Im always interested in pacific northwest history and thought i remembered hearing about a big resort. Bayocean house is a daily and weekly vacation rental house on the tillamook bay in oregon offering beautiful accommodations for up to 20 people on vacation or retreat. The summer resort of bayocean park was being developed and promoted as the atlantic city of the pacific. It was part of a larger, illfated resort community that the town founder hoped would become the atlantic city of the west. When grant mcomie mentioned having once seen an aerial video of bayocean, taken soon after the 1952 breach that made it an island, i got excited. It had a hotel, grocery, bowling alley and the largest indoor saltwater swimming pool on the west coast. Bayocean spit the bayocean spit is an eclectic stretch of dunes, trees, and understory that is a sandbased dividing line between the tillamook bay and the pacific ocean. This documentary shows the erosion that took place in bayocean, oregon with. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. Bayocean was founded by a realtor from kanas city named t. The oregon town that fell into the sea, by bert and margie webber webb research group, medford. Bayocean was a yacht that was built in 1911 to serve the nowvanished resort of bay ocean on the coast of oregon at the entrance to tillamook bay.
Bayocean was a community in tillamook county, oregon, united states. The story of bayocean is one of ruthless ambition and human folly amid the seductive beauty of the oregon coast, one that is destined to be repeated at other sites. The school was remodeled and now serves as the cape meares community center. Author of jacksonville, oregon, oregon covered bridges, silent siege ii, swivelchair logger, bayocean, top secret, people and notes, indians along the oregon trail. Bayocean served at san diego, california, from midseptember until midnovember 1918, then was sent to the west coast of mexico, where she operated for the next two months. But before i could even start looking for it, the videos creator, tom olsen, sent it to me. The oregon town that fell into the sea by bert webber. Season 27 episode 27 6m 3s children learn that sea cucumbers can be softer than the look and crabs tickle when they crawl up their arms. Tillamook bay, which encompasses a 597squaremile watershed, is the largest of the five bays in tillamook county. Continue for about 5 miles until you come to the bayocean history sign.
The story behind the ghost town in oregon that fell into. The fifty 50 year rise and fall of the resort community of bayocean oregon 1906 1956 history, photos, maps, 59 homes fell into sea, tillamook bay jetty spit. The location of bayocean was said to have been discovered by cofounder thomas irving potter while sightseeing and hunting along the oregon coast. The bayocean, was built at portland, oregon, in 1911. Hed seen my posts about bayocean there, and thought the video might help my reseach. Aurora was a community of about 650 peoples, which flourished until dr. In the early 1900s, it was where a wideeyed developer envisioned the atlantic city of the west. He went sightseeing along the shore in a small boat, and decided to do a bit of hunting as well. For a detailed account of the history of bayocean, buy a copy of bayocean. Tillamook county historical society, tillamook, or.
With oregon republicans walkout ongoing, new routines are forming in the capitol. The oregon trail was a roughly 2,000mile route from independence, missouri, to oregon city, oregon, which was used by hundreds of thousands of american pioneers in the mid1800s to emigrate west. Bayocean, the town that paid for its own doom offbeat. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. Jun 26, 2015 sutherland is a history buff who is fascinated by the bayocean story. In 19, bayocean then transferred to san francisco bay where. There will be one or two town stops, and multiple stops at headlands and beaches. The development was the dream of thomas benton potter and his son thomas irving potter, wellestablished realestate promoters with offices in portland, san jose, san francisco, and kansas city. Stormy scenes from bayocean village of cape meares. Sometimes known as the town that fell into the sea, it was a planned resort community founded in 1906 on tillamook spit, a small stretch of land that forms one wall of tillamook bay. However, formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study. When headlines in the february 19 bay city examiner announced, bay city cannery closed indefinitely, locals were not surprised. With tragedies like champoeg and bayocean in its history, oregon has plenty of lessons to learn about working with nature.
Youll drive along the edge of tillamook bay rough road. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. Established in 1906, bayocean, oregon was envisioned to be the atlantic city of the west, and at one time it contained a hotel, a dance hall, and numerous homes. Work was begun on the construction of a large recreational resort on the spit in the early 1900s. In 2014 an ecoresort was proposed by one of the private property owners on the spit. The story behind the ghost town in oregon that fell into the. The tillamook hotel was strategically place to serve the new group of visitors and residents. The first, by jule gilfillan, is an oregon field guide episode called lost city of bayocen that aired january 16th. Lewis and drydens marine history of the pacific northwest.
