Reedsport, Oregon
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Reedsport is a coastal town in northwest Douglas County,
Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...
, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,310. It is located about 73 miles northwest of Roseburg, the
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
.


History

Reedsport was established on the estuary of the
Umpqua River The Umpqua River ( ) on the Pacific coast of Oregon in the United States is approximately long. One of the principal rivers of the Oregon Coast and known for bass and shad, the river drains an expansive network of valleys in the mountains west ...
on January 7, 1852. It was named for a local settler, Alfred W. Reed, who founded the city in 1912. The post office was established July 17, 1912. The building of Southern Pacific Railroad lines extending south to Coos Bay led to the development of Reedsport. Before the post office was established in 1912, Reedsport was a camp for railroad construction workers. Built on marshy ground, for much of its history Reedsport has struggled with frequent flooding; most of its early buildings were elevated above ground. After a devastating flood in 1964, a dike was constructed to protect the lower town. During this flood, the waters reached the fish hatchery and overflowed the fish troughs allowing hundreds of thousands of
smallmouth bass The smallmouth bass (''Micropterus dolomieu'') is a species of freshwater fish in the Centrarchidae, sunfish family (biology), family (Centrarchidae) of the order (biology), order Centrarchiformes. It is the type species of its genus ''Micropterus ...
to be introduced into the Umpqua River. According to fishing reports small-mouth bass became the most abundant fish in the river. Every few years, high water induces city employees to close the dikes to prevent low-lying areas of the city from flooding. In the last quarter of the 20th century, Reedsport struggled with the collapse of the Oregon
timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into uniform and useful sizes (dimensional lumber), including beams and planks or boards. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, window frames). ...
industry. In the last two decades, Reedsport has seen an increase of tourism. Part of this is due to its close proximity to the fishing of the Umpqua River. Another part of the recent surge in tourism is due to the sand dunes that are near Reedsport. Although the
U.S. Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands covering of land. The major divisions of the agency are the Chief's ...
maintains a local office in the town, Reedsport's historic connection with the timber industry ended in 1999 with the closing of the
International Paper The International Paper Company is an American pulp and paper company, the largest such company in the world. It has approximately 39,000 employees, and is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee. History The company was incorporated January 31 ...
plant in nearby
Gardiner Gardiner may refer to: Places Settlements ;Canada * Gardiner, Ontario ;United States * Gardiner, Maine * Gardiner, Montana * Gardiner (town), New York ** Gardiner (CDP), New York * Gardiner, Oregon * Gardiner, Washington * West Gardiner, ...
. Recently, Reedsport has seen a rise in tourism due to recreation at the nearby Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area in Winchester Bay. A number of businesses catering to
all-terrain vehicle An all-terrain vehicle (ATV), also known as a light utility vehicle (LUV), a quad bike or quad (if it has four wheels), as defined by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), is a vehicle that travels on low-pressure tires, has a seat ...
s have opened in Reedsport to serve the needs of this growing activity.


Geography and climate

Reedsport is at the junction of Oregon Route 38 and
U.S. Route 101 U.S. Route 101, or U.S. Highway 101 (US 101), is a major north–south highway that traverses the states of California, Oregon, and Washington on the West Coast of the United States. It is part of the United States Numbered Highway Syst ...
, north of Winchester Bay and northwest of Roseburg. According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water. Reedsport has a rainy
Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
''Csb''), with mild dry summers and mild, very wet winters. Although 26.3 mornings will fall below , only 0.9 afternoons reach , and the hottest temperature recorded is only on August 29, 1944, and September 5, 1973. Only 0.2 afternoons fail to top freezing each year, and the coldest temperature is on December 8, 1972. The wettest month record is November 1973 with , whilst June to September have on occasions been rainless.


Demographics


2010 census

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2010, there were 4,154 people, 1,948 households, and 1,138 families residing in the city. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
was . There were 2,207 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 93.0%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.3%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 1.1% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 0.1%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 1.3% from other races, and 3.1% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 4.9% of the population. There were 1,948 households, of which 20.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.8% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 35.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.68. The median age in the city was 51.2 years. 17.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 17.8% were from 25 to 44; 29.9% were from 45 to 64; and 27.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.6% male and 50.4% female.


