Port Orford : Oregon
Port Orford is a town located in Curry County, Oregon. It is located on the southern Oregon coast, at the northern end of what coastal oregonians call the Banana Belt, due to the fact that the weather from Port Orford south is warmer and noticeably different than the weather north of Cape Blanco. The town takes it name from George Vancouver’s original name for Cape Blanco, which he named for George, Earl of Orford, “a much respected friend.” It was later changed to the name of the town close by, possibly also referring to the deep harbor beside the town, that was often used during storms. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 1,153. At the Coast Guard station there is a short scenic walk out to a bluff that overlooks the harbor. From this vantage point (at the right time of year) you can see orcas, grey whales, california and stellar sea lions and various seabirds.
History
Native Americans originally lived in the area.
A Captain Tichner was the first to settle in the area of the town, which was an important early center for shipping Port Orford Cedar. It was the county seat for Curry between 1855 and 1859; while it was not formally incorporated until 1935, it was the first town to do so in the county.
In October of 1941, then mayor Gilbert Gable, frustrated with the condition of the state roads around Port Orford, whose poor condition hampered economic development, suggested that a number of counties along the Oregon and California state border should secede and create the State of Jefferson. This movement came to an end with US involvement in World War II.
The Port boasts the only dry dock port on the west coast where the fishing boats are lifted in and out of the water by operated cranes.
