Raymond & South Bend, Washington
To enjoy the variety of small community interests along the Willapa, be sure to take a short 45-minute drive along Hwy 101 to South Bend, the Oyster Capital of the World. Here you can visit the historic Pacific County Courthouse, with its magnificent art glass dome. The Courthouse, erected in 1910, is on the National Register of Historic Places.
South Bend wasn’t always the seat of Pacific County. From 1855 until 1893, Oysterville at the tip of the Long Beach Peninsula, served as official county seat. However, the South Bend community designated itself as county seat in 1892 and, when a lawsuit didn’t persuade Peninsula residents to turn over the courthouse, South Bend citizens one dark night, crossed the Willapa and ‘removed’ the records that following year.
While in the Courthouse, enjoy the painted scenes showing early County life. Look closely at the columns on the second floor; these were painted by a fellow who was inhabiting the local jail at a time when it became clear that the amount of money budgeted for the building would not cover all of its costs. Drawing on local expertise, the Commissioners instructed this artist, who just happened to be in jail at the time, to paint both the murals and the columns. To keep up the appearance of the building, he painted the columns to mimic marble.
Also located in South Bend is the County Museum and Historical Society. Easily found on the main road (hwy 101), the Museum has a great selection of local history, a book store and personnel who can provide you with maps and information about the area.
A few minutes north of South Bend is Raymond, another community built upon the Willapa. Known as the ‘Gateway to the Willapa’, Raymond has five miles of life-size metal silhouettes along Hwy 101 and SR 6. The 200 sculptures replicate many aspects of local community history, including ducks, beavers, coyotes, families at play, Native Americans, and a cluster of deer so lifelike that passers-by insist that they are real!
Also located in Raymond is the Willapa Seaport Museum with its wide variety of naval paraphernalia. During the summer months (June through September), a local Public Market on the Willapa offers a selection of local produce and work by local artisans.
Another 18 miles of beach and views await you slightly north of Raymond, as you wind around towards Westport and Grayland at the northernmost end of the County. The state’s largest lighthouse is open for touring in Grays Harbor, through the Westport Maritime Museum, another fascinating home for maritime history.
While the Long Beach Peninsula borders the Columbia River to the north, the city of Astoria, Oregon, occupies the south coastline of the River. A working port, Astoria has a long history of maritime activity. This city of approximately 10,000 people was founded by John Astor of the Pacific Fur Company within five years of the Lewis and Clark Expedition’s arrival in the area.
Twenty miles from the Peninsula, Astoria offers a number of interesting museums and activities to explore. The rich nautical history of the region is showcased at the newly remodeled Columbia River Maritime Museum while the annual Regatta Festival (over 109 years old!)each August features ship tours among many other activities. A ride in the refurbished 1914 trolley along the waterfront gives a birds’-eye view of the Columbia River; the trolley runs daily during the summer season and most winter weekends, if the weather permits.
The best view Astoria offers is available at ‘the Column,’ a 125 foot monument build in 1926 to commemorate the arrival of the railroad to the region. Scaling the 164 steps to the top is rewarded by a 360-degree view which scans the Pacific Ocean, the Columbia River and nearby Saddle Mountain.
For those who are drawn to the mystique of firefighting, the Uppertown Firefighters Museum is a must-see, with its extensive collection of equipment and memorabilia. The Flavel House, a refurbished Victorian mansion built in the late 1800s, is now a museum which is open daily. Astoria’s somewhat rowdy history is displayed in all its glory at The Heritage Museum, where one of the most popular exhibits is ‘Vice and Virtue in Clatsop County: 1890 to Prohibition.’
Summer visitors can take in ‘Shanghaied in Astoria’, a play which runs each weekend during the summer season and has for nearly twenty years. This musical is so popular that reservations are required (1-503-325-6104.) With its many restaurants, theaters, performance halls, Scandinavian shop and bakeries, the city is worth a days’ side trip.
The several forts on both sides of the River offer opportunities to step back into more military times in the nation’s history. Fort Clatsop, the winter home of the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery during 1805-1806, is a replica of the original fort. Reenactments of the Corps’ daily activities can often be seen. Fort Stevens State Park in nearby Warrenton includes a modified replica of a Chinook long house.
On the north side of the River, Fort Columbia’s battlements and restored officers’ and enlisted men’s quarters, still has two six-inch guns in place on the promontory above the Columbia as well as displays of artifacts of military life and Chinook Indian culture.
on the Long Beach Peninsula!
