One of the nicest things about our Oregon beach house rentalsis their close proximity to many interesting activities and beautiful scenic views. Many popular local businesses and activities are within walking distance of our seaside Oregon vacation homes. Others are just a short drive away. If you’re into adventure, history and mystery, one activity you certainly don’t want to miss is a visit to the North Lincoln County Historical Museum. This may not seem like much of an adventure, but just wait until you hear more about some of the mysterious historical events that are documented there. One story in particular brings together local legends, a sunken pirate ship, treasure, a giant, murder, sex, and intrigue.
Not Your Average Local Gossip
This story is documented in archives at the North Lincoln County Historical Museum, where documents dating back as far as the 1800s show references to local tales of a shipwreck and an exotic giant whom natives worshipped for a short time. Eventually this area where the Salmon River dumps into the sea at a bay near Cascade Head would be settled by the Calkins family. By the 1930s Elmer Calkins, the son of those settlers, began laying the foundation for a new family homestead. This is when another legend was born, as he discovered some very mysterious human bones there.
The Science Behind the Mystery
Articles from the Los Angeles Times dating back to the 1970s describe how Elmer knew the cultural practices of local native tribes, and that he was very surprised to discover seashells buried with the remains, as this was not their custom for a burial ground. In fact, the area was reported to have been used as a garbage dump by the natives. What was even more surprising was that one of the skeletons was 8 ft. tall, although the other two were average height. When scientists studied the bones at Oregon State University, they found the “giant” was of African descent, and the other two skeletons were Caucasian. All were dated to the late 1700’s.
Local Tales of Intrigue Abound
Local historians were even more intrigued when they heard this news, according to historic documents, as they knew the old homesteaders’ tales of a “winged canoe” of epic proportions that sailed into the bay around 160 years prior. The legends maintained that all but three members of the crew – a gigantic African and two white men – wandered off into the wilderness, and that the African was worshipped by local native tribes as a god. When the appeal of his massive height and unusual coloring wore off, and they realized he was just an unusual man, they reportedly turned on him. Legend has it that they killed the three men and dumped them in their garbage pile, where many seashells also ended up. Legend also has it that many of the native children born around that time had traditionally African features.
Are you intrigued? Then you’re due for a stay in one of our majestic beach vacation rentals. Oregon offers a mysterious and beautiful coastline that has seen its share of history over the centuries. You can learn more about all these intriguing events, and more, at the North Lincoln County Historical Museum. Call (541) 996-6614 for more information.
