Brookings, Oregon
Encyclopedia
Brookings is a city in Curry County
, Oregon
, United States
. It was named after John E. Brookings, president of the Brookings Lumber and Box Company, which founded the city in 1908. As of the 2010 census the population was 6,336. The total population of the Brookings area is over 13,000, which includes Harbor
(a census-designated place
), and others. There have been numerous proposals to annex the nearby unincorporated areas into Brookings; while most attempts failed over the years, one large area north of town owned by Borax
has succeeded. This development has the potential to add approximately 1000 homes over the next 20 years, although developers expect many of them to be occupied only seasonally.
Due to its location, Brookings is subject to winter (and less frequently summer) temperatures considered unseasonably warm for the Oregon Coast
. Temperatures can reach 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit (21 to 27 degrees Celsius) throughout the year. This is due in part to the marine influences from its location on the Pacific Ocean
, but mostly from its situation at the foot of the Klamath Mountains
, whose winds compress and warm the air flowing onto Brookings. This is called the Brookings effect
or Chetco effect. Heavy rain is common in the winter. Heavy fog is common in the summer.
The current marketing "brand
" for the community, through the Brookings-Harbor Chamber of Commerce, is "The Pulse of America's Wild Rivers Coast". America's Wild Rivers Coast is a regional marketing brand for Curry County, Oregon, and Del Norte County, California
.
While John E. Brookings was responsible for the founding of Brookings as a company town
, it was his cousin Robert S. Brookings
, who was responsible for its actual design. The latter Brookings hired Bernard Maybeck
, an architect based in San Francisco who was later involved in the Panama-Pacific Exposition, to lay out the plat
of the townsite.
, near Brookings, became the first site in the continental United States to suffer aerial bombardment in wartime
. A Japanese floatplane piloted by Nobuo Fujita
launched from submarine I-25 was loaded with incendiary bombs and sent to start massive fires in the dense forests of the Pacific Northwest. The attack caused only minor damage. Fujita would be invited back to Brookings in 1962 and he presented the town his family's 400-year old samurai sword in friendship after the Japanese government was given assurances that he would not be tried as a war criminal. Brookings made him an honorary citizen several days before his death in 1997.
, who have come to form a sizeable minority of the population. Their political influence is felt in routinely voting against new taxes. It is also home for a number of people who commute to jobs in California—mostly at nearby Pelican Bay State Prison
.
was severely damaged by tidal surges from a tsunami
on March 11, 2011. The largest surge was estimated to be nearly 8 feet (2.4 m). Boats were damaged, sunk, set adrift and swept out to sea after many docks were torn away and pilings broken. The tsunami was caused by the 9.0 MW
Tōhoku earthquake
offshore of the east coast of Honshu Island, Japan.
The damage was estimated at US$25 million to $30 million by George Rhodes, chairman of the Curry County
Board of Commissioners. It is feared the damage will impair the remainder of the Dungeness crab
season, and comes weeks before the shrimp season starts.
, the city has a total area of 2.8 square miles (7.3 km²), of which, 2.8 square miles (7.3 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (1.06%) is water.
Data taken from: http://www.oregoncoast.net
Brookings has cool, very wet winters and mild, fairly dry summers with average rainfall in July and August of less than 1 inches (25.4 mm) per month. There are an average of only 2.0 days with high temperatures of 90 °F (32.2 °C) or higher and an average of 7.5 days with low temperatures of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower. The record high temperature was 108.2 °F (42.3 °C) on July 09, 2008. The record low temperature was 18 °F (-7.8 °C).
The wettest year in Brookings was 1996 with 123.9 inches (3,147.1 mm) and the driest year was 1976 with 43.34 inches (1,100.8 mm). The most rainfall in one month was 36.9 inches (937.3 mm) in December 1996. The most rainfall in 24 hours was 8.79 inches (223.3 mm) on March 18, 1932. Snow is rare in Brookings, averaging only 0.7 inches (17.8 mm) per year, but 10 inches (254 mm) fell in January 1916.
of 2000, there were 5,447 people, 2,309 households, and 1,484 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,951.6 people per square mile (753.8/km²). There were 2,614 housing units at an average density of 936.6 per square mile (361.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 90.55% White, 0.20% African American, 2.40% Native American, 1.29% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 1.43% from other races
, and 4.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.74% of the population.
There were 2,309 households out of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.3% were married couples
living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.7% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.83.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.8% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 23.1% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 23.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 90.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,656, and the median income for a family was $36,846. Males had a median income of $33,073 versus $22,591 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $17,010. About 9.1% of families and 11.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.1% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.
