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In the mid-19th century, pioneers made their way west along the Oregon Trail to a perilous portion of the path down the Columbia River. Searching for a less dangerous route, Sam Barlow forged the Barlow Trail, and tolls were collected to help build and maintain that trail. Past the final tollgate, there was a wide spot along the trail where pioneers could rest before embarking on the last leg of their journey west into the Willamette Valley. This land eventually became known as Rhododendron, Oregon. In 1905, Henry Rowe, former Portland mayor, built an inn there, and in 1920, the US Postal Service established the Rhododendron Post Office, named for the beautiful native rhododendrons that blossomed in the area. Throughout the 20th century, the town of Rhododendron flourished. It grew to be a recreational vacation destination for nearby Portlanders, and businesses developed as summer homesites were established. Today, Rhododendron is home to over 1,000 permanent residents.

European settlement of Coos County began with a shipwreck. The Captain Lincoln wrecked on the north spit of the Coos Bay in January 1852. The crewmen built a temporary camp out of the ship's sails and named it "Camp Cast-Away." This was the first white settlement in the area. The men eventually traveled overland to Port Orford, where they told other settlers about the Coos Bay and its many natural resources. By December 1853, Coos County was established by the territorial legislature, and several towns were founded; the history of the area had been completely altered by a single shipwreck.

Native American legends from times long ago tell of great floods that covered the earth in the Pacific Northwest. Early fur trappers describe the Willamette River as a sheet of water covering the land as far as the eye can see in the early 1800s. As American settlement of the Oregon Territory began in the 1840s, a great flood carried away many of the new businesses at the base of majestic Willamette Falls. Again and again the rivers rose, inundating the historic city to the north and south. But Oregon City, the first incorporated city in the Oregon Territory, survives, thrives, and grows despite these floods.

Historically, mariners considered the Oregon coast one of the most dangerous in the world. In 1852, explorers discovered gold in the rivers and along the beaches in Curry County, which is located in the southwestern corner of the state. Subsequent settlement concentrated on the coast. With few roads, water transportation was crucial for early settlers. The area contained many potential dangers to ships, including unpredictable weather, frequent fog, and submerged rocks and reefs. There have been many shipwrecks in the area like that of the tanker Larry Doheny, which was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine during World War II. Curry County is home to Cape Blanco, the second most westerly point in the continental United States, and Port Orford, the only open-water port on the Oregon coast (and one of only six "dolly" ports in the world). Modern technology and port improvements have reduced the number of shipwrecks, but accidents still occur.