Coos Bay, city in southwestern Oregon, near the Pacific Ocean. Located on Coos Bay, one of the largest natural harbors between San Francisco and Puget Sound, the city lies about 120 km (about 75 mi) southwest of Eugene. The shipment of wood chips and other forest products makes it Oregon's second largest port, after Portland. Tourism is also an important aspect of the economy, with the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area extending north of the city along the ocean for about 75 km (about 48 mi). Coos Bay is the site of a community college and the Coos Art Museum.
Known originally as Marshfield, the settlement was founded in the early 1850s but did not thrive until John Pershbaker established a sawmill and shipyard there in 1867. The city was incorporated in 1874, and adjacent cities, excluding North Bend, consolidated with Coos Bay in the 1960s. Coos Bay thrived throughout most of the 20th century with lumber mills and shipbuilding, especially during World War I (1914-1918). A decline in the forest industry since 1980 has created economic hardship. Coos Bay adopted its current name in 1944 from the harbor on which it is located; the name Coos comes from a local Native American tribe. Population 14,424 (1980); 15,076 (1990); 15,259 (1998 estimate).Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2001 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Coos Bay Information info
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