The Brookings Harbor Festival of the Arts began in 1993. It takes place the third weekend in August on the boardwalk at the Port of Brookings Harbor
.
Curry County, Oregon
Curry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. In 2010, its population was 22,364. The county is named for George Law Curry, a governor of the Oregon Territory. The seat of the county is Gold Beach.-Economy:...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was named after John E. Brookings, president of the Brookings Lumber and Box Company, which founded the city in 1908. As of the 2010 census the population was 6,336. The total population of the Brookings area is over 13,000, which includes Harbor
Harbor, Oregon
Harbor is an unincorporated community in Curry County, Oregon, United States. It is located across the Chetco River from the city of Brookings. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Harbor as a census-designated place . The census definition of the area may not...
(a census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
), and others. There have been numerous proposals to annex the nearby unincorporated areas into Brookings; while most attempts failed over the years, one large area north of town owned by Borax
Pacific Coast Borax Company
The Pacific Coast Borax Company was a United States mining company founded in 1890 by the American borax magnate Francis "Borax" Smith, the "Borax King".-History:...
has succeeded. This development has the potential to add approximately 1000 homes over the next 20 years, although developers expect many of them to be occupied only seasonally.
Due to its location, Brookings is subject to winter (and less frequently summer) temperatures considered unseasonably warm for the Oregon Coast
Oregon Coast
The Oregon Coast is a region of the U.S. state of Oregon. It runs generally north-south along the Pacific Ocean, forming the western border of the state; the region is bounded to the east by the Oregon Coast Range. The Oregon Coast stretches approximately from the Columbia River in the north to...
. Temperatures can reach 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit (21 to 27 degrees Celsius) throughout the year. This is due in part to the marine influences from its location on the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, but mostly from its situation at the foot of the Klamath Mountains
Klamath Mountains
The Klamath Mountains, which include the Siskiyou, Marble, Scott, Trinity, Trinity Alps, Salmon, and northern Yolla-Bolly Mountains, are a rugged lightly populated mountain range in northwest California and southwest Oregon in the United States...
, whose winds compress and warm the air flowing onto Brookings. This is called the Brookings effect
Brookings effect
The Brookings effect, also known as the Chetco effect, is a weather pattern that occasionally occurs along the southern Oregon Coast in the United States...
or Chetco effect. Heavy rain is common in the winter. Heavy fog is common in the summer.
The current marketing "brand
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
" for the community, through the Brookings-Harbor Chamber of Commerce, is "The Pulse of America's Wild Rivers Coast". America's Wild Rivers Coast is a regional marketing brand for Curry County, Oregon, and Del Norte County, California
Del Norte County, California
Del Norte County is a county located at the far northwest corner of the U.S. state of California on the Pacific adjacent to the Oregon border. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 28,610. The county seat is Crescent City, the county's only incorporated city. Del Norte is the abbreviated...
.
Founding
In 1906, the Brookings Timber Company hired William James Ward, a graduate in civil engineering and forestry, to come to the southern Oregon Coast and survey its lumbering potential. After timber cruising the Chetco and Pistol River areas for several years, he recommended that the Brookings people begin extensive lumbering operations here and secure a townsite for a mill and shipping center.While John E. Brookings was responsible for the founding of Brookings as a company town
Company town
A company town is a town or city in which much or all real estate, buildings , utilities, hospitals, small businesses such as grocery stores and gas stations, and other necessities or luxuries of life within its borders are owned by a single company...
, it was his cousin Robert S. Brookings
Robert S. Brookings
Robert Somers Brookings was an American businessman and philanthropist, known for his involvement with Washington University in St. Louis and his founding of the Brookings Institution.-Biography:Brookings grew up on the Little Elk Creek in Cecil County, near Baltimore, Maryland...
, who was responsible for its actual design. The latter Brookings hired Bernard Maybeck
Bernard Maybeck
Bernard Ralph Maybeck was a architect in the Arts and Crafts Movement of the early 20th century. He was a professor at University of California, Berkeley...
, an architect based in San Francisco who was later involved in the Panama-Pacific Exposition, to lay out the plat
Plat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
of the townsite.
World War II
On September 9, 1942, Mount EmilyMount Emily
Mount Emily is a mountain in the Klamath Mountains of southwestern Oregon in the United States. It is located in southern Curry County in the extreme southwest corner of the state, near Brookings, approximately from the Pacific Ocean and from the California state line.-Bombing during World War...
