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Bandon (IPA: ) is a city in Coos County, Oregon, United States, on the south side of the mouth of the Coquille River. It was named by George Bennet, an Irish peer, who settled nearby in 1873 and named the town after Bandon, Ireland, his native home. The population was 2,833 at the 2000 census.
History Before 1850, the Coquille Indians lived in the area. Then in 1851, gold was discovered at nearby Whiskey Run Beach by French Canadian trappers, though the gold rush didn't have much of an impact on the area. In 1852, Henry Baldwin, from Cork County, Ireland, was shipwrecked on the Coos Bay bar and walked into this area. The first permanent settlers came in 1853 and established the present town site. In 1856, the first conflicts with Native Americans arose and the Native Americans were sent to the Siletz Reservation. In 1859, the boat Twin Sisters sailed into the Coquille River and opened the outlet for all inland produce and resources. Bandon was founded by the Irish peer George Bennet in 1873. George Bennett, his sons Joseph and George, and George Sealey came from Bandon, Ireland. The following year the town's previous name of Averille was changed to Bandon after the town of the same name in Ireland. The next year, Joseph Williams and his three sons arrived, also from Bandon, Ireland. In 1877, the post office was established. In 1880, cheese making began. That same year, Congress appropriated money to build the jetty. In 1883, the first sawmill, school house, and Catholic church were built. In 1884, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began construction on the jetty. George Bennett also introduced gorse (Ulex europaeus) into the local area, which in the following decades went wild and could be found flourishing in both the town and in the neighboring countryside. Cranberries have been grown in Oregon since 1885, when Charles McFarlin planted vines he brought from Massachusetts. He had originally come to pan for gold in California. He didn't make his fortune, or even a living, so he turned to what he knew best. He brought vines from Cape Cod and planted them in the state's first cranberry bog near Hauser. This bog produced cranberries for eight decades. His variety adapted to growing conditions on the west coast. The variety was named McFarlin in his honor and is still the principal variety grown on the west coast. On September 26, 1936, embers blown from a nearby slash fire of a logging crew inflamed gorse growing inside Bandon, and ignited a fire inside the city, causing massive destruction. Bandon's entire commercial district was destroyed. The total loss stated at the time was three million dollars, with 11 fatalities. Stewart Holbrook vividly described this conflagration in his essay "The Gorse of Bandon". * * Geography Bandon is located at (43.118976, -124.411993). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.0 km² (3.1 mi²). 7.1 km² (2.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.9 km² (0.3 mi²) of it (10.97%) is water. Economy Like many communities on the Oregon coast, Bandon had significant fishing and timber industries, which were greatly diminished by the 1980s, though some remnants still exist. Bandon's current economy revolves around wood products, fishing, tourism, and agriculture. The five largest employers in the area include Bandon Dunes Golf Course, Southern Coos Health District, School District Tourism In tourism literature the city is often referred to as Bandon-by-the-Sea. One popular tourist activity is storm watching. Cranberry industry Currently, Bandon is a center of cranberry production. More than 100 growers harvest about 1,600 acres around Bandon, raising 95 percent of Oregon's cranberries, and about 5% of the national crop. Production averages about 30 million pounds of berries. Harvest is in the fall. In 1994, 304,000 barrels were harvested—a record for Bandon. Some berries are trucked to Eugene and Albany. Others are taken to an Ocean Spray facility in Prosser, Washington, to be concentrated. This crop was introduced in 1855 by Charles McFarlin, for whom the McFarlin hybrid is named. Bandon cheese In the past, dairy production and cheese making were an integral part of Bandon's economy. There is no longer a cheese production facility in Bandon, but the Bandon Cheese name lives on through the Tillamook County Creamery Association. Bandon Dunes Golf Resort Demographics As of the census of 2000, there were 2,833 people, 1,287 households, and 736 families residing in the city. The population density was 397.8/km² (1,029.4/mi²). There were 1,535 housing units at an average density of 215.5/km² (557.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.48% White, 0.25% African American, 1.94% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 0.95% from other races, and 3.67% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.75% of the population. There were 1,287 households out of which 21.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.4% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.8% were non-families. 36.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 2.71. In the city the population was spread out with 19.1% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 19.4% from 25 to 44, 27.5% from 45 to 64, and 29.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49 years. For every 100 females there were 82.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $29,492, and the median income for a family was $37,188. Males had a median income of $28,636 versus $22,722 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,051. About 11.9% of families and 16.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.1% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over. Sites of interest Notable residents Sister City Bandon has one sister city: Source: * | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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