stopped working, and he crawled beneath it to see if he could figure out the problem. After tinkering with it, he reached up with a screwdriver to start it, and it took off and ran right over him.
"I feel extremely lucky as it went from arm pit to arm pit and tore all the muscles, but it missed my head about a foot," Randy said. After first going to Bay Area Hospital, he went to the VA in Roseburg where the doctors told him that he was the only person they had heard of that survived an accident like this. Randy, whose parents Gordon and Ann owned The Snack Shack for many years, has endured a lot in recent years, including three head injuries, a wreck caused when he suffered a stroke, and so many broken bones that it's hard to count, but he's never experienced anything like this.
So far, he has not really left the couch as it is too painful to stand up, even though he was provided with a wheelchair and a walker. The doctors say it will probably be three or four more weeks before he can get around, but considering what could have happened, he's just thankful to be alive.
"I'm going to come out of it," Randy told me. He said so many people have come to his home with crab and other food, and are helping him in many ways. But he says he's getting restless and just wants to be up and around. "But I'll come out of it," he told me. And I know he will.
* * *
A friend recently sent me a website listing the 10 best beaches in the United States, and Bandon was number seven. here's what they had to say: "Bandon, four hours south of Portland on Oregon's southern coast, has easygoing beaches and stunning ocean views. Towering rocks dot the coastline, including the iconic Face Rock, where, as legend has it, you can hear a woman's voice in the wind if you listen closely. Nearby, ride over 22 miles of purpose-built mountain bike paths on the Whiskey Run Trails through Coos County Forest. pick up applewood-smoked cheddar cheese at Face Rock Creamery, fish and chips and clam chowder at Bandon Fish Market, and local pinot noir at Alloro Wine Bar. Every room at Windermere on the Beach (from $165) has an ocean view, or book this two-bedroom oceanfront A-frame on Airbnb (from $155).
Others on the list were Rockport, Mass., Port Townsend, Wash., Biddeford, Maine, Sapelo Island, Ga., Chincoteague, Va., Block Island, RI., St. George Island, Fla., Cambria, Calif., and number one Paia, Maui.
Paia is the last stop before the Road to Hana, a scenic coastal highway on Maui's North Shore, and those of us who have traveled it (twice for me) won't soon forget it.
* * *
Two events of interest to hikers and historians are taking place this Sunday, Oct. 23.
The first, a hike billed as "To the Bogs and Back-Bandon," begins at 10 a.m. at the Bandon History Museum. On this in-town hike, museum volunteer Jim Proehl will share some "history minutes" along the way as you follow sidewalks, quiet streets and pathways on a 2.5-mile loop that leads from the museum to where you will see some cranberry bogs during harvest season. Part of this October hike will take people through a cemetery. The walk can be extended by picking up one of several "Healthy, Historic Hike" maps at the museum and following another route through historic Bandon.
Oregon author William Sullivan, who is well known for his Oregon hiking books, will be speaking that same day, Sunday, at 2 p.m. at the Sprague Theater. He will present a slide show on D.B. Cooper's Parachute and The Exploding Whale, according to Ann Sandstrom, who has been working with the Bandon Library Friends and Foundation and the new librarian Christine Kingsbury to bring the author to Bandon.
* * *
People are also reminded that the next Alive After Five wine event is scheduled for Friday night (Oct. 21) from 5 to 7, sponsored by the Greater Bandon Association. Glasses and maps can be purchased for $10 beginning at 5 at the Port of Bandon picnic shelter.
* * *
The annual drive-thru flu shot clinic, sponsored by Southern Coos Hospital, is set for Tuesday, Oct. 25, from sunrise until 1 p.m., or while supplies last in Bandon City Park. High-dose vaccines for those 65 and over will be available as will the regular dose. There is no charge.
As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
October 12, 2022
The first picture I am sharing this week was Bandon's city hall in the 1920s, which is the building with the bell tower on the west end of First Street. Today that is the site of Edgewaters Restaurant.
