Shirley Nelson
Shirley Nelson was an elementary school teacher until 1995, when she retired and moved with her husband to Port Orford. She has become a noted local writer and amateur historian. Among her published works, in addition to magazine and newspaper articles, are What Happened Here? a book of stories and legends based on history of Curry and Coos counties, and Home at Last, a history of Port Orford Library which opened a new, debt-free building in 2008. She enjoys exploring the beautiful south coast, as well as traveling, hiking, bowling, and volunteering.
Author's Entries
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City of Port Orford
Port Orford claims to be the oldest town site on the Oregon coast, dating to 1851. The Qua-toh-mah band of Athabascan-speaking Tututni people were the original inhabitants of the area. In 1851, Captain William Tichenor, believing the site could become a thriving seaport, brought a small party of would-be …
Oregon Encyclopedia
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Port Orford Lifeboat Station
Built by Julius Yuhasz and Arvid Olson, a U.S. Coast Guard Lifeboat Station opened in Port Orford in 1934. Constructed on a 280-foot-high cliff above Nellie’s Cove, the station included a house for the officer-in-charge, barracks that also housed operations, a garage, a storage building, a pump house, and a …
Oregon Encyclopedia
