Roosevelt Ferry
Prior to the completion of the Coos Bay Bridge (McCullough Bridge), the Roosevelt Ferry operated between North Bend and Glasgow from 1921 to 1936. It made many trips throughout the day. Though the dock pilings are slowly fading to time, they can still be seen today.
Front Street
Front Street is a great example of how an area can develop or change over time based on location and transportation. When traveling on small boats was the primary method of transportation in this area; hotels, restaurants, and stores popped up along the waterfront. Unfortunately, a catastrophic fire in 1922, alongside the diversification of transportation drastically changed the makeup of the busy waterfront.
McCullough Bridge
The McCullough Bridge was the last of five coast bridges to complete the Roosevelt Highway (US 101). The bridge was a depression era WPA project, which cost more than $2,000,000 and employed hundreds. The completion of what is now the Conde B. McCullough Memorial Bridge in 1936 significantly improved modern transportation connections and provided a critical link in opening the region to the outside world.
OTH Airport
When discussing the history of flight in Oregon, two names emerge, Silas Christofferson and Vern Gorst. Through Christofferson may have brought the first plane to the area, it was Gorst who had the ingenuity and vision to develop passenger service. The airport served a major role in the second world war when it was used to train pilots to land on aircraft carriers due to the common windy conditions. Today, it remains the only commercial airport on the Oregon Coast.
Downtown North Bend
First incorporated in 1903, the City of North Bend is surrounded on three sides by the Coos Bay, an S-shaped water inlet. It is here that Louis Simpson came to oversee his father’s business interests and who in turn saw the true potential for the area. A bustling waterfront once lined the shore and travelers from San Francisco looked forward to their stay at Hotel North Bend, one of the most grandiose in the area.