Stories from the SPA
Here we share interesting stories about our community. Please send us your submissions and we will review and if appropriate for the members we will post it for all your neighbors to view. Areas of interest is items that cover: 1. Our History 2. Items of interest like food classes for SPA. 3. Stories or articles about the wildlife and other members of SPA.
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Growing Up Gearhart A Story About Golf
This oral-history interview features Mike Herron interviewing his father about growing up at Gearhart Golf Links in Gearhart, Oregon, after his parents, Roy Madan and his wife June (“Nana”), purchased the course in 1955 from Roy Mather. The family moved from a cattle ranch in Blodgett, Oregon, near Corvallis, to the North Oregon Coast, where they lived in the caddy house above the pro shop. Click Picture to view video Mike Herron is a resident of Salem, Oregon with family roots in the Willamette Valley and the north coast of the state. He creates golf content for his Youtube channel Mike Golfs Oregon, to share his love of Oregon’s golf scene, the…
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The 2026 Paul See Digital Scanning Initiative with $21,000 Match $ for $
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Aberdeen, WA Armory fire destroyed an irreplaceable local historical museum, highlighting the urgency of preserving historical documents and photographs.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 in 2018, 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 49 million books and documents and 10 Million Videos. Since late 2018 to December 2025, more than $289,000 in donations has enabled the scanning center to hire…
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Assistance League Cereal Drive
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Sad news. Longtime Surf Pines and Astoria resident—and dear old friend—Kathy Arndt passed away during the night of January 2, 2026.
Kathy was the consummate supporter of many local service groups and a friend to countless people. She continued to actively support the St. Vincent de Paul Food Bank in Astoria, which her mother, Alice, and husband, Charlie Turina, helped establish many years ago. Kathy moved to Astoria in 1964 with her family, including six siblings, when her father, Patrick O’Brien, was brought in to supply concrete and labor for the construction of the Astoria–Megler Bridge. Aside from a few years away for school and new adventures, Kathy, her husband Ray, and daughter Brooke spent most of their lives on the Clatsop Plains and have lived in Surf Pines since the early 2000s.…
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Adventures in History Goes Digital
Celebrate our history online with Mac Burns and Tom Smith as they dive into the remarkable success of the CCHS Digital Archive. Tune in to KMUN 91.9 FM for Adventures in History on Sunday, November 16th, from 8:30 to 9:00 PM, where Mac and Tom reflect on the Archive’s extraordinary 6-year journey. They’ll share how the CCHS Digital Scanning Center has grown, how its reach now extends far beyond Clatsop County, and why its work matters—not just for local organizations, but for historians and researchers around the world. Click here to listen online. It’s hard to believe that just over six years ago, CCHS launched its digital scanning initiative to preserve its…
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🌲 COASTAL PORCINI FORAGER’S HANDBOOK
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Homegrown In The Pacific Northwest: James Beard’s Oregon Connection…
If you are a foody like me, then James Beard epitomizes the best in cooking and turns out he learned much while living in Clatsop County. This article covers his history in a well researched 2018 article about this famous chef and his interactions in our North West oregon communities. Summary Jennifer Margulis’s feature explores how James Beard’s Oregon roots profoundly shaped his identity as America’s first true “food sensualist.” Born in Portland in 1903, Beard was nurtured by his mother Mary Elizabeth’s culinary curiosity and exposure to Portland’s multicultural food scene, especially the fresh bounty of the Oregon Coast in Gearhart. Expelled from Reed College in 1921 for being openly gay,…
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Another CCHS Digital Archive Presentation
History of the 12 Sail Boats built by Astoria Marine MFC. CO (AMMCO). Click Here to read article
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Bob McEwan Gearhart Memories Part 2
Early Life in Gearhart: Memories Before World War II This oral history transcript features a conversation between Bob McEwan, Russ Taggard, and Tom Smith, recorded on July 17. Bob shares vivid recollections of Gearhart, Oregon, in the 1930s prior to World War II. Topics include the demolition of the old Gearhart Hotel for condo development, encounters with local figure Mr. Badger—a Black businessman, city councilman, and entrepreneur—and McEwan’s early work delivering fuel and caring for horses at the local riding academy. The conversation explores the area’s transformation, the economic impact of the mills in Warrenton, and memories of family farming life, including transporting poultry by steamboat back to Portland Paul See Digital…
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Bob McEwan Gearhart Memories Part 1
Early Life in Gearhart: Memories Before World War II This transcript is part of an oral history interview conducted on July 17 with Bob McEwan, Russ Taggard, and Tom Smith, focusing on Gearhart, Oregon before and after World War II. McEwan recounts memories of early city infrastructure including the original city hall and fire department, run largely by one man, Harold Teberg. He mentions the city’s first grocery stores and early local figures like Jim Cutler, Nettie McKickney, and Fat Washer. The discussion also explores residential development, particularly near Ocean Avenue and Marion Avenue, and mentions wealthy Portland families like the Malarkeys and Millers who built summer homes in Gearhart. McEwan also…
