Hughes House Walkthrough

The Hughes House and Ranch is a well-known destination on the Southern Oregon Coast nestled in Cape Blanco State Park at the mouth of the Sixes River. Each…

Save Our Lighthouse

The tower of the Cape Blanco Lighthouse has been closed to public tours since 2020, and over the past two years it has been under structural evaluation by…

Port Orford Historic Newspaper Archive

Port Orford History dating back 100 years is now available online through the University of Oregon’s Digital Newspaper Program. The Cape Blanco Heritage Society has been working with…

Thorp Collection

I was going through an envelope of photos that my mother kept and found four photos that may be of interest to you. Three are small black and…

Yearbook Annuals

2CJ Yearbook Annuals Project

We have been busy at Port Orford Historical Photos with a pilot project working with 2CJ to digitize their yearbook annuals. Former 2CJ Alumna Bonnie Cox led the…

Jedediah Smith’s Port Orford Rendezvous

In my early days of residency here, I was blessed to have met and known some of Port Orford’s old timers. I heard many stories of Port Orford’s…

Port Orford’s Fishing Community

We received a wonderful collection of photographs for the Port Orford Historical Photos Project that shows how much our town appreciates their fishing community! The original photographs were…

The Club Building (Point.B Studio)

(As told to Alan Mitchell by Leon White – March 2021) The Club Building was a popular fancy saloon in its heyday in the 1930s and ‘40s. Initially,…

"Cape Blanco Lighthouse" by Darren Evans

Cape Blanco Lighthouse

The Cape Blanco Lighthouse is one of three historical sites maintained by the Cape Blanco Heritage Society (CBHS). You can learn more about CBHS at their website. “The…

The Port Orford Quadrangle

We’re big fans of maps at Port Orford Historical Photos, and we were delighted to discover this extraordinary documentation of “The Port Orford Quadrangle” by Joseph Silas Diller…

Port Orford Old Town

A Brief History of Extant Buildings in Old Town, The Original Port Orford Business District. “In 1852, Oregon land claims officials, checking on Port Orford, reported that the…

Dement Ranch, Sixes Oregon

In 2009, Persimmon Hill Magazine contacted Rebecca Malamud-Evans of Port Orford Historical Photos to illustrate a story with photographs for an article they were writing on Dement Ranch…

George and Maude Forty House

In 1921, the Oregon State Highway Department began construction of Oregon Route 9 on the Oregon Coast. The new highway was to be known as the Roosevelt Highway,…

Port Orford Jakie and His Friend Whiskers

Years ago, Port Orford old timers told of an Indian who paddled his canoe on Garrison Lake in the latter 1800’s. He was known as Port Orford Jakie….

Port Orford Sustainable Fishing: A Way Of Life

A mini series all about local, sustainable fishing in Port Orford, Oregon by local filmmaker Eric Feliciano @ the Media Nook. Meet Aaron Longton, our guide into the…

The Old Port Orford Grade School

(As told to Alan Mitchell by Leon White ) It was a large wooden two story building located about a 15-minute walk north of where I lived. When…

Port Orford and its Fires – 1930s-60s

(As told to Alan Mitchell by Leon White) Leon remembers that even at very young age, he understood (and respected) the kind of damage a fire could do…

The Colonial Theatre

(As told to Alan Mitchell by Leon White – September 2021) I recall one of the movie serials had a scene with a Forest Ranger speeding in the…

Port Orford’s Bicentennial Mayor – 1972-1976

(As told to Alan Mitchell by Leon White)PHOTO ABOVE: Long-time friends Alan Mitchell (second from left) and Leon White (right) at Port Orford City Hall. I had never…

Port Orford’s Western States Plywood Cooperative Era – 1951-1975

(As told to Alan Mitchell by Leon White) In 1949, there was a very large empty field bordering cold and clear Elk River. In 2021, the river still…

Fine Art Photographer John Heida

Artist John Heida is no stranger to the Port Orford area, actively hiking the region and capturing its natural beauty for decades. He is well-known in the area…

Trouble In Transit

Although not a frequent occurrence, vehicle mishaps in a coastal town can happen. Port Orford has certainly seen their fair share. Situated on Highway 101 near some of…

The Wooden Nickel

I learned a lot from [Tracy Hassett]. He was critical to my education as a woodworker. We remained friends till he moved from Oregon to Utah. … I…