City Hall, 1920s
In a special section published by Western World in June of 1929, one of the articles features the City of Bandon, with emphasis on the fact that the city had its own electric and water systems.
As part of the article, it explains that the city hall building is owned by the city. "It is of ample size to house the fire department, the hydro-electric department, and the city recorder's office on the lower floor. The second floor contains the council chamber and a large room used for practice by the Bandon Concert band."
Two months later, in the Aug. 29, 1929, Western World, a front-page article is headlined "City Council dedicates former City Hall to new department."
In those two months, my guess is that the city hall moved to the location on the west end of Cleveland, where it was at the time of the Fire six years later. After the Fire, it moved into the building at the corner of Highway 101 and Fillmore, now owned by the Bandon Historical Society, which was deeded the building after the city moved to its new city hall 52 years ago ... in 1970.
The August article says that "the old city hall building at the foot of First Street west is to be converted into a fire hall and will be the official headquarters for the newly organized volunteer fire department. The lower floor will be used for equipment, and the second floor will be a dormitory and a club room.
"Probably a half-dozen beds will be installed and unmarried members of the department will make it their sleeping quarters. By doing this quicker action can be had on night calls and the department will have a higher rating with the insurance bureau.
"The department now has the chemical truck reconditioned, giving it two pieces of efficient apparatus."
I decided it would be interesting to see what businesses were here at the time of the Fire, so I looked at the community ad in the Sept. 24, 1936, Western World, which was the last paper to be published before the disastrous fire of Sept. 26, 1936.
I found Bandon Hardware Co.; Fuhrman & Shindler, Inc., Otto Shindler, druggist; John P. Devereux Dairy, milk and cream; Farmers Liberty Market; Bandon Cheese & Produce Co., manufacturers of Bandon Butter; Bandon Cleaners & Dyers, A.B. Tweed, manager; Bank of Bandon, commercial and savings; Capps Motor Co., authorized Ford agency; Western World, printing of all kinds; Safeway Stores, distribution without waste; Elmer Gant, the clothier; Westmost Golf Links; Rufus Truman, radio and electrical appliances; York & Company, blacksmith, welders, machinists; Haga & Church, modern grocery; City Meat Market, George Erdman, proprietor; Golden Rule Store; Panter Truck Line; Arcade Beer Parlor, Blitz-Weinhard on tap; Buckingham Pharmacy, Harlan Buckingham proprietor; Jameson & Kay, hay, grain and mill feeds; McNair Hardware Co., the Winchester store; and Jerry's, Mr. and Mrs. Reed A. Gallier (their son Reed Jr. was a member of the Bandon City Council in the mid-80s).
Because it did not burn, the York & Company foundry was still there (across Highway 101 from the newly built cheese factory) when the second photo was taken during the flood of December 1940.
flood of December 1940
It was in the front yard of the big house (where I grew up) which still sits at the same location across from Face Rock Creamery. The foundry must have been torn down soon after this picture was taken because I do not remember it being in our front yard, although we often found small pieces of metal when digging in the yard.
The third picture I am sharing is what it looked like shortly after the Fire, and in the middle of the photo you can see the walls going up for the new Haga & Church building, on the corner of Second Street and Baltimore Avenue, which later became Croxall & Perry Grocery. For more than 50 years it was owned by Dave Elliott of Dave's Radio & TV. Today it sits empty and is for sale.
After the fire
In the background, you can see buildings that survived the Fire, including the Stephan Hotel building (now Cranberry Sweets), Bob-Otto Court (torn down in the late 1950s), Coast Lumber Yard, also torn down, and a number of tents in which people were living.
The community ad, which each month would have a special theme and would be supported by most of the merchants in town, ended its September 1936 message with: "These are days that call for close cooperation, better understanding, and a more wholesome attitude toward all that the community has in common."
Little did they know that two days later the town as they knew it would be gone forever...and those who remained to rebuild Bandon would be challenged in ways they could never imagine.
