Cannon Beach, Oregon
| Cannon Beach, Oregon | |
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| — City — | |
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| Coordinates: 45°53′21″N 123°57′39″W / 45.88917°N 123.96083°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| County | Clatsop |
| Incorporated | 1956 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Mike Morgan |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.5 sq mi (3.9 km2) |
| • Land | 1.5 sq mi (3.9 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) |
| Elevation | 30 ft (9.14 m) |
| Population (2007) | |
| • Total | 1,680 |
| • Density | 1,066.8/sq mi (411.5/km2) |
| Time zone | Pacific (UTC-8) |
| • Summer (DST) | Pacific (UTC-7) |
| ZIP code | 97110 |
| Area code(s) | 503 |
| FIPS code | 41-10850[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1136119[2] |
| Website | www.ci.cannon-beach.or.us |
Cannon Beach is a city in Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. The population was 1,588 as of the 2000 census. The 2007 estimate is 1,680 residents.[3]
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[edit] History
The first recorded journey by a European to what is now Cannon Beach was made by William Clark, one of the leaders of the Lewis and Clark Expedition in early 1806. The expedition was wintering at Fort Clatsop, roughly 20 miles to the north near the mouth of the Columbia River. In December 1805, two members of the expedition returned to camp with blubber from a whale that had beached several miles south, near the mouth of Ecola Creek. Clark later explored the region himself. [4] From a spot near the western cliffs of the headland he saw "...the grandest and most pleasing prospects which my eyes ever surveyed, in front of a boundless Ocean..." That viewpoint, later dubbed "Clark's Point of View," can be accessed by a hiking trail from Indian Beach in Ecola State Park.
Clark and several of his companions, including Sacagawea, completed a three day journey on January 10, 1806 to the site of the beached whale. They encountered a group of Native Americans from the Tillamook tribe who were boiling blubber for storage. Clark and his party met with them and successfully bartered for 300 pounds (140 kg) of blubber and some whale oil before returning to Fort Clatsop.[5]
Clark applied the name "Ekoli" to what is now Ecola Creek.[6] Ehkoli is a Chinook word for "whale".[6] Early settlers later renamed the creek "Elk Creek", and a community with the same name formed nearby.[7]
In 1846, a cannon from the US Navy schooner Shark washed ashore just north of Arch Cape, a few miles to the south of the community. The schooner hit land while attempting to cross the Columbia Bar, also known as the "Graveyard of the Pacific." The cannon, rediscovered in 1898, eventually inspired a name change for the growing community. In 1922, Elk Creek was redubbed Cannon Beach (after the name of the beach that extends south of Ecola creek for eight miles, ending at Arch Cape) at the insistence of the Post Office Department because the name was frequently confused with Eola. Elk Creek itself was renamed Ecola Creek to honor William Clark's original name.[7]
The cannon is now housed in the city's museum and a replica of it can be seen alongside U.S. Route 101.[8] Two more cannons, also believed to have been from the Shark, were discovered on Arch Cape over the weekend of February 16, 2008.[9]
U.S. Route 101 formerly ran through Cannon Beach. In 1964, a tsunami generated by the Good Friday Earthquake came ashore along the coast of the Pacific Northwest. The subsequent flooding inundated parts of Cannon Beach and washed away the highway bridge located on the north side of city. The city, now isolated from the highway, decided to attract visitors by holding a sand castle contest-an event that still continues annually every June.[10]
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.5 square miles (3.9 km2), all of it land.
Cannon Beach is located near several significant fault lines, and during the 1993 Scotts Mills earthquake, Cannon Beach's tsunami warning system was activated immediately following the shocks that were strongly felt there in the early hours of the morning, evacuating residents and vacationers alike up steeply sloped Highway 101 towards Cannon Beach Junction.[citation needed]
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 1,588 people, 710 households, and 418 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,066.8 people per square mile (411.5/km²). There were 1,641 housing units at an average density of 1,102.4 per square mile (425.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.57% White, 0.19% African American, 0.88% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 3.27% from other races, and 2.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.52% of the population. 17.2% were of German, 12.6% English, 11.4% Irish and 5.7% American ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 710 households out of which 20.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.0% were non-families. 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.70.
