Oregon Drift

Local history & splendid views: Sawmill & Tribal Trail

For hundreds of years, Coos tribal ancestors traveled between their bayside villages and hunting and foraging grounds on a trail from present-day North Bend to Empire.

In the 1850s, Charles Merchant refused to sell alcohol in his North Bend store, so thirsty loggers, mill hands and shipyard workers followed the same route to saloons and entertainment.

In July, a collaboration between the Coos Historical & Maritime Museum and numerous volunteers and agencies created the Sawmill & Tribal Trail.

The 5.6-mile route follows trails and city streets. Thirty-five points of interest are marked with posts bearing a saw-blade logo and a number. A brochure briefly describes the point of interest at each number. Some points explain native uses of plants at that spot; others tell the history of a building. One marks the spot of a notorious armed robbery.

Soon, QR codes on the posts will let smartphone users access detailed information about each point.
At an inaugural hike July 17, Coos Bay City Councilor Jennifer Groth, vice president of the museum’s board of trustees, said the museum hopes to use the trail for a lot of teaching opportunities.
‘Learning about history is more fun outside the building,” she said.
Brochures with the trail map and points of interest are available at the Coos Historical & Maritime Museum and the Coos Bay Visitor Center.

By Gail Elber
Special to The World