Oregon
Seal Rock History and Mysteries on Oregon Coast: Failed Resort to Monsters and Metal Finds
Seal Rock Historical past and Mysteries on Oregon Coast: Failed Resort to Monsters and Steel Finds
Revealed 04/24/22 at 6:02 PM PST
By Oregon Coast Seaside Connection workers
(Seal Rock, Oregon) – As soon as a promise land of paved streets and heavy vacationer site visitors, one little village on the central Oregon coast remains to be a sleepy burgh with hardly a touch of commercialization. No actual lodge or motel is there – simply houses now providing themselves up as trip leases of 1 form or one other. There’s a few eating places on a short enterprise strip, together with a relatively well-known and funky attraction of whimsical wooden carvings.
No, in any other case, Seal Rock – nestled nearly midway between Waldport and South Seaside – remains to be a wild place. It began out that approach, it nearly exploded into one thing larger, then fizzled out and remained a distant vacation spot till Freeway 101 was completed.
The historical past of Seal Rock is chock stuffed with twists, turns and some mysteries – quite a bit for such a diminutive place on the Oregon coast.
All of it begins almost 200 years in the past, in line with SealRockOr.com, as missionaries and settlers slowly began submitting in.
Within the Eighties, it actually obtained its kickstart, as one group of traders started promoting off land within the space, and hyping it intensely in newspapers across the nation and the northwest, particularly The Oregonian. 1887 editions of the publication are aplenty with the identical advert from James W. Brassfield touting “Splendid Alternative to Safe a Lovely Summer season Resort for $501.”
There was a grasp plan behind all this, although. Everybody concerned was underneath the impression a significant rail line was coming to Seal Rock. It is among the many earliest advertising and marketing pushes to the general public for buying plots on the Oregon coast. Many different cities did this about ten, 15 years later.
The advert ran as a considerably prolonged article, utilizing extravagant language like “Right here, nature has thrown collectively her treasures with reckless disregard to the remainder of the shoreline for lots of of miles,” spending a while tacitly belittling different coast locations. It referred to as Seal Rock the “most interesting sea seaside stretch within the recognized world.”
Again then it was typically referred to as Seal Rocks, referring to not simply the primary Elephant Rock that dominates the seaside right here, however all of the rocky blobs. Seal Rocks and Seal Rock are nonetheless interchangeable as we speak with some locals.
Then the advertising and marketing gimmick goes into relatively odd and comical descriptions of the place and its wildlife.
“The rock from which this romantic resort derives its identify lies a couple of half mile from shore, covers almost one acre in extent, and is the house of the ocean lion or seal, which frequent it in nice numbers at sure seasons of the 12 months. The ocean lion is an uncouth, hideous wanting creature, half animal and half fish, with flippers fore and aft. They develop to giant proportions, typically weighing over 2,000 kilos. They crawl upon the rocks by support of their flippers, pushing themselves ahead by a gradual hitching movement, and when all of a sudden frightened on the rocks they roll time and again, this being the way in which quickest into the water and escaping from their enemies.”
It additionally refers to them “uttering noises and unearthly bellows.”
Above: Seal Rock late within the nineteenth century, courtesy Lincoln County Historic Society
They predicted “1000’s” would come to Seal Rock. They promised a “grand lodge” on one of many bluffs, and whereas a modest one was constructed simply to the south of the half-moon bay, it did not appear grand in scope. It’s gone now.
These advertisements additionally made an outrageous declare about itself in comparison with different Oregon coast hotspots: “When the tide is flooding, lots of can bathe in security with out concern of undertow, which is so harmful at different sea bathing factors on the most trendy seaside resorts.”
For a time it was a hotspot, drawing in 1000’s to the small lodge regardless of how out-of-the-way the place is.
Then the underside dropped inside a decade: the rail line plans have been diverted to Toledo and the Brassfields misplaced all their funding. They needed to promote these land plots for round $9 a pop, in line with the historical past website.
Then within the ’30s, another person apparently tried some publicity stunts to attract in additional folks to Seal Rock. A small group went on document claiming to regional newspapers they’d encountered some form of Loch Ness Monster-like creatures rolling across the surf. See extra at Legend of Seal Rock Sea Monsters.