2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 4,378 people, 1,978 households, and 1,265 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 2,178 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 93.92% White, 0.02% African American, 1.23% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 2.15% from other races, and 2.22% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.68% of the population. There were 1,978 households, out of which 23.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.5% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.0% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.71. In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.6% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 19.9% from 25 to 44, 27.0% from 45 to 64, and 26.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $26,054, and the median income for a family was $33,689. Males had a median income of $33,214 versus $20,734 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $16,093. About 11.7% of families and 16.0% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 21.5% of those under age 18 and 10.9% of those age 65 or over.


Museums and other points of interest

The Oregon Divisional Chainsaw Sculpting Championships was started in 1999 and held every year since 2000 at the Rainbow Plaza over Fathers Day Weekend. Chainsaw Carvers from three continents compete at the event. The Umpqua Discovery Center, along the Umpqua River in downtown Reedsport, features regional natural and cultural history information, including interactive media and displays. The Dean Creek Wildlife Area is east of Reedsport on Oregon Route 38. This preserve jointly managed by the
Bureau of Land Management The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior responsible for administering federal lands, U.S. federal lands. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the BLM oversees more than of land, or one ...
and the
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) is a state government, government agency of the U.S. state of Oregon responsible for programs protecting Oregon fish and wildlife resources and their habitats. The agency operates hatcheries, i ...
provides an opportunity to view 60 to 100
Roosevelt elk The Roosevelt elk (''Cervus canadensis roosevelti)'', also known commonly as the Olympic elk and Roosevelt's wapiti, is the largest of the four surviving subspecies of elk ('' Cervus canadensis'') in North America by body mass. Mature bulls we ...
in their natural habitat year round. The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area interpretive center is located at the intersection of Oregon Route 38 and
U.S. Route 101 U.S. Route 101, or U.S. Highway 101 (US 101), is a major north–south highway that traverses the states of California, Oregon, and Washington on the West Coast of the United States. It is part of the United States Numbered Highway Syst ...
. It features interpretive panels, short films, and information about the local area and attractions. Loon Lake is southeast of Reedsport. On July 20, 2016, Alex Hirsch, creator of the
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
animated series ''
Gravity Falls ''Gravity Falls'' is an American Mystery fiction, mystery television comedy, comedy animated television series created by Alex Hirsch for Disney Channel and Disney XD. The series follows the adventures of Dipper Pines (Jason Ritter) and his twi ...
'', released clues for a global scavenger hunt known as Cipher Hunt to find a real-life statue of the show's villain, Bill Cipher. The statue was finally discovered on August 2, 2016, in the woods south of Reedsport Community Charter School, but it was removed from the property the next morning. It was formerly located at . It was later moved to Bicentennial Park and then it was moved again to Confusion Hill.


Education

Reedsport is served by the two-school Reedsport School District, which includes Highland Elementary School and Reedsport Community Charter School.


Media


Radio

* KDUN (1030 AM) * KJMX (99.5 FM) * KSYD (92.1 FM+HD)


Renewable energy

Plans for a 100-buoy commercial wave park in the ocean near Reedsport fell through in 2014, when Ocean Power Technologies (OPT), a
renewable energy Renewable energy (also called green energy) is energy made from renewable resource, renewable natural resources that are replenished on a human lifetime, human timescale. The most widely used renewable energy types are solar energy, wind pow ...
company based in
New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
, abandoned the project. The park, which would have been built in an area known for high-value fishing and crabbing, was opposed by the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission. OPT listed high costs, technical challenges, and complicated negotiations with governments and stakeholders among its reasons for cancelling the project. As of 2014, OPT still had plans for a much smaller project near Reedsport.


Notable people

* Jason Boe, politician * Wally Borrevik, professional basketball player * Delilah Rene Luke, radio personality * Vicki Walker, politician


See also

* Steamboats of the Oregon Coast


References


External links


Entry for Reedsport
in the '' Oregon Blue Book''
City of Reedsport official website
{{Authority control Cities in Oregon Populated coastal places in Oregon Cities in Douglas County, Oregon Oregon Coast Port cities in Oregon 1852 establishments in Oregon Territory Populated places established in 1852