* * *
I have learned that chamber board member and Bandon business owner Christine Whitmer Michalek was injured Wednesday morning in a wreck at the stop light at 11th and Highway 101. I contacted the Bandon police Department for information, but because Christine is a sister of Bandon officer Matt Whitmer, the call was turned over to the Oregon State Police. I understand that the other driver may have run the stop light, but I have not confirmed it. Christine had just finished taking her children to Ocean Crest Elementary, where they attend school, when the accident occurred. A family friend said she had driven the much sturdier pickup that morning rather than the less sturdy van belonging to she and her husband, Dustin, which the friend said "may have saved her life."
I understand she spent some time under observation in the hospital before being released. The family owns The Big Wheel on Baltimore, as well as The Little Wheel on Second Street.
* * *
After two years of Covid restrictions, Holiday Meals will return for Thanksgiving dinner only this year, but in a different format. This year's meal will be take-out only.
"Due to legislative requirements for food handling, Holiday Meals won't be utilizing the magnitude of volunteers we have had in the past, but we want people to know that the committee will still be providing a Thanksgiving dinner for the community," said committee member Colleen Wiesel.
They have also agreed that while a meal will be prepared on Thanksgiving Day, there will be no Christmas meal this year so that committee members can spend time with their families.
The menu will include turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, green beans, coleslaw, cranberry sauce, rolls and pumpkin pie.
People need to pre-register for their meal, which can be picked up during certain hours at the community center on Thanksgiving Day. The phone number to call is 541-347-4717, and you are to leave your name, phone number, address and the number of meals you need (one meal per person). Meals need to be pre-ordered by Nov. 4 so the committee will know how much food to purchase and prepare.
If you are physically unable to pick up your meal, let us know when you call in your pre-order and we will make arrangements to have it delivered to you, Wiesel said.
* * *
The rainfall totals for September indicate 1.16 inches of rain fell in the month of September, compared to 3.78 the previous September and a high of 4.87 in 2019 (after a low of 0.45 inches in 2018).
The totals for the rain year (Oct. 1 through Sept. 30) show 58.19 inches for 2021/22, compared to 61.68 the previous year, and 52.79 for 19/20.
* * *
People living inside the city limits will find several measures on the ballot, including Measure 6-207 which would give the city council the charter authority to set Systems Development Charges for new development.
The city currently charges SDCs for water, sewer, stormwater and streets. But these charges have not been modified in many years, and it is important that new development help pay for the infrastructure that is required to serve these new homes.
As costs increase, the council would be able to revise the amount of SDCs that new development would be required to pay, which is currently $13,750, regardless of the value of the new home. There is an exception for small ADUs (accessory dwelling unit) which are allowed by state law to be built on property already occupied by a single family dwelling.
With growth comes a demand for more infrastructure. The question is: who should pay for that growth? The people who live here or those who are developing here? That is the heart of BM 6-207. I urge you to vote yes on BM 6-207.
Another important measure, which deserves our support, is 6-204, a five-year levy put forth by Coos County to increase jail funding and capacity. I don't think I have to tell you that there is an epidemic of crime in Coos County, which is made worse by the fact that of the 250-bed jail, only 48 beds are available to house offenders.
* * *
The Bandon Police Department recently issued a warning to people because of the uptick in property crime calls that they are receiving.
"Bandon Police are reminding Bandon residents to be proactive so they don't fall victim to incidents such as the ones we've been seeing. It's our hope that by heightening awareness and being proactive, we can circumvent these types of incidents. Please make sure to lock your homes, garages, sheds and outbuildings.
"Always keep your vehicles locked no matter where you live and try to keep them in well-lit areas. Do not leave firearms in your vehicle. Set car alarms. Do not hide keys or key fobs in your vehicle.
"If you see strange vehicles or persons in your neighborhood, please call BPD at 541-347-2241," said the release.
As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
October 05, 2022
During the hey-day of commercial and sport fishing in the Coquille River, it was not uncommon to see a vessel sink at the local dock. But the first picture I am sharing depicts a fishing boat being raised from the river bottom ... at Prosper.
