 Coos
County was created on December 22, 1853, from parts
of Umpqua and Jackson Counties. It was named after a local Indian tribe, the Coos,
which has been variously translated to mean "lake" or "place of
pines." Coos
County is situated in the southwestern part of Oregon. It is bounded by Douglas
County on the north and east, by Curry County on the south, and the Pacific Ocean
on the west. Various boundary adjustments with Curry County in 1855 and 1872 and
with Douglas County in 1882, 1951, and 1983 resulted in the present county which
now has an area of 1,629 square miles. In
January 1854, the Territorial Legislature established Empire City as the county
seat. In 1895 the legislature permitted the citizens of the county to choose a
new county seat. The 1896 vote resulted in the designation of Coquille City as
the new county seat. The
first county courthouse was built in Empire City. The first courthouse in Coquille
was erected in 1898. An addition, referred to as the "hall of records,"
was built in 1916. In 1951 the old courthouse was torn down. The "hall of
records" was left standing, and in 1951 and 1953 east and west wings were
added at the cost of $180,00 and $260,00 for each wing. The
government of Coos County consisted originally of a county probate judge, two
county commissioners, and a sheriff. The office of county clerk was first an appointive
and later an elective office. The offices of county school superintendent, county
treasurer, and county assessor had appeared by 1891. The county court was replaced
by a board of commissioners in 1961. The
first census in 1860 showed a population of 445. The 2000 population of 62,779
represented a 4.16% increase over the 1990 population. Although
exploration and trapping in the area occurred as early as 1828, the first settlement
was established at Empire City in 1853. The Territorial Legislature granted permission
for the development of wagon roads from Coos Bay to Jacksonville in 1854 and to
Roseburg in 1857. Although a mountainous county, it has considerable areas suitable
for agriculture and dairy farming. Timber and fishing have been the foundation
of the county's economy. The area also has produced large quantities of shellfish. There
are several port districts in the county: Port of Coos Bay founded in 1909, Port
of Coquille River founded in 1912, and Port of Bandon founded in 1913. Coos Bay
is considered the best natural harbor between San Francisco Bay and the Puget
Sound and the Port of Coos Bay is the largest forest products shipper in world. Gold
mining was the magnet that drew people to explore and exploit the mineral resources
of the county during the nineteenth century. Today there are rich deposits of
iron ore, lead, and coal that await development. Vacation and recreational possibilities,
such as the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area and many state parks, attract
tourists to the area and provide an additional economic stimulus. |
| |
|  A
fire raged through the Coos County coastal town of Bandon in 1936, destroying
most of the city. In the aftermath of the devastation, local authorities worked
with the Oregon State Planning Board to devise a detailed comprehensive plan for
a new Bandon. The Planning Board promoted the effort as an model of responsible
and rational planning.
Oregon
went on to lead the nation in land use planning. In 1973 Governor Tom McCall made
his now famous speech criticizing "sagebrush subdivisions, coastal condomania,
and the ravenous rampages of suburbia." That same year the Oregon Legislature
passed the landmark Senate Bill 100, creating a state commission and department
to develop goals for responsible planning and land use. | |
|
