Battle Rock City Park
Circa: 1851

THE BATTLE:

Battle Rock, a dominate site on this spectacular portion of Oregon's beach, was the site of the historic battle between the first landing party of white settlers (Captain Tichenor's crew of nine men) and a local Qua-to-mah band of Athapascan speaking natives.   The event of June 9, 1851 was the beginning of the settling of Port Orford.   Tichenor dreamed of Port Orford being a supply town, with a road to the mines in the Rogue River Valley and the Upper Klamath River in California.   His dream of a supply town never materialized, however he did operate the first sawmill on the south coast, and built the ship Alaska in 1857.

BEACH ACTIVITIES:

Beachcombing, Whale Watching, Surfing and Kayaking are some of the popular activities at Battle Rock.  Beach watching is also a popular... benches and the brickwork wall provide vantage points for watching people and whales in the distance.   The site lends itself well to the Annual 4th of July Jubilee fireworks.   The park serves as a natural amphitheater for the spectacular display.

Anchor from the Cottoneva wreck of 1937

The S.S. Cottoneva was caught in a surprise storm, with winds to 75 miles per hour.   She had been docked, partially loaded when the storm hit.   The skipper did his best to get her out to sea, but she struck a submerged object, doing severe damage.   The skipper had no choice but to beach the vessel. The men from the lifesaving station, using a breeches buoy, rescued the crew.

The Cottoneva had been loaded with lumber from the Trans-Pacific Lumber Mill. Lumber from the mill had been pilling up on the vacant lots and streets in Port Orford due to a shipping strike.