With the post-war eras bringing a gradual progress in tourism over the many years, a thriller pops up about 1981. A bit by The Oregonian describes “mysterious” items of steel being discovered within the space, together with one by the reporter’s daughter. They have been purportedly to be about 1,000 years outdated, with one discovered embedded in a fossil. Supposedly three such finds have been made between the ’60s and ’81.
What have been they actually? Time and analysis will nonetheless have to inform as Oregon Coast Seaside Connection shall be wanting additional into this.
In any case, one factor has remained about Seal Rock for 150 years: it is a hotspot for agates.
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Oregon
Oregon State tabs Jarred Brookins as men’s soccer coach
Oregon State has promoted Jarred Brookins to men’s soccer head coach, replacing Greg Dalby.
Brookins, an Oregon State assistant coach since 2023, becomes a college head coach for the first time.
Brookins coached for two seasons under Dalby, both NCAA tournament teams. In 2023, the Beavers made their first-ever run to the College Cup, losing to Notre Dame in the NCAA semifinals.
Dalby left to become men’s soccer coach at Air Force.
Brookins previously coached at Davidson and Mercer, as well as club soccer in Alabama. Brookins played college soccer at Birmingham-Southern College.
Oregon State has qualified for the NCAA men’s soccer playoffs the past five years, a period where it has produced five All-Americans.
–Nick Daschel can be reached at 360-607-4824, ndaschel@oregonian.com or @nickdaschel.
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Oregon
Ice storm warning issued for Eugene, much of Oregon’s Willamette Valley
5 tips for safe winter driving
Todd Harris, president of the Pro Drive Racing School, gives tips to avoid trouble on the road this winter.
- The National Weather Service has issued an ice storm warning for parts of Oregon due to freezing rain and snow.
- Utility companies are preparing for potential power outages and advising residents to take safety precautions.
- The Oregon Department of Transportation is urging drivers to stay home if possible and to be prepared for hazardous road conditions.
- A cold weather advisory is also in effect, with temperatures expected to feel as low as 10 to 20 degrees.
The National Weather Service has issued an ice storm warning for the southern and central Willamette Valley for freezing rain and snow that could disrupt work, school and travel on Thursday and Friday.
Power outages appeared increasingly likely, with local officials in and around Eugene issuing a variety of warnings and alerts as they geared up for potential disruptions.
The warning was set for 10 p.m. Wednesday to 4 a.m. Friday. While the greatest impact was expected between Salem and Portland, alerts have been sounding off across Lane County as well.
“Significant icing expected,” wrote the National Weather Service. “Roads, and especially bridges and overpasses, will likely become slick and hazardous.”
The National Weather Service in Portland forecast upward of a quarter- to half-inch of ice in the Corvallis-Albany area and up to a quarter-inch in the Salem, Eugene and Portland areas.
Eugene to Salem: Winter storm watch issued
The ice storm warning runs from roughly Cottage Grove up to Oregon City in the Willamette Valley, and out into the Coast Range and Cascade Foothills.
In general, the more northerly areas around Salem were expected to see the greatest impact. It was expected to get warmer sooner in Eugene.
“Winter precipitation is expected to begin Wednesday night, starting in the south and pushing northward,” NWS wrote. “Precipitation will initially begin as mixed freezing rain and snow Wednesday night, transitioning over primarily to freezing rain on Thursday. Significant ice accumulations will be possible, impacting the Thursday morning commute.
“Precipitation will transition over to primarily freezing rain by Thursday midday. Due to areas of freezing rain, power outages are possible.”
Travel could become extremely hazardous if the ice does show up.
“Roads, and especially bridges and overpasses, will likely become slick and hazardous,” NWS wrote.
Eugene-Springfield utility providers prepare
Eugene Water & Electric Board said crews were “preparing for any possible outages” Wednesday.
Forecasts say the storm will be milder than the 2024 ice storm when a total of 38,000 EWEB customers lost power at some point. EWEB advised community members to use caution in the case of ice damage to equipment or downed power lines.
