The Port Orford Lifeboat Station How Lifesaving Came to Port Orford The earliest recorded efforts to prevent shipwrecks and provide lifesaving services go back as far as 300 BC with the construction of the lighthouse in Alexandria, Egypt.  Since then, lifesaving efforts have continued to improve and evolve.  America's efforts began with the Massachusetts Humane Society in the late 18th Century.  Lifesaving stations spread around the country, eventually reaching the West Coast.  It was not until the late 19th Century that a station was proposed for the Port Orford area, and not until 1934 that the Port Orford Lifeboat Station began operations.

Surfman Badges and Insignia In 1915, the U.S. Life-Saving Service and the Revenue Cutter Service were merged to create the U.S. Coast Guard.  Although uniforms, insignia and titles changed, the lifesaving mission remained the same.  That mission was, and is today, carried out by the "Surfmen."

Forge River-type Lifeboat Stations Although the newly-formed Coast Guard (1915) utilized architectural styles distinct from those of the United States Life-Saving Service, several stations were constructed in the Forge River style developed by the USLSS architect Victor Mendleheff in 1914.  Thirty Chatham-type stations were constructed around the United States, including the Port Orford Lifeboat Station.  The station at Port Orford is the one of the last Forge River-type built and is the last remaining on the Oregon coast.  See some others.

The Man Who Built the Station... The Port Orford Lifeboat Station was built between 1932 and 1934 by builder-architect Julius Yuhasz and his partner Arvid Olson.  This was no easy task since the boathouse was located in Nellies Cove, 280 feet below the main station area.  Just getting the materials and men to the boathouse worksite was a challenge.  Julius Yuhasz was of Hungarian extraction, born in the former Yugoslavia.  He immigrated to the United States in the early part of the 20th Century.  Olson and Yuhasz bid on several government jobs during the Depression, and were awarded the contract to build the lifeboat station in Port Orford.  Read more about "the man who built the station."

The Lyle Gun - Breeches Buoy Rescue System The Lyle Gun, a line-throwing gun, was developed to launch a projectile carrying a line from a vessel or shore to a vessel in distress.  Once the line was received on the stricken vessel, a series of ropes was rigged and a breeches buoy was used to haul the survivors to safety.  This system was used by Port Orford Lifeboat Station crews.

The Wreck of the Phyllis The general cargo carrier Phyllis, en route Portland from San Francisco, began taking on water while off the southern Oregon coast.  The captain of the ship decided to run her ashore north of Humbug Mountain.  The ship's bottom  was torn apart by the rocks.  The crew sought safety in lifeboats in open water.  Crews from the Port Orford Lifeboat Station responded to emergency flares and rescued the 22-man crew.  A running light from the vessel is on display at the museum.

The Wreck of the Cottoneva The lumber carrier Cottoneva, en route Grays Harbor, Washington from Los Angeles, California docked at Port Orford on February 9, 1937 to load 800,000 board feet of lumber. However, by February 10, high winds of over 75 miles per hour hit the harbor and the Cottoneva was pushed ashore by the storm.  The crew of 26 men was saved by a breeches buoy, rigged by Port Orford lifesaving crews. The ship went aground directly in front of today's Battle Rock Wayfinding Point and a piece of the ship remains displayed near the visitors’ center.

The Wreck of the SS Willapa On the night of December 3, 1941, Coast Guardsmen from the Port Orford Lifeboat Station rescued 24 crewmen from the SS Willapa as it began to break up two miles off the craggy shoreline of Humbug Mountain, six miles south of Port Orford, joining the long list of ships wrecked on the Oregon coast.  The “Coasties” fought high winds and seas in a daring and successful attempt to save the crew.  The entire rescue took less than 95 minutes from the time the initial distress signal flare was fired from the Willapa.

Japanese Submarine Attack on Curry County in World War II On September 9, 1942, the Imperial Japanese Navy submarine I-25 surfaced west of Cape Blanco and launched a small seaplane, piloted by Chief Flying Officer Nobuo Fujita.  Fujita flew southeast over the Oregon coast, dropping incendiary bombs on Mount Emily, east of Brookings.  After Fujita's bombing run on Mount Emily, the I-25 came under attack by U.S. aircraft, forcing the submarine to seek refuge on the ocean floor off Port Orford.  The U.S. attacks were unsuccessful, and Fujita was able to launch an additional bombing sortie three weeks later. The submarine then sank the SS Larry Doheny, the SS Camden, and the Soviet submarine L-16.

On Watch During the Japanese Attacks On September 9, 1942, at sunrise, an aircraft launched by the Imperial Japanese Navy submarine I-25 flew over Cape Blanco and Port Orford en route the initial bombing raid on Oregon's forests.   Standing watch that day at the Coast Guard Station Port Orford was Seaman 2nd Class Ezra Ross, USCG Reserve.  Ross reported unidentified aircraft operating in the area at 0635 hours, enabling the IV Fighter Command to begin tracking the aircraft, eventually resulting in a U.S. attack on the submarine later that morning.   Later that morning, two U.S. Forest Service lookout posts also reported the aircraft operating over the forests east of Brookings, Oregon.

Imperial Japanese Naval Mine (World War II) During World War II, a naval mine washed ashore south of Port Orford.  It tuned out to be an Imperial Japanese Type 93 Model 1 mine weighing over 1500 pounds with over 200 pounds of high explosives.  The mine was disarmed and detonated by U.S. Navy experts - the booster detonator and wiring harness are on display at the museum.

Port Orford Gap Filler Annex Radar Site (U.S. Air Force) During the Cold War, there was great concern for the security of North American airspace.  The U.S. Air Force deployed a series of radars around the periphery of the United States to detect inbound aircraft, and later inbound missiles.  While these radar sites provided good coverage, the technology of the time did not provide total coverage.  In areas where it was thought enemy aircraft could fly low to avoid detection by the longer-range radars, "gap filler" radars were placed in unmanned Gap Filler Annex (GFA) locations.  One such station was located at the Port Orford Lifeboat Station.

The Dog Tag The American military identification tag, more commonly known as the "dog tag," has its historical origins in the Civil War.  Over 40 percent of casualties of that conflict were unable to be identified.  By World War I, the armed forces had developed the initial metal tags.  The Port Orford Lifeboat Station has acquired a vintage World War II dog tag machine, still in excellent operating condition.  Hosts will demonstrate the operation of the machine.  Custom dog tags are available for a nominal fee.

Military Helmets at the Station During World War II, the Coast Guardsmen assigned to the Port Orford Lifeboat Station were assigned a coastal defense role in addition to the traditional search and rescue function.  As such, they were outfitted with combat gear, including steel helmets.  The helmets in use at the time included the World War I era M1917 which was used until the newer M1 was available,  In its collection, the museum has an M1917, and M-1 and an MK-2 Talker helmet.

The Life of the Crew at a Lifeboat Station in the 1930's until the early 1940's Former Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer Warren Hulburt, a surfman and commanding officer of the Yaquina Bay Lifeboat Station, describes life at the lifeboat stations on the Oregon coast.  Warren and his wife Carmel are major benefactors of the Port Orford Lifeboat Station museum.