In the city the population was spread out with 17.4% under the age of 18, 12.3% from 18 to 24, 21.5% from 25 to 44, 32.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 86.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $39,271, and the median income for a family was $45,329. Males had a median income of $31,250 versus $21,641 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,465. About 8.2% of families and 12.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.3% of those under age 18 and 2.1% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Economy
Cannon Beach is an affluent tourist resort destination.[11] Because of its proximity to Portland, Oregon, it is particularly known as a weekend getaway spot for Portlanders.[12]
[edit] Arts and culture
[edit] Annual cultural events
The city hosts an annual sand castle-building contest in June.[13]
The city also hosts an annual Fourth of July parade. Parades in recent years have featured a military flyover, a "Lawn Chair Brigade" and marchers who toss candy to spectators standing along Hemlock Street.[14]
[edit] Museums and other points of interest
Cannon Beach is recognized by its well-known landmark, Haystack Rock, located to the southwest of downtown Cannon Beach, near Tolovana Park. This igneous rock has an elevation of 235 feet, and is often accessible at low tide, especially in the summertime. There is a small cave system that penetrates the rock and can be seen from the coastline. The rock is also protected as a marine sanctuary, Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge, and events are not allowed within 100 feet of either side of the rock.
Near Haystack Rock are the Needles, two tall rocks rising straight out of the water.
Downtown Cannon Beach is filled with small businesses. Chain stores such as Safeway and McDonald's have been discouraged from building in Cannon Beach in order to preserve the local economy and small town feel.[12] Several businesses along the main stretch of downtown have been in operation for decades and have become local institutions. Among them: Mariner's Market, Geppetto's Toy Shop, the Driftwood Inn, El Mundo for Men, Bruce's Candy Kitchen and the Cannon Beach Bakery, which is well known for its sourdough "Haystack Bread."[15]
A wooden whale commemorating the encounter between Clark, his companions and the Native Americans sits in a small park at the northern end of Hemlock Street.
[edit] Transportation
The main road through Cannon Beach is Hemlock Street, which runs from the north end of the city to the south, through Tolovana Park. Both ends of the street connect to U.S. Route 101.
A shuttle runs from the north of Cannon Beach to the south.[16]
[edit] References
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ PSU:Population Research Center
- ^ http://www.oregonstateparks.org/images/pdf/ecola-clatsop-map.pdf
- ^ "Fort Clatsop". National Park Service. 2004. http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/ebooks/images/efc8622.pdf. Retrieved December 11, 2008.[dead link]
- ^ a b Guardino, M. Constance, III; Rev. Marilyn A. Riedel. "Historic Oregon Coast Photo Album". Sovereigns of Themselves: A Liberating History of Oregon and Its Coast Volume III. http://www2.wi.net/~census/lesson36.html. Retrieved December 11, 2008.
- ^ a b Wesselius, Allen "Doc" (Winter 2001). "A Lasting Legacy: The Lewis and Clark Place Names of the Pacific Northwest—Part IV". Columbia Magazine. Washington State History Museum. http://whs1.order-vault.net/wshs/wshm/lewisandclark/lasting_legacy_pt4.htm. Retrieved December 11, 2008.
- ^ "Cannon Beach Cannon". Oregon Historical Society. http://www.ohs.org/education/oregonhistory/historical_records/dspDocument.cfm?doc_ID=0855CAE9-EE3C-24D8-FD318217CC41C235. Retrieved December 11, 2008.
- ^ "Girl, father find two ancient cannons on the Oregon coast". Archived from the original on 2008-02-25. http://web.archive.org/web/20080225151007/http://www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/kgw_021808_news_ancient_cannons_beach_uss_shark.70c94c4.html. Retrieved 2008-02-18.
- ^ Higgins, Vickie. "Cannon Beach - The little town Oregon's North Coast has a front-row seat". http://www.northwestmagazines.com/oregon_coast_cannon_beach.php. Retrieved 2007-11-03.
- ^ "About Cannon Beach, Oregon". http://www.wildbirdshop.com/Cannon_Beach/cb.html. Retrieved 2007-11-03.
- ^ a b "Cannon Beach: Portland Travel Guide". http://www.portlandlogue.com/cannon-beach/. Retrieved 2007-11-03.
- ^ "Sand Castle Day". Cannon Beach Chamber & Information Center. http://www.cannonbeach.org/pdfs/sandcastlereg2008.pdf. Retrieved December 11, 2008.
- ^ "Cannon Beach photos and info from previous Fourth of July parades". Archived from the original on 2007-12-18. http://web.archive.org/web/20071218214815/http://www.cannon-beach.net/4th/cb4th.html. Retrieved 2007-12-08.
- ^ "Shopping and Stores in Cannon Beach". http://www.cannon-beach.net/shopping/cbshopping.html. Retrieved 2012-1-6.
- ^ "Cannon Beach Shuttle Schedule". http://www.cannon-beach.net/shuttle/cbshuttle.html. Retrieved 2007-11-03.
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[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Cannon Beach, Oregon |
- City of Cannon Beach (official website)
- Listing for Cannon Beach in the Oregon Blue Book
- Cannon Beach Oregon Web Cam
Coordinates: 45°53′21″N 123°57′39″W / 45.889155°N 123.960738°W
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