Benton County residents have long escaped valley heat by
heading to the Oregon coast.
Circa 1920, driving to the coast was an adventure as only
0.4 miles of the Corvallis-Newport Highway were paved. Benton County resident
Alvina Amort described one trip in this diary entry from August 10, 1917:
“Left Corvallis about 9.
19 miles from home, just before we reached Wren, we had our first blow
out. We ate our dinner way beyond
Blodgett. Had 2 more blowouts. Couldn't fix the last 'till a guy came who
had an extra patch. At 4 o'clock we
stopped a long time to cool the engine and rest. Stopped at Toledo for gas. Got to Newport about 5:30.”
Once in Newport, travelers could take a ferry across Yaquina
Bay (there was no bridge until 1936) and drive on the beach.
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| Ferry T. M. Richardson, Yaquina Bay, Newport, Lincoln County, Oregon |
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| Watching the waves at an Oregon Beach, #Circa1920 |
Once there, however, people then engaged in many of the same
activities as they do today, though the dress is different.
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| Walking on an Oregon Beach |
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| Looking in tide pools |
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| Looking for agates at Newport, Oregon |
By
Martha Fraundorf, Volunteer for Benton County Historical Society, Philomath,
Oregon
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