A Deeper Look: Coos County

 

Coos County, Oregon

Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business on great waters, they see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep. Psalm 107: 23 - 24

Keeping a prayer focus on the upcoming primary on May 17^th and the general election on November 8^th, in Coos County two County Commissioner seats are up for election as well as the County Clerk and the County Sheriff. Pray for the Lord’s wisdom and direction for voters in filling these positions.

In our journey down the west side of the state, we are now officially into the Southern Oregon Coast region. This section of coastline is less traveled than the north and central sections and is considered more rugged, less developed. The beaches and towns along the coast, while certainly attracting tourists, are less crowded than the north and central coast which are more accessible to the population centers of Portland and Eugene. Each section of the Oregon coast has its own unique features and attractions.

Coos County, next in line after Douglas, was established in 1853 and originally extended to the California border, but in 1855 Curry County was created to become the southernmost county along the Oregon coast. The county seat of Coos County is Coquille.

Coos County

There are of accounts of Spanish ships off this part of the Oregon coast during the 16^th century, and Captain James Cook, on his third and final voyage, sailed into Coos Bay in 1778. On land, the fur traders were in Coos County by the early 1800’s, including Hudson’s Bay trader Alexander McLeod in 1827 and the American mountain man Jedediah Smith in 1828.   

And, of course, we are on the Oregon coast so the shipwreck stories continue: We’ve discussed the Santo Cristo de Burgos in 1693, the sad fate of the Tonquin in 1811, and the Norwegian Shuan in 1890 near Pacific City, all to the north. It was a shipwreck at Coos Bay, however, that brought the first European settlers to the Coos County area.

In 1852, a transport ship, the Captain Lincoln, carrying 35 U.S. Army dragoons (mounted infantry) on their way from California to Fort Orford to reinforce the new fort. They got caught in a bad storm and wound up with the ship stranded on a sand bar at Coos Bay. The accounts I’ve seen indicate no loss of life, but they were stuck on a wild part of the coast with no quick way to get word to anyone. The crew and passengers located a freshwater lake nearby, spent several days removing the cargo and salvaging the ship, using the sails to make tents and set up Camp Castaway. Within a day the local natives came to bring food and help with the salvage work.

The soldiers and sailors spent about five months at Camp Castaway while they got word out and eventually were rescued. In the meantime, they explored the area and discovered it was not only good for settlement, but there was gold. By the next year the Coos Bay Commercial Company had been established and the beginnings of Empire City and Marshfield (which became the city of Coos Bay) had been established. While the Coos Indians, who had helped the castaways, were peaceable and did not participate in the Rogue River Wars of 1855-56, they were included in the removal to reservations that followed the war.

In modern times Coos County faces other challenges.

At one time considered one of the best timber-producing areas in the world, Coos County is one of the southern Oregon counties hit hard by reduced timber harvests the last couple of decades. This is a complicated subject but pray for the county’s economic base and decisions the leadership must make.

Oregon forests are good for growing more than trees. Oregon law enforcement hoped the legalization of marijuana in the state would reduce illegal cannabis grows, but that has not proven to be the case. While the big operations are in the counties to the east and along the California border, with associated human trafficking, Coos County has also seen some illegal “gardens” back in their forests.

How do we pray for Coos County?

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16

Pray for forgiveness over the relocation and any mistreatment of the local tribes in the 1850’s.

Pray for the County Commissioners and decisions they must make. Current commissioners are Bob Main, John Sweet, and Melissa Cribbins.

Pray for the law enforcement, SWAT teams, Sheriff’s office staff that must coordinate and deal with dangerous situations in the forests including cartels and gangs from other places.