Tom Smith will be presenting this month’s History & Hops discussion with a video presentation on the storied past of Gearhart’s hotels and the town’s unique connection to culinary icon James Beard. Through rare photographs, historical documents, and firsthand accounts from local pioneers, we’ll explore the rise and fall of Gearhart’s most famous hotels—from the grand Gearhart Park Hotel of 1890 to the beloved Gearhart Hotel by the Sea. The presentation will also feature video clips and interviews with longtime residents, including Dick Fettig, Bob McEwan, and Denny Holmes, who share personal stories and insights into these iconic establishments. We’ll then transition into the fascinating story of James Beard, whose formative years in Gearhart…

The Paul See Digital Scanning Initiative. Preserving History Through Digitization In 2018, the devastating Aberdeen, WA Armory fire destroyed an irreplaceable local historical museum, highlighting the urgency of preserving historical documents and photographs. Inspired by this loss, the Clatsop County Historical Society (CCHS) launched a digital scanning initiative to safeguard our shared heritage for future generations. Thanks to a generous donation from the Huisking Foundation, CCHS established a state-of-the-art digital scanning center, featuring professional high-speed scanners and access to the Internet Archive (IA)—the world’s largest online library with over 43 million books and documents. Over the past five years, more than $206,000 in donations has enabled the center to hire a digital…

In the most recent Clatsop County Historical Society Cumtux Vol. 43 No. 4 they published an article based on an interview I had with Shirley See (wife of local historian Paul See) and her daughter Dana Weston. It really helps people understand how bad this winter storm was. After the article there is a gallery of pictures of the aftermath of this storm. Cumtux is a quarterly publication that CCHS sends out to members. Each edition includes 4 to 5 stories (40 to 50 PGS) of local historical interest by local authors. I have included this article so people can see what a bargain being a member of the Clatsop County Historical…

It’s time to bring back The Swim Across The Columbia – 🌊 If you’ve ever dreamed of swimming the Columbia River near Astoria, you’re in good company. This iconic river has captured the hearts of adventurers worldwide. While it’s been nearly a century since an organized open water swim took place near the Megler Bridge, the lore that swimming the Columbia River is impossible is just that—a myth. For seasoned swimmers with proper support, it’s not only feasible but also exhilarating. 🏊‍♂️An open water swim, a beer garden, music, food trucks, and a closing ceremony 10am to 2pm on Sunday, August 11, 2024. https://www.astoriaregatta.com/swim-across-the-columbia 〰️Swim Across The Columbia〰️ Make no mistake, though—the Columbia River swim is no walk in…

There is a lot of confusion about how come the Oregon Department of Parks and Recreation ODPR are using the static Standard Vegetation Line SVL to enforce signs on the beach along the Sunset Beach Recreation area, which is now 400-600 feet east of the current Vegetation Line. Although this static SVL was effective in 1967 the ODPR is just now starting to enforce this rule. Something we found was there is an OAR (Oregon Administrative rules) that require the ODPR to do periodic reviews of the SVL to adjust it if accretion affects the current Vegetation Line. The https://oregon.public.law/rules/oar_736-023-0030 indicates who can request this and how it should be done. For…