Brookings, Oregon

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.[6]

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 International Exposition, to lay out the plat of the townsite.[7]

On September 9, 1942, Mount Emily near Brookings became the first site in the mainland United States and the second in the continental territory after the bombing of Dutch Harbor to suffer aerial bombardment during World War II. A Japanese floatplane piloted by Nobuo Fujita was launched from submarine I-25. The plane was armed with incendiary bombs on a mission to start massive fires in the dense forests of the Pacific Northwest.[8][9] 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.

Since the 1980s, Brookings has attracted retirees, mostly from California. Senior citizens constitute the majority of the town's population. It is also home for a number of people who commute to jobs in Del Norte County, California at nearby Pelican Bay State Prison.

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 the U.S. Borax Corp. has succeeded. This development has the potential to add approximately 1,000 homes over the next 20 years, although developers expect many of them to be occupied only seasonally. The unincorporated community to the south of the Chetco River, while included in the Brookings Urban Growth Boundary, has resisted annexation into the City of Brookings. There development has occurred without annexation, as Harbor is independently served by independent fire, water and sewer districts. The City of Brookings offers the only 24/7 police service in Curry County.

The current marketing "brand" for the community, through the Brookings-Harbor Chamber of Commerce,[10] 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.[11]

The Port of Brookings Harbor was damaged by tidal surges from a tsunami on March 11, 2011.[12] The largest surge was estimated to be nearly 8 feet (2.4 m).[13] Boats were damaged, sunk, set adrift, and swept out to sea after many docks were torn away and pilings broken.[13][14] The tsunami was caused by the 9.0 M_W[15] Tōhoku earthquake offshore of the east coast of Honshu Island, Japan. The damage was estimated at $25 million to $30 million.[12]

As of the census of 2010, there were 6,336 people, 2,717 households, and 1,689 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,637.2 inhabitants per square mile (632.1/km²). There were 3,183 housing units at an average density of 822.5 per square mile (317.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.2% White, 0.3% African American, 1.8% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.9% from other races, and 3.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.6% of the population.[2]

There were 2,717 households, of which 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.8% were non-families. 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.81.[2]

The median age in the city was 46.9 years. 21.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.8% were from 25 to 44; 28% were from 45 to 64; and 24.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.7% male and 52.3% female.[2]

Azalea Park is located at 640 Old County Road. It has picnic areas, bandshell, snackshack, gazebo, Kidtown playground, disc golf course, softball and soccer fields and the Capella by the Sea, Annual events include the Slippery Banana Softball Tournament, the highly popular and crowd pleasing free summer Sunday American Music Festival (AMF) Concerts held at the bandshell from June to September; the Wild Rivers Music Festival, a one-day music extravaganza and Oktoberfest.

Then in December, the park hosts Nature's Coastal Holiday Light Show, a fantasy of lights, sculptures and music that packs the park nightly from 5 to 9 pm from the day after Thanksgiving to Christmas Day.

Harris Beach State Park is located on Highway 101 at the north end of Brookings. It includes 173 acres (70 ha) of coastal access as well as RV and tent camping facilities and a rest area.

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.

Since 1993, the Southern Oregon Kite Festival has brought some of the most well known kite fliers and kite makers to perform and display their creations for local residents and tourists. The kite fliers choreograph their flights to music and the kite makers show, and often allow spectators to fly, some of their flying art. This free event always takes place on the 3rd full weekend of July and is preceded by a demonstration of indoor kite flying on Friday night. The SOKF brings 10,000+ spectators to the Kite Field at the Port of Brookings Harbor over that weekend.

The Festival of the Arts began in 1993. It takes place the third weekend in August on the boardwalk at the Port of Brookings Harbor.

The largest celebration held each year is the Azalea Festival. According to the Brookings-Harbor Chamber of Commerce, it is, "a four-day community-wide festival featuring Art, Flower, Quilt and Car Shows; a Parade, Street Fair, Kiddie Carnival, Food Court, Beef BBQ, Party at the Port, and lots more throughout the Memorial Day Weekend." Each year, young women from the local high school compete in a scholarship pageant for the title of "Azalea Queen." The Azalea Queen participates in the parade and chooses a favorite entry from each of several of the shows that make up the festivities.

A fairly new event in the City of Brookings is the Wild Rogue Relay each June. This 218-mile, overnight running relay begins in southern Jackson County, Oregon and culminates at the finish line inside Azalea Park in Brookings where 1000 runners converge on the city.

Another very popular event in Brookings is Nature's Coastal Holiday which takes place from Thanksgiving weekend through Christmas. It is open each evening inside Azalea Park.

Each year, the town hosts the "Pirates of the Pacific" festival.[25]

A major employer in Brookings is South Coast Lumber. It has been manufacturing the Socomi brand of douglas fir lumber for more than 50 years.

Brookings has recently been touted as a "foodie" town. Brookings offers many eclectic dining options, many featuring locally sourced products.

• Brookings-Harbor School District
  • Brookings-Harbor High School
  • Azalea Middle School
  • Kalmiopsis Elementary School

• Brookings Harbor Christian School

• Southwestern Oregon Community College, since 1995

• Curry Coastal Pilot

With powered antennas FOX, NBC and NPR from Medford. Charter Cable provides some area channels.

Charter, Frontier, ViaSat and HughesNet provide internet connection.

• KCIW-FM (Curry Coast Community Radio)
• KURY-AM
• KURY-FM
• KHSU (Crescent City, California)
• KSEP-FM (Brookings Seventh-day Adventist Church)[26]

• Brookings Airport (general aviation)
• Del Norte County Airport (Commercial passenger service)

• Curry Public Transit
  • The Coastal Express connects Brookings to North Bend and Smith River, California
• Public Oregon Intercity Transit (POINT)
  • The POINT connects Brookings to Grants Pass, Medford and Klamath Falls

• Port of Brookings Harbor

• Brookings is on the Pacific Coast Bike Route, the most-traveled bike route in the U.S.