Standing in the Gap for Oregon

Curry County, Oregon coastline The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God.  Psalm 92: 12-13 Curry County is in the extreme southwest corner of Oregon, bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west, and California to the south. We’ve written about historic shipwrecks and the unique crops grown in the county here , here , and here . Brookings, with 6,744 population, is the largest town, while Gold Beach, with 2,241, is the county seat. Port Orford, at around 1,133 is the other incorporated town in Curry County. The County Commissioners consist of a three-person Board that meets regularly in Gold Beach. The current commissioners are John Herzog , chair; Brad Alcorn , and Jay Trost . The County Sheriff is John Ward . His office has been busy, the county dealing with wildfires during the summer besides their usual duties. In addition to being understaffed,...

Rogue River Bridge, Gold Beach, Oregon The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. Psalm 92: 12-13 Traveling to Curry County puts us in the extreme southwest corner of the state. Bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west, California to the south, Coos County to the north and Josephine County to the east, it was an isolated place reachable mostly by water until well into the twentieth century. The county was named after George Law Curry, who was twice governor of Oregon Territory. There are some fascinating legends and stories that have been collected by the county historical society that include lost gold mines and a Bigfoot-type creature that used to scare both the Native Americans and miners and settlers out of a certain area. Curry County, Oregon The population is about 23,000 and the three incorporated towns are Gold Beach, Port Orford, and Brookings. Go...

Wreck of the Mary D. Hume, Curry County Oregon For they shall partake of the abundance of the seas  And of treasures hidden in the sand.  Deuteronomy 33:19 Did you know: Most of the Easter lilies grown in the United States are grown in Curry County? Curry County is, of course, in the southwestern corner of the state, and is the final county in our South Coast region of Oregon. It is bordered by Coos County to the north and California to the south. It contains Cape Blanco, the westernmost point in Oregon. Curry shares a lot of history with Coos County and much of southern Oregon, with the discovery of gold in the 1850’s leading to a small gold rush, and then settlement by farmers and ranchers. The original natives, the Tutuni and Chetco, were relocated to the Siletz Reservation after the Rogue River Indian Wars of the mid-1850’s. The population centers are along the coast and include Brookings, Port Orford, and Gold Beach (the county seat). Brookings g...

Image by  tdfugere  from  Pixabay For they shall partake of the abundance of the seas And of treasures hidden in the sand.  Deuteronomy 33:19 Some of my family members have driven down Highway 101, the Oregon coast highway, to Curry County in the extreme southwest corner of Oregon and then on to California just across the county line. Usually those trips are to visit the redwoods in Northern California. I am more familiar with I-5, which passes to the east of Curry County, so haven’t seen much of this gem of the Oregon coast. Established in 1855, it was split off from Coos County to the north. Curry County is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west, California to the south, Josephine County to the east and just a touch of Douglas County on the northeastern corner. It is one of Oregon’s smaller counties in size, but there are about 13 people per square mile, so a bit more populated than the counties east of the mountains. ...