American Association for State and Local History
With one of the few deep-water harbors on the Pacific Coast, Newport is steeped in the lore and tradition of people whose lives and livelihoods depend on the ocean. The Pacific Maritime & Heritage Center will engage regional residents and visitors alike with the rich history of Oregon’s central coast.
The new Center will bring history to life in Lincoln County through experiences that involve visitors with fishing and maritime heritage. They’ll learn how rivers, estuaries, bays, and the Pacific Ocean form a network of waterways that links everyone who lives on the Central Oregon Coast. As they view the hustle and bustle of Yaquina Bay, visitors will begin to understand what they’re seeing. They’ll connect particular types of boats with the work of fishermen and Coast Guardsmen. Oral histories, historic and contemporary images, one-of-a-kind artifacts, and engaging interactivities will tell the region’s stories in personal, compelling, and memorable ways. Comment cards and other feedback devices will introduce multiple perspectives and dialogue.
More than 15,000 square feet of exhibits will include an orientation video that immerses visitors in the context and unique character of this special place. Viewing scopes invite visitors to look closely at the fishing dock, the bay bridge, and other sights of the harbor, then superimpose a matching historic image with a time warp device. Visitors can enter the full-scale wheelhouse of a fishing vessel, where a multi-media experience takes them across the bar onto the open ocean. Interviews with fishing families and footage of Coast Guard rescues instill a sense of respect, even awe, for the courage and skills required by a marinerąs life. An expanded archives facility will cater to professional and amateur researchers.
Contributions by people who live and do business in Lincoln County, or who have a special interest in the region, will be at the heart of this project. We welcome your involvement as a volunteer and/or as a donor. With your support, we can realize the vision of a museum of maritime history on Newport’s Bayfront.
To learn more about this exciting project, please contact Bud Shoemate, foundation chairman, at 541-336-5207 or Loretta Harrison, Lincoln County Historical Society executive director, at 541-265-7509 or coasthistory@newportnet.com
P.O. Box 971
Newport, OR 97365
541-574-5555