Welcome To Bandon Visitors Guide 2010

• Take A Stroll Through Bandon's Heritage

Published: Thursday, May 21st, 2009 Take A Stroll Through BandonŐs Heritage Visit the Bandon Historical Society Museum and enjoy the wonderful and unique history of Bandon. The museum is located at the corner of U.S. Highway 101 and Fillmore Avenue Southeast (at the downtown stop light).

The 73-year-old building that houses the museum was originally constructed to serve as a temporary quarters for City Hall in 1936, right after the Bandon Fire. It served as City Hall until 1970, when the new facility was built. Bandon's museum has been in the old City Hall building since 1996.

The museum has more than 4,000 square feet of exhibit and display space, and more than 1,600 photographs depicting Bandon's past.

The museum's collections include many displays, including artifacts used by local Native Americans, known as the 'Na-So-Mah' Tribe, more commonly known today as the Coquilles.

The industry rooms depict the heyday of Bandon's timber, logging and sawmills era, and photographs and artifacts are displayed on coal and gold mining in the area. The fishing industry display reveals how important the Coquille River was in the early days.

Cranberry farming and harvesting are still big parts of Bandon's economy. Museum visitors can see how cranberries are grown and harvested here.

The museum has a large display on dairy farming and cheesemaking in this small community. In the early 1900's, milk was carried by riverboats from dairies to the cheese plants and factories. The Bandon Cheese Factory was in business from the early 1920s until 2003.

The museum's maritime collections are housed in a very large room and include shipbuilding on the Coquille River in the 1800s, plus photographs and artifacts from riverboats, sailing vessels, shipwrecks and shipping commerce during their local heydays.

The natural history display includes many photographs of local wildlife, a lifesize reconstruction of a gray grampus dolphin, a golden eagle and many other items.

You will see photographs of the construction and operation of Bandon's Coquille River Lighthouse, built in 1896. A large collection of photographs and paintings of the lighthouse is available for purchase in the museum's gift shop.

Local military servicemen and women are honored and remembered through a display of military uniforms that includes each branch of the service. The collection also includes photographs, scrapbooks, keepsakes and other items donated by soldiers' families.

Museum visitors will see the destruction of Bandon's Great Fire of 193
6 and what caused it. This fire destroyed 90 percent of the town. A grease fire in a restaurant in 1914 spread and destroyed many Main Street businesses.

Guests will be interested in the display on the former Millard School, a military preparatory school that was located in Langlois and Bandon.

While you're at the museum, visit the unique gift shop. It features a selection of local history and Oregon history books, and hundreds of other great titles. Historic photographs, note cards, myrtlewood pieces, T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, paintings, posters and many more items are available.

The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $2 for adults. Children under 12 and Historical Society members are admitted free.

For more information about the Bandon Historical Society Museum, call or fax (541) 347-2164 or visit the Web site at http://www.bandonhistoricalmuseum.org.


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