The Port of Brookings-Harbor is the

port authority In Canada and the United States, a port authority (less commonly a port district) is a governmental or quasi-governmental public authority for a special-purpose district usually formed by a legislative body (or bodies) to operate ports and other t ...

for the city of

Brookings Brookings may refer to: Organizations * Brookings Institution, a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy organization based in Washington, D.C. Places * Brookings, Oregon, USA * Brookings, South Dakota, USA * Brookings County, South Dakota, USA ...

, Oregon, United States, and serving the neighboring community of Harbor. The district covers from the mouth of the Chetco River south to the Oregon- California border, north to the mouth of the Pistol River, and east to the Curry- Josephine county line. The district is governed by a five-member commission elected at-large from the district population of approximately 16,000. It is the busiest recreational port on the Oregon Coast, generating more than 31,000 boat trips for more than 95,000 people, and is one of the most active harbors for Chinook salmon on the coast. Due to the unique south-facing bar orientation (as opposed to most Oregon bars facing due west) with the protection provided by Chetco Point, the Chetco bar is more passable than any other.

Events

The port is locally known for hosting many festivals and events, such as the Pirates of the Pacific Festival.

History

The port district had its beginnings in a deep-water harbor constructed in 1912 by the Brookings Lumber and Box Company, which founded and owned the

company town A company town is a place where practically all stores and housing are owned by the one company that is also the main employer. Company towns are often planned with a suite of amenities such as stores, houses of worship, schools, markets and re ...

of Brookings. In 1956, a special election was held that created the Port of Brookings Port District. Governor

Elmo Smith Elmo Everett Smith (November 19, 1909July 15, 1968) was an American Republican politician who served as the 27th Governor of Oregon from 1956 to 1957. Early life Smith was born in Grand Junction, Colorado on November 19, 1909. At the age of ten ...

appointed the first port commission. The Port of Brookings Harbor was severely damaged on March 11, 2011 by a tsunami caused by the Tōhoku earthquake off the coast of

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

; damages were estimated at $6.7 million. The last boat sunk by the tsunami was raised from the bottom of the harbor on March 22. The port re-opened for business on the same day.

References

External links

Port of Brookings-Harbor
(official website) Brookings, Oregon Brookings Harbor, Port of 1956 establishments in Oregon Curry County, Oregon {{Oregon-transport-stub