Fishing boat being raised from river bottom, 1968
It was February of 1968 and the boat belonged to a pair of well-known Bandon men. Here's the story:
"Salvage efforts of Melvin Erdman and his son Mike, with assistance from a Bandon crew of U.S. Coastguardsmen, were successful last week after the Erdmans' 23-foot offshore fishing boat Edna H was discovered at the bottom of the Coquille River at its Prosper moorage.
"Here, the Coast Guard's 36-foot lifeboat, commanded by Boatswain's Mate 1/c John Nord, officer in charge of the Coquille River station, tows the water-filled Edna H from its moorage on the channel side of the float to a shallower spot during flood tide, while a line to the boat's mast is used to keep the converted landing craft from listing too heavily.
"Later, at low tide, the water was pumped out and the craft was refloated. It had been feared that a piece of drift might have punched or worn a hole in the hull, but none was found, Erdman reported. He said that silt had been deposited by the river at his moorage spot, reducing the depth more than he had realized, so that at minus tide the boat settled down upon a water-soaked 'sinker' log on one side, apparently causing the boat to list so much that the incoming tidewater capsized the craft before it could float enough to right itself. After cleaning out the engine and fuel system, the diesel engine was started without difficulty. The electronic gear which was aboard must be sent back to the factory for overhaul, Erdman said, but much of the expensive electronic gear was not on the boat, which when fully equipped is valued at around $10,000."
This was not the first mishap for an Erdman-owned vessel as Western World carried impressive photos of a boat owned by Mike Erdman that had caught fire and burned up in the river near the old Moore Mill truck shop in August of 1977 (second photo).
Fishing boat caught fire, 1977
Their largest vessel was the Kelori (named after Mel's daughters Kelly and Lori) which was often featured in the pages of the paper when it was berthed at the local dock. The Erdmans also owned Erdman's Meat Packing off Highway 42S east of town. Melvin Erdman was the son of George and Annie Erdman, who lost their home and business in both the 1914 and 1936 fires, but rebuilt The City Market (later Erdman's Market) at Second and Baltimore, where Lloyd's Cafe stands today in basically the same building.
The third picture I am sharing was taken soon after the fire of 1936 as pharmacist Otto Shindler and the doctors and dentists in the community had joined together to put up the temporary medical center, which today is the nucleus of the Winter River Books building.
Temporary medical center
At the west end of the building (just east of the bank/Masonic building) was Carr's Variety, which today is occupied by Bandon Baking Co. Before the fire it was on the southwest side of what we now refer to as the gravel parking lot, below Oregon Avenue and across from the marketplace building.
The temporary medical center opened on October 9, 1936, exactly 12 days after the fire.
Doctors who set up temporary offices in the building were Dr. E.F. Lucas and Dr. Arthur Gale; dentists were Dr. Floyd W. Dodds (whose son Bill still comes to Bandon to visit the museum and attend Fire programs) and Dr. F.W. Gould.
Unfortunately, Dr. Gale was stricken by a kidney ailment and pneumonia in December and died Dec. 28, 1936, at the age of 58, less than two months after the fire. Deaths like this, and a number of others, are not counted in the number of people who died in the fire, which ranges from nine to 11, depending on which account you read.
According to the Western World, "Dr. Gale was among Bandon citizens who fought the fire of September 26, giving aid to the ill and injured while his home and office were consumed by the flames. It is believed that the inhalation of smoke and heat weakened his lungs and contributed to his demise. He had been on duty long hours since the fire, having reestablished his office in the temporary medical building."
His wife taught many years at Bandon High School, which survived the Fire.
Dr. Lucas continued to practice in the back of the "temporary" medical building until he died in June of 1970 at the age of 73. Many of the buildings in downtown (now Old Town) Bandon were hastily thrown up within days after the fire ... but still stand today. Several, including the Masonic building and the Cranberry Sweets building, survived the fire.
* * *
I told my readers last week that long-time Bandon resident Lorna Salt had suffered a stroke and was in a Portland hospital. I am sad to say that Lorna passed away last week at her home, and funeral services are pending, although I do not know the details. Lorna was 90. Among her survivors is her husband Chuck, who has cared for her for many years in their Bandon home. They are long-time members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and were very involved in the local branch.