, near Brookings, became the first site in the continental United States to suffer aerial bombardment in wartime
The Lookout Air Raid
The Lookout Air Raids were minor, but historic, World War II events that occurred in the mountains of Oregon, several miles outside Brookings....
. A Japanese floatplane piloted by Nobuo Fujita
Nobuo Fujita
was a Warrant Flying Officer of the Imperial Japanese Navy who flew a floatplane from the long-range submarine aircraft carrier , and conducted the only wartime aircraft-dropped bombing on the continental United States of America, which became known as the Lookout Air Raid...
launched from submarine I-25 was loaded with incendiary bombs and sent to start massive fires in the dense forests of the Pacific Northwest. The attack caused only minor damage. Fujita would be invited back to Brookings in 1962 and he presented the town his family's 400-year old samurai sword in friendship after the Japanese government was given assurances that he would not be tried as a war criminal. Brookings made him an honorary citizen several days before his death in 1997.
1980s
Since the 1980s, Brookings has attracted retirees, largely from CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, who have come to form a sizeable minority of the population. Their political influence is felt in routinely voting against new taxes. It is also home for a number of people who commute to jobs in California—mostly at nearby Pelican Bay State Prison
Pelican Bay State Prison
Pelican Bay State Prison is a supermax California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation state prison near Crescent City in unincorporated Del Norte County, California. The facility is explicitly designed to keep California’s alleged “worst of the worst” prisoners in long-term solitary...
.
2011 Tsunami
The Port of Brookings HarborPort of Brookings Harbor
The Port of Brookings Harbor is the port authority for the city of Brookings, Oregon, United States, and serving the neighboring community of Harbor. The district covers from the mouth of the Chetco River south to the Oregon-California border, north to the mouth of the Pistol River, and east to...
was severely damaged by tidal surges from a tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
on March 11, 2011. The largest surge was estimated to be nearly 8 feet (2.4 m). Boats were damaged, sunk, set adrift and swept out to sea after many docks were torn away and pilings broken. The tsunami was caused by the 9.0 MW
Moment magnitude scale
The moment magnitude scale is used by seismologists to measure the size of earthquakes in terms of the energy released. The magnitude is based on the seismic moment of the earthquake, which is equal to the rigidity of the Earth multiplied by the average amount of slip on the fault and the size of...
Tōhoku earthquake
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
offshore of the east coast of Honshu Island, Japan.
The damage was estimated at US$25 million to $30 million by George Rhodes, chairman of the Curry County
Curry County, Oregon
Curry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. In 2010, its population was 22,364. The county is named for George Law Curry, a governor of the Oregon Territory. The seat of the county is Gold Beach.-Economy:...
Board of Commissioners. It is feared the damage will impair the remainder of the Dungeness crab
Dungeness crab
The Dungeness crab, Metacarcinus magister , is a species of crab that inhabits eelgrass beds and water bottoms on the west coast of North America. It typically grows to across the carapace and is a popular seafood...
season, and comes weeks before the shrimp season starts.
Geography and climate
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 2.8 square miles (7.3 km²), of which, 2.8 square miles (7.3 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (1.06%) is water.
| Avg / Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C (°F) | 12.6 (54.7) | 13.5 (56.3) | 14.0 (57.2) | 15.3 (59.6) | 17.3 (63.2) | 19.1 (66.4) | 19.8 (67.7) | 19.7 (67.5) | 20.3 (68.6) | 19.1 (64.4) | 14.6 (58.4) | 12.6 (54.7) | 16.4 (61.6) |
| Low °C (°F) | 4.9 (40.9) | 5.5 (42.0) | 5.4 (41.8) | 5.8 (42.5) | 7.8 (46.0) | 9.7 (49.5) | 10.6 (51.2) | 11.1 (52.0) | 10.6 (51.2) | 8.8 (47.9) | 7.0 (44.6) | 5.1 (41.2) | 7.7 (45.9) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) |
275.6 (10.85) |
229.4 (9.03) |
241.0 (9.49) |
134.6 (5.30) |
92.5 (3.64) |
39.4 (1.55) |
13.5 (0.53) |
26.4 (1.31) |
33.3 (2.15) |
148.3 (5.84) |
302.0 (11.89) |
310.6 (12.23) |
1899.4 (74.78) |
Brookings has cool, very wet winters and mild, fairly dry summers with average rainfall in July and August of less than 1 inches (25.4 mm) per month. There are an average of only 2.0 days with high temperatures of 90 °F (32.2 °C) or higher and an average of 7.5 days with low temperatures of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower. The record high temperature was 108.2 °F (42.3 °C) on July 09, 2008. The record low temperature was 18 °F (-7.8 °C).
