Old Town Florence, Oregon

Founded in 1893, Florence, Oregon, was situated three miles inland from the ocean to make use of a sheltered location on the Siuslaw River. As the city developed, the canneries and sawmills attracted businesses to the bustling shipping District on what is now called Bay Street.

Signs of the working waterfront are still visible along Bay Street, although the variety of the work may be somewhat different.

This statue (below) is a memorial: "Dedicated to the Port of Siuslaw.
In memory of The fishermen Who Risk Their Lives Against Mother Nature and the Pacific Ocean."

"With construction of the U.S. 101 bridge (described below) in 1936, the central business district witnessed an exodus of shop owners bound for a better location on the highway.

"The vacuum left by departing businesses in the late 1950s was filled by a succession of rough-edged watering holes, plus vacant and boarded up buildings.

"The pendulum began to swing in the late 1960s when some Southern Californians arrived with some fresh ideas for turning around a business district that was down on its luck. The remodeling of the historic Kyle building (below) in 1971 and the opening of a health food store sent a message to the few businesses that remained: Either shape up or ship out.

"Today, with more than 60 businesses in a compact six-block area, Old Town Florence bustles with shoppers and diners all week during the height of the coastal tourist season,

The blue sign reading "Shoes" on the blue-gray building on the right is the former marquee of the Harbor Theatre, a classic 1938 Art Deco movie house.

The building below is the Mapleton Depot. The Southern Pacific Railroad depot was built in 1912; it was moved from Mapleton in 1977.

The two-lane bridge referred to above, is the Siuslaw River Bridge, was designed by Conde McCullough. The bridge, "...a combination steel double-leaf bascule (drawbridge) and concrete structure, remains stately with its sculpted art deco obelisks and Gothic arch railings. Impressive but unpretentious, the bridge still provides the classic backdrops for views of and from Old Town" (blog.oregonlive.com/terryrichard/2007/07/florences_bay_street).

Four Art Deco-style obelisks house mechanical equipment as well as living quarters for the bridge operator.