The enduring legacy of the Coos Bay North Jetty

A late 19th-century view illustrates the dangerous and labor-intensive process of building Oregon’s coastal jetties, including the original 9,600-foot-long Coos Bay North Jetty (completed 1898). Using steam-powered cranes and rail cars, workers placed "armor stones" weighing tens of tons to create a barrier against the relentless Pacific swells. While this specific photograph depicts construction at the Mouth of the Columbia River, the same revolutionary techniques were employed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to stabilize the entrance to Coos Bay, transforming it into the state's largest deep-draft harbor.