Chapter XI

Coos Bay and Its Surroundings.

Coos Bay -- First Settlement -- Description -- Empire City -- Upper Bay -- Railroad -- Coal Bank Slough -- Coal Bunkers -- E.B. Dean & Co.'s Mill -- Creamery -- Shipping Interest -- Coal -- Marine Report -- Marshfield, Description of. Historical -- Coos Bay News and Other Papers -- First School -- Hotels -- Stauff -- Hurst -- Tiegal -- Robinson -- Miners -- East Marshfield -- Railroad -- Cannery -- Fish. Game and Clams.

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In 1867 when Marshfield began to grow there were but two buildings at the place. One was a shake shanty, where Charles Pershbaker had sold goods, and the other was a log cabin. When Capt. Hamilton had kept an inn George Stauff built and addition and opened a hotel. He had fifty boarders before the mill was completed. A tug-boat and a schooner were being built at the same time, and the place at once sprung into prominence. Fifty cents a meal was charged, and a nights lodging cost the same. The hotel was a paying business and fifteen to twenty dollars a day was not an uncommon account to be received from transient customers. Wm. Clough was running the only bay steamer; a small craft names Arayo [sic; probably Arago], but it was called the "Shoe Fly." John Howlet, who built the tug-boat and some of his men, built a bunkilation for ship carpenters, on the lot where John A. Gray lived and died. The builders finally donated the house to the town for school purposes and a city hall. This was the first school building in Marshfield. Pershbaker opened a few goods for sale in the old shake shanty, formerly owned by his brother Charles. The building was finally moved back and by and extensive remodeling and enlarging became the "Caragan" or Western Hotel; the same is occupied at present as a Chinese store. The next year Pershbaker built the large store now known as E.B. Dean & Co's building in charge of C.H. Merchant. The log cabin referred to stood on the bluff back of the Pioneer saloon. William Noble built the Central Hotel in 1870. George Stauff had erected the Blanco Hotel in 1869, and leased it to Mr. Noble; this was the second hotel in town. After Noble completed the Central he took possession, he and Wm. Turpin catered to the wants of the traveling public. Sanford and Chenia succeeded them, and it has changed tenants many times since. The property has been owned by Anson Rogers since it was finally completed.

George Stauff leased the Blanco building to Lobree, and he fitted it up for the mercantile trade, and occupied it until 1873, when James. L. Ferry and Steve Baily leased the house and fitted it up for a hotel and named it the Blanco and purchased the building not long after. Tiegal had built the first building on the marsh; it is now occupied as a blacksmith shop and is opposite Thomas Hurst's store. A.H. Hinch traded his black sand mines near Randolph, for Pershbaker's stock of goods and moved there to the Tiegal building, but ere long he exchanged his merchandise for Andrew Nasburg's farm at the junction of the two branches of Coos river. Nasburg and Hurst soon formed a co-partnership and built the store now occupied by Mr. Hurst. Capt. Hamilton, of the log cabin fame built the Pioneer saloon in 1857, and opened the first trade in the spirituous liquor. A.P. Decuse and others succeeded Hamilton and John Bear became owner. Hamilton passed over the dark river in 1875 at an advanced age. He had raised one child by his native companion, but she followed her mother to the happy hunting ground before Marshfield began to assume the importance of a town. Tiegal opened a boarding house in the Pershbaker store building, vacated when Hinch purchased the stock. About the first of the year 1853 Thomas Hucheson [sic] , a raftsman [sic; probably craftsman], built a house that now stands back of the Blanco Hotel, and his family resided therein for a while, but it was utilized as a Masonic hall-the first in town.

James C. Robinson, now of Marshfield, states that he arrived at Marshfield over the Coos bay wagon road, in 1869. He was obliged to leave his wagon at Weekly's and resort to packing, a distance of sixty-five miles over a narrow trail, to the head of Ketching slough [sic; Catching Slough]. J.B. Dulley was the only resident of Sumner at that time. There they took a small boat, in which they could scarcely get their luggage, and landed at Marshfield about 10 o'clock at night very tired. The town then had about a dozen houses, which were far apart, among brush and trees. It seemed a wild place to the newcomers, but the beautiful waters of the bay were attractive, and the bracing sea breeze was very refreshing compared with the hot plains of California, where he had just been.

They soon recruited and commenced making a home for themselves. Society was not very edifying, however. The New Port [sic; Newport] miners came to town occasionally to have a good time. They were a jolly set of men, but carried their pleasure to extremes at times. The sailors from the vessels that visited the port often joined the miners in their potations, and there were no officers of the law who cared to interfere. John McNamara, the justice of the peace, would disappear when he saw that a grand blow-out was inevitable. There was no weapons used when difficulties arose between the workingmen, but fist fights were common, and the midnight air was often filled with shouts of mirth or threatening and boasting language emanating from some of the crowd, who fancied that he had some grievances to settle. There were but three buildings below the hill in 1869. Hitch's and Pershbaker's stores and Pioneer saloon completed the list. There were noble and good people living in town, otherwise one who had just arrived would have become discouraged at the rough actions of the miners.

As soon as Pershbaker's mill and shipyard was in full operations, the town sprung up as if my magic; the forest on the hillside began to disappear, and building enterprises were inaugurated in no small dimensions. The pile driver was set at work and within a very short time appearances were so changed that old settlers were astonished at its rapid growth.