“Always assume the line is energized and stay at least 50 feet away,” EWEB stated in a news release Wednesday. “If the downed line is across a street or sidewalk, call 911. Remember to stop and observe to survive.”
EWEB’s outage map can be found at www.eweb.org/outages-and-safety/power-outages/power-outage-map.
Springfield Utility Board also recorded preparations and preventative measures following the 2024 storm.
According to its After Ice Storm Action Report, SUB staff have undergone the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Incident Command Structure training in the case of another devastating storm. SUB reported 88 poles damaged and 75% of its customers had lost power at some point during the storm.
Information on SUB outages can be found at www.subutil.com/outages.
Oregon Department of Transportation braces for ice
Oregon Department of Transportation stated its crews have been working around the clock in preparation for icy weather. Starting Wednesday evening, ODOT began pretreating roads with deicer.
“We are prepared for whatever conditions happen this week and beyond and our crews will work around the clock to make the roads as safe as possible,” ODOT stated via email. “It’s crucial to remember that freezing rain poses the most significant challenge for road crews. Falling trees, limbs and downed powerlines further complicate our response efforts and can significantly impact our response times.”
How to travel in snowy or icy conditions if needed
First, ODOT recommends residents to stay home if they don’t need to go out in icy weather. ODOT advised commuters to expect the unexpected, as road conditions could change throughout the day.
Bridges and overpasses are the most dangerous parts of the road in the winter, according to ODOT, as they are the first to freeze and last to thaw.
ODOT provided additional tips on staying safe while driving:
- Check conditions at TripCheck.com before heading out for road closures and conditions.
- Slow down and increase following distance. Bridges and shaded areas freeze first.
- Ensure your vehicle is winter-ready — tires, brakes and wipers in good condition.
- Stay visible by using headlights and clearing snow from windows.
- Follow roadside message signs for important updates.
- Use public transit if possible, and check schedules in advance.
- Never pass snowplows on the right — give them space to work.
- If you abandon your vehicle, it will be towed. Stay with your car if safe to do so.
Cold weather advisory issued for Willamette Valley
A cold weather advisory remained in place across the Willamette Valley into Thursday for temperatures that feel as cold as 10 to 20 degrees.
“Frostbite and hypothermia will occur if unprotected skin is exposed to these temperatures,” NWS said.
Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 18 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on X at @ZachsORoutdoors and BlueSky at oregonoutdoors.bsky.social.
Miranda Cyr reports on education for The Register-Guard. You can contact her at mcyr@registerguard.com or find her on Twitter @mirandabcyr.
Oregon
Shelstad's career-high 26 points helps Oregon fend off Northwestern comeback attempt 81-75
EUGENE, Ore. — – Jackson Shelstad scored a career-high 26 points and Oregon ended its five-game losing streak by holding off Northwestern 81-75 on Tuesday night.
Keeshawn Barthelemy scored 19 points and Nate Bittle scored 14 points for Oregon.
Ty Berry scored 23 points shooting 8 for 10, reserve K.J. Windham scored 20 points and Nick Martinelli 16 for Northwestern, which out shot Oregon 51.7% to 47.1%.
Windham’s 3-pointer got the Wildcats within 64-54 with 7:30 left and they continued to chip away at Oregon’s lead. Northwestern got within five points on multiple occasions but never got closer. Oregon finished 10 for 10 from the foul line in the final two-and-a-half minutes and were 25 for 28 (89.3%) overall.
Windham’s 3-pointer put Northwestern ahead 14-13 with 11:44 left before halftime to mark the Wildcats’ last lead. Shelstad and Barthelemy each followed with a 3 and Oregon went on to outscore Northwestern over the next eight minutes.
Northwestern’s Berry made a 3 with 48 seconds left before halftime and the points were the only scored by the Wildcats in the last four-and-a-half minutes before the break and Oregon led 39-25 at halftime.
The Ducks (17-8, 6-8) shot 15 for 30 in the first half including 5 for 12 (41.7%) from 3.
Northwestern (13-12, 4-10), which has lost five of its last six, hosts Nebraska on Sunday.
Oregon hosts Rutgers on Sunday.
——
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