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Dusk at Cape Blanco

Many thanks to photographer and firefighter Scott Crawford for giving us permission to share his photos of Cape Blanco. (Photograph above by Rebecca Malamud-Evans) Our last assignment of…

Western States Plywood in 1951

Dennis Dougherty recently sent us this series of photographs of the Western States Plywood Mill under construction in 1951: “I worked there two summers in 1969-70 while attending…

Hughes House Home Movies

A delightful home movie created by Kenny Henson when he camped for seven days out at Cape Blanco State Park in 2023. He asked the hosts if he…

Hwy 101 - M.E. Kelley’s Villa Motel

Kelley’s Villa Cottages

These cottages were located on an undersized city block on the north end of Port Orford on HWY 101 across from the present day site of Gold Beach…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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,…

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…