File TitlePhotographerYearNotes by Alan Mitchell

Port Orford Lagoon 1998 02 05 1Chris Miller1998-0205King Tide impacting the Tseriadun State Recreation Site’s beachfront. 

Port Orford Lagoon 1998 02 05Chris Miller1998-0205King Tide impacting the Tseriadun State Recreation Site’s beachfront. 

Port Orford Lagoon Breech 1Alan MitchellWinter 1999Garrison Lake (Lagoon) City-induced dune breach – Winter 1999.  Storms had sanded in the lake’s outlet.  The house at the west end of Lakeshore Drive had become flooded.

Port Orford Lagoon Breech 2001 09Alan MitchellFall 2001The aftermath of the 1999 City-enduced dune breach.

Port Orford Lagoon Breech 2002 01 04Alan Mitchell2002 0104Garrison Lake (Lagoon) City-induced mini-breech of sand dune.

Port Orford Lagoon Breech 2002 04 08Alan Mitchell2002 0408Garrison Lake (Lagoon) City-induced mini-breech of sand dune.

Port Orford Lagoon BreechAlan MitchellWinter 1999Garrison Lake (Lagoon) City-induced dune breach – Winter 1999.  Storms had sanded in the lake’s outlet.  The house at the west end of Lakeshore Drive had become flooded.

Port Orford Lagoon c1930Sands Photo Studioc1930North view from the Port Orford Headlands (Coast Guard Hill).  Note the absence of today’s sand dunes.  Apparently during the Great Depression, one of WPA’s Oregon Coast projects included planting European Beach Grasses in an effort to stabilize existing sand dunes and create new ones.  In Port Orford, it was felt dunes were needed to protect Garrison Lake from ocean storms.

Garrison Lagoon viewed from the Heads – James Ruben Croxall photo – c1926
James Ruben Croxall
c1926North view from the Port Orford Headlands (Coast Guard Hill).  Note the absence of today’s sand dunes.  Apparently during the Great Depression, one of WPA’s local projects included planting European Beach Grasses along the Oregon Coast in an effort to stabilize existing sand dunes and create new ones.  In Port Orford, it was felt a dune was needed to protect Garrison Lake from the ocean.
Reportedly, the names of five of the streets (Wilson, Robert, Gillespie, Mendell, and Stewart) were the names of fellow soldiers.
The map also shows an existing wharf and a 3 mile tramway connected to it. Hopefully future historians can determine if the tramway was ever built.

1895 Army Corps of Engineers Map of Port Orford Oregon – Capt. Thomas Symons
Mapmaker Capt. Thomas Symons
1895Located equidistant between San Francisco and Portland, Captain Tichenor had long promoted to the Federal Government that (with a proper breakwater installed), Port Orford would be a safe Harbor of Refuge for commercial and US Naval ships. This 1895 map clearly shows where 5 previous surveys had recommended 4 slightly different locations for a breakwater: 1873 Project of Major H.M. Robert; 1877 Project of Board of Engineers; 1878 Project of Major J.M. Wilson; 1880 and 1890 Project of Board of Board of Engineers.

Garrison Lake outlet – 2018-0426
Alan Mitchell
2018-0426
Looking east towards the outlet of Garrison Lake.


Garrison Lake Outlet – Kloqueh Rock – 2018-0426
Alan Mitchell
2018-0426
Looking west from the outlet of Garrison Lake towards Kloqueh Rock.


Aerial – Port Orford – Garrison Lake (Lagoon) – USACE – Humbug Mountain in the distance – 1990-0621
United States Army Corp of Engineers
1990-0621
Paradise Point viewing area and Agate Beach in foreground, Humbug Mountain in the distance

Agate Beach – Garrison Lake (Lagoon) outlet – 2018-0505Alan Mitchell
2018-0505


Garrison Lake (Lagoon) viewed from the Heads – c1920Unknownc1920The poor condition of the forest may be the result of old wildfires.

Garrison Lake (Lagoon) viewed from the Heads – c1960Unknownc1960The City’s sewer lagoons appear in the foreground.