Wednesday on my way north from Glasgow to Florence I passed through these two towns which are located on opposite sides of the Umpqua River.
These were taken at a shipyard in Reedsport. This appears to be a tugboat which is probably here for repairs or upgrades.
And I was told by someone who works here that this is a new ship being built for a customer:
Further up the road is the little town of Gardiner. According to a sign along the highway a ship from Boston (owned by a man named Gardiner) ran aground near here in 1850. Much of the cargo was successfully unloaded and this became known as “Gardiner’s town”. A sawmill was built in 1864 and another was added in 1877, making Gardiner a very successful lumber port. A major fire destroyed much of the town in 1880. The town was rebuilt and from 1885-1916 was one of the busiest towns on the Oregon coast. There is no longer a sawmill or lumber factory here but here is the town of Gardiner today:
And here is the view looking out at the river. Off to the right the railroad tracks lead to large fields and a few buildings where the lumber mills once stood.
