(Historical photo of Rockaway Beach, Oregon’s main street – Hwy. 101 in 1924)
Walking around the town of Rockaway Beach today, you’ll encounter a lively main street filled with eclectic shops and an array of culinary choices. Yet, since 1909, when Rockaway was known as one of the first seaside resort towns on the Oregon Coast, it has undergone multiple changes, led by people with the same entrepreneurial spirit alive today.
That history is what led Mayor Charles McNeilly to launch an online historical walking tour to provide visitors to the town a fuller, richer experience. Working with Scott Fisher, local writer and avid historian, and Nan Devlin, tourism consultant, they developed the first leg of a walking tour you can enjoy via your phone. And no app required!
The tour showcases 11 buildings on the north bound side of Highway 101. Each has a story covering decades of interesting businesses. For instance, the building that is now the Tie Breaker Restaurant was once a gas station and mechanic’s garage. The Sea Breeze housed a card room and pool table, run by “Red-Headed Ruby,” the town’s bootlegger during Prohibition.
“Rockaway Beach has been a favorite town of Oregonians since the ‘Daddy Train’ brought families by rail to the coast for summer vacations,” said Mayor McNeilly. “Sharing the history of how this town has persevered through many changes over its 117-year history is a story in itself.”
The history Scott Fisher gathered for this tour came from public domain records, including the Oregon Encyclopedia, government archives, Tillamook County Pioneer Museum, library sources, and stories shared by longtime residents. More stories will be developed over the next year, working with STQRY.com to build on the self-guided tour.
Take the online journey, which you can do from the comfort of your chair at home, or while walking along the sidewalks in Rockaway Beach, Oregon. Or go to visitrockawaybeach.org and click on the tour link at the top of the home page.
