Reedsport is a city located in Oregon. Situated in Douglas County, in the year 2000, it was home to a little more than 4,000 residents. Established in 1852 on the Umpqua River estuary, it was named in honor of Alfred W. Reed, who was a local settler. He would be given credit for establishing the city in 1912. On July 17th of that year, the city’s first post office was erected.
Reedsport was developed, in large part, because the Southern Pacific Railroad was being built towards Coos Bay in a southern direction. Prior to the post office being erected, the city was used as a camp for men who worked on the railroad.
Reedsport, OR has a long history of flooding, in large part, due to the marshy grounds on which the city was built. To counteract flooding, early settlers elevated the buildings they built so that they stood 3 to 8 feet above the ground. In 1964, even this proved not to be enough. The city experienced a terrible flood. In response, city officials ordered that a dike be built to help ward off future flooding in the lower part of the city.
For much of Reedsport’s history, there was a reliance on the timber industry. In recent decades (since the latter part of the 20th century), the industry has suffered some setbacks in Oregon. Some characterize it is a collapse. Though, while the timber industry has run into some problems which have negatively affected Reedsport, an increase in tourism has helped some.
Reedsport is increasingly becoming a tourist hot-spot because of the nearby sand dunes, the Oregon Dunes National Recreational Area, in particular. Tourist services like hotels, RV parks, and restaurants have been able to meet the needs of tourists. The Umpqua River has been a big draw as well, mainly because of its great fishing. The flood in 1964 may have something to do with this.
The flood caused water from the city’s fish hatcheries to overflow the fish troughs, which resulted in hundreds of thousands of small mouth bass being pushed into the Umpqua River. Today, they are the most common fish in the river. The flood may have thus turned out to be a mixed blessing. Though it was devastating for the city at the time, it helped develop it into a tourist attraction, which has become incredibly important in light of the collapse of the timber industry.
In addition to the Dunes and fishing at the Umpqua River, other activities/attractions of interest in Reedsport Oregon include the Umpqua Discovery Center, the Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area and Loon Lake. Each of the above is either in Reedsport or within a short distance.
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