Lorna was also very involved with and served as president of the Bandon Playhouse for many years, and although she did not often appear "on stage," she was very active behind the scenes and worked tirelessly to promote the shows and help raise sponsor money. I wrote an article in my column over 10 years ago which said: "She has been the spark plug behind the playhouse for decades, and is definitely a big reason for their success."
I also learned that another long-time resident Don Lynam died recently at the age of 83. A retired pharmacist, Don and his late wife, Joan, moved to Bandon more than 30 years ago, where he was active in the community and served on the Bandon City Council. Among his survivors is his partner, Julita Fong.
* * *
A friend stopped me at the bakery this week to see if I could clarify something that she had just heard from a local business person. I said I would try. Like a lot of us, she was concerned about the lack of rental housing in Bandon, and she had been told that Mike Keiser of Bandon Dunes owned 300 homes in Bandon. I said that was patently untrue, and explained that the Dunes is making an effort to develop housing in the area of the resort, as well as south of town, for their employees, but explained to her that there was no way that Mr. Keiser owned 300 homes in the Bandon city limits. She was aware that he owns commercial property in the area of Coquille Point, where plans are in the works to begin building a new motel to replace the one torn down some months ago. Mike Keiser has also expressed his willingness to work with the City to develop community workforce housing in the area of 20th street. Efforts to discredit Mr. Keiser or in any way infer that he is responsible for the housing crisis are simply not true, nor is it fair.
* * *
I told you last week that I would explain why I am supporting Betsy Johnson for Governor. To begin with, some of the legislation that has come out of Salem in the last year or so has definitely not made us safer, including SB 48 (the no-bail bill), and House Bill 2928 which placed restrictions on the tools police can use to confront people vandalizing buildings and causing mayhem. A year ago there was an article in the Oregonian that quotes police who say that "a new state law prohibits officers from directly intervening when people smash storefronts," in response to many thousands of dollars worth of damage in downtown Portland. SB 2928 prohibits the use of pepper spray and rubber bullets for crowd control.
In a recent article, candidate Tina Kotek is quoted as saying she would not attempt to overturn BM110, which made Oregon the first state in the country to decriminalize user grade amounts of heroin, meth and cocaine for nothing more than a $100 fine (which the courts say people tend to ignore), "because it was the will of the people."
Both Johnson and Christine Drazen have said they would work to overturn 110. An article in the Oregonian, dated Sept. 24, said: "Experts this week warned Oregon legislators that the state's drug epidemic is worsening while its approach lacks critical elements to stem the crisis."
The article pointed out that as long as treatment for addicts is not mandated, but simply available, the problem will only get worse. To make matters worse, Oregon ranks dead last in available treatment for mentally ill people. We need to pull our heads out of the sand and pay attention to where these permissive laws are coming from in a state that has been entirely ruled by one political party for years. And yes, I have been a life-long Democrat, but long for the days of legislators like Mark Hatfield.
To me, the safety of our communities is more important than any single issue facing our state. And if you do not believe me, I would suggest that you talk with your police chief or the district attorney, or follow the local police reports.
I have also learned that Tina Kotek's former boss at the Oregon Food Bank is supporting Betsy Johnson. Rachel Bristol said: "I'm yearning for the days of yore when we had statesmen and stateswomen who could talk and negotiate rather than just bully the other side. I just feel that Tina has gone to extremes and that the policies under her leadership have put us where we are, which is in a horrible place. This is not the Portland and Oregon that I grew up in and love."
I could go on and on why I am supporting a moderate for Governor rather than what I consider to be the extreme of either party. But I hope it is clear to all where I stand. Extreme partisanship at all levels of government has weakened our Democracy except in those few offices where people are not identified by political party.
* * *
Next week, I will also talk about the city's two ballot measures, as well as my strong support for the county measure to fund more jail beds, and my support for Gabe Fabrizio for sheriff.
Previous columns by Mary Schamehorn
bandon.tv