Sutherland is a history buff who is fascinated by the bayocean story. Bayocean was to become the atlantic city of the west in the dreams of the towns founder and first promoter, t. He said five homes and the bayocean school were moved to the nearby village of cape meares in the nick of time. Considered an attractive vessel with a clipper bow and twin raked smokestacks, bayocean was expensive to operate, was somewhat cranky at sea, and spent much of the time tied to a dock. The bayocean natatorium was built on the edge of the sand in 1914. Because i have a home on the oregon coast, not far from what was once bay ocean, ive always enjoyed learning details about the once grand resort that eventually fell victim to the sea. At the outset, the resort appeared to have a promising future. One of the great trees that grow in the rainy northwest, showing method of felling, oregon. Since that time, as the jetty has changed the direction of the seas sweep, the high sand walls of the peninsula have crumbled away. Webber, margie published by webb research group, medford, oregon, u. Potter and his fatherbusiness partner thomas benton potter, who envisioned the venture as the atlantic city of the west. No oregon ghost town had a more audacious beginning than bayocean, the atlantic city of the west. Tillamook museum remembers bayocean park, the resort town.
Bayocean fans will enjoy two recent productions by oregon public broadcasting journalists. Bayocean sand spit lies along the northern oregon coast approximately 70 miles south of the columbia river. Printed on thin tissue it is in good condition, folded. A 1935 postcard advertised the 2 room structure as the only hotel of its size on the cool oregon coast highway, south of astoria. Keils death, and whose hotel and restaurant were popular resorts for. The railroad had been running through town for two years. L ucia wiley 19061998, a third generation tillamookian, was one of a family of six children.
Because no good roads existed between portland and the coast, they built the bayocean motor passenger vessel, the largest yacht on the pacific coast, which could bring up to 100 monied prospects to the beach property. Sometimes known as the town that fell into the sea, it. Bayocean served at san diego, california, from midseptember until midnovember 1918, then was sent to the west coast of mexico. Tom is a fellow member of garibaldi oregon memories. Now in its third printing, this book not only details the history of bayocean, it deals with other eroded areas along the northwest. A narrow gauge, private railroad on the beach at bayocean, near tillamook, carried building supplies such as concrete and lumber for the construction of various buildings at the real estate development. Night owls can watch a repeat showing on january 19th at 1.
The tillamook county historical society was founded in 1984 to bring together those persons. Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no kindle device required. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. She was born in tillamook, oregon on august 14, 1906. Jan 12, 2020 bayocean fans will enjoy two recent productions by oregon public broadcasting journalists. A guide to hiking the tillamook spits portland monthly.
History buffs know the fascinating story of bayocean spit. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible yearround. Tillamook county pioneer museum this is the way they ended up paying for the destruction of their own property, and the city. Memories beneath the sand paperback july 22, 2017 by perry c.
Nov 7, 2015 the ghost town of bayocean, oregon on cape meares stay safe and healthy. By 1914, more than 600 lots had been sold, thanks to the skillful promotion of t. Beachcombing and camping along the northwest coast. She was acquired by the navy in june 1918 and placed in commission in august. Before long, residents grew concerned about having to cross the treacherous columbia river to reach bayocean, and they began meddling with mother nature. The proposal was turned down by the tillamook county planning commission, and now there is a proposal to rezone the spit to be more protective of its vulnerable habitats indeed the spit. The site is located north of the bayocean peninsula state park on bayocean dike road with frontage on the pacific ocean and tillamook bay. This was a wonderful book about a period of oregon history that most people will never know. Mar 08, 2019 no oregon ghost town had a more audacious beginning than bayocean, the atlantic city of the west. Just stepping on bayocean gives you a sense of wonder, with the pacific ocean on the west side and tillamook bay lapping the sands on the east side. Open library is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published.
Bayocean spit loop hike hiking in portland, oregon and. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. Bayocean, the oregon town that fell into the sea documentary sic, includes additional eroded areas along the northwest coast webber, bert. Bayocean park, dubbed the atlantic city of the west, was a vacation dreamland that quickly became a nightmare, even robbing one man of his mental health. Graduate thesis or dissertation bayocean spit, tillamook. The official website of the oregon secretary of state.
Because no good roads existed between portland and the coast, they built the bayocean motor passenger vessel, the largest yacht on the pacific coast, which could bring up. Memories beneath the sand and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. Bayocean peninsula county park tillamook 2020 all you. Popular oregon history books meet your next favorite book. Not many people know the haunting story of bayocean, the oregon town that disappeared into the ocean. The book is hard to find, but can be ordered from the tillamook county pioneer museum. This day trip is a customized tour along a section of rugged coastline along oregon s northern coast. Bayocean s rapid erosion this dramatic sequence of photos from the resort community of bayocean, near cape meares, illustrates the chronic effects of beach erosion. Bad health forced potter, a real estate promoter from california, to leave oregon before the town officially opened and the task of promoting and building the resort community was passed on to potters son, thomas irving potter. A planned community, it came about almost by accident, when real estate developer thomas irving potter vacationed on the oregon coast in 1906. Potter who claimed it would be the queen of oregon resorts. On your right is the twolevel driveway and dirt road twoone ways out to the breakwater and the parking lot, near the old town site.
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