The wettest year in Brookings was 1996 with 123.9 inches (3,147.1 mm) and the driest year was 1976 with 43.34 inches (1,100.8 mm). The most rainfall in one month was 36.9 inches (937.3 mm) in December 1996. The most rainfall in 24 hours was 8.79 inches (223.3 mm) on March 18, 1932. Snow is rare in Brookings, averaging only 0.7 inches (17.8 mm) per year, but 10 inches (254 mm) fell in January 1916.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 5,447 people, 2,309 households, and 1,484 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,951.6 people per square mile (753.8/km²). There were 2,614 housing units at an average density of 936.6 per square mile (361.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 90.55% White, 0.20% African American, 2.40% Native American, 1.29% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 1.43% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 4.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.74% of the population.
There were 2,309 households out of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.3% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.7% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.83.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.8% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 23.1% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 23.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 90.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,656, and the median income for a family was $36,846. Males had a median income of $33,073 versus $22,591 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $17,010. About 9.1% of families and 11.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.1% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.
Annual cultural events
Since 2006, the Winter Art & Chocolate Festival has been held at the Brookings-Harbor High School, featuring local and regional artists and chocolatiers the second weekend in February.The Brookings Harbor Festival of the Arts began in 1993. It takes place the third weekend in August on the boardwalk at the Port of Brookings Harbor
Port of Brookings Harbor
The Port of Brookings Harbor is the port authority for the city of Brookings, Oregon, United States, and serving the neighboring community of Harbor. The district covers from the mouth of the Chetco River south to the Oregon-California border, north to the mouth of the Pistol River, and east to...
.
Education
Brookings is home to four primary and secondary schools and a community college satellite campus.Public schools
- Brookings-Harbor School District
- Brookings-Harbor High SchoolBrookings-Harbor High SchoolBrookings-Harbor High School is a public high school located in Brookings, Oregon, United States.- Attendance :Brookings-Harbor High School serves the city of Brookings and the surrounding area, including the community of Harbor. The school's attendance as of April 2009 is approximately 661 students...
- Azalea Middle School
- Kalmiopsis Elementary School
- Brookings-Harbor High School
Radio
- KURY AMKURY (AM)KURY is a radio station licensed to serve Brookings, Oregon, USA. The station, established in 1958, is currently owned by Eureka Broadcasting Co., Inc.-Programming:KURY broadcasts an adult standards music format...
- KURY-FMKURY-FMKURY-FM is a radio station licensed to serve Brookings, Oregon, USA. The station is owned by Eureka Broadcasting Co., Inc.-Programming:...
- KHSR FMKHSU-FMKHSU-FM is an NPR-member radio station, licensed to Arcata, California, USA. The station is currently owned by Humboldt State University....
(Crescent City, CaliforniaCrescent City, CaliforniaCrescent City is the county seat and only incorporated city in Del Norte County, California. Named for the crescent-shaped stretch of sandy beach south of the city, Crescent City had a total population of 7,643 in the 2010 census, up from 4,006 in the 2000 census...
) - KSEP-FM (Brookings Seventh-day Adventist Church)
Bus
- Curry Public Transit
- The Coastal Express connects Brookings to North BendNorth Bend, OregonNorth Bend is a city in Coos County, Oregon, in the United States with a population of 9,695 as of the 2010 census. North Bend is surrounded on three sides by Coos Bay, an S-shaped water inlet and estuary where the Coos River enters Coos Bay on the Pacific Ocean, and borders the city of Coos Bay,...
and Smith River, CaliforniaSmith River, CaliforniaSmith River is a census-designated place in Del Norte County, California, United States. It is located north-northeast of Crescent City, east of the mouth of the Smith River, at an elevation of 52 feet . As of 2010, the population was 866. The ZIP Code is 95567...
- The Coastal Express connects Brookings to North Bend
- Public Oregon INtercity Transit
- The POINT connects Brookings to Klamath FallsKlamath Falls, OregonKlamath Falls is a city in Klamath County, Oregon, United States. Originally called Linkville when George Nurse founded the town in 1867, after the Link River on whose falls this city sat, although no falls currently exist; the name was changed to Klamath Falls in 1892...
- The POINT connects Brookings to Klamath Falls
Notable people
- Elmo WilliamsElmo WilliamsElmo Williams is an American film and television editor, director, producer, and executive. His work on the film High Noon received the Academy Award for Film Editing...
(1913–), film and television editor, director, producer, and executive