page_title: Oregon Coast
section_title: 1860–present
hierarchical_section_title: Oregon Coast / History / 1860–present
caption_attribution_description: w:Oswald West
context_page_description: The Oregon Coast is a coastal region of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to its west and the Oregon Coast Range to the east, and stretches approximately 362 miles from the California state border in the south to the Columbia River in the north. The region is not a specific geological, environmental, or political entity, and includes the Columbia River Estuary.
  The Oregon Beach Bill of 1967 allows free beach access to everyone. In return for a pedestrian easement and relief from construction the bill eliminates property taxes on private beach land and allows its owners to retain certain beach land rights.
  Traditionally, the Oregon Coast is regarded as three distinct sub–regions:
  The North Coast, which stretches from the Columbia River to Cascade Head.
  The Central Coast, which stretches from Cascade Head to Reedsport.
  The South Coast, which stretches from Reedsport to the Oregon–California border.
  The largest city is Coos Bay, population 16,700 in Coos County on the South Coast. U.S. Route 101 is the primary highway from Brookings to Astoria and is known for its scenic overlooks of the Pacific Ocean.
context_section_description: After Oregon attained statehood in 1859 and the completion of railroads throughout the Coast Range, development of land quickly began along many of the Coasts bays and rivers. Logging and commercial fishing soon became the primary industries in the area, and several ports were built to facilitate both industries. In 1870, the first lighthouse at Cape Blanco was built and was soon followed by both the Yaquina Bay Light and Yaquina Head Light in 1871 and 1873, respectively. The last Coast Guard operated light, Cape Arago Light, was built in 1934.
  However, in 1874, Oregon State Land Board began to sell public tidelands to private landowners. Soon, resorts were built alongside the beaches in towns such as Seaside, Newport, and Rockaway Beach. The completion of railroads from the primary population centers in the Willamette Valley, the beginnings of tourism started along the coast.
  In 1911, governor Oswald West was elected on the promise to reclaim Oregon's beaches as public land. Though the legislature favored the privatization of these lands, West was able to make an argument for public ownership based on the need for transportation, and in 1913, the Oregon legislature declared the entire length of the ocean shore from the Columbia to California as a state highway. Legislators also created the State Highway Commission, which began the construction of U.S. Route 101 along the coast. The Parks and Recreation Department, a branch of the highway commission, bought land for 36 state parks along the coastal highway, an average of one every 10 miles (16 km). With the completion of the highway-and-parks system, coastal tourism skyrocketed. Recent years have seen a drop in both the logging and fishing industries, due mainly to changes in the U.S. economy as well as changes in regulations governing the harvest of fish and timber.
caption: Former Oregon Governor Oswald West
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