ENTRY 13
Lots of photos and a break with her usual pattern for the diary. Most entrys are on a single page but this one fills front and back of two pages and has the photos between the two pages. For the first time we actually get discussion of home sites—the reason for the trip. And that she was really looking for a homestead. For those not from Oregon, “Yachats” is pronounced Yaw hots. It is also clear that the mood has improved with the coastal scenery. Re her later comment about the beach as speedway—Oregon beaches were legal highways at least into the 60s, presumably because they provided the only practical level route along much of the coast in the early days.
Sunday Aug. 2, 1931
Ideal Place already developed about a mile and a half south of Yahats [sic] on the highway. The house is below the highway on the west side, sheltered between hills with pasture in front and the rocks and sea just beond. There are big hills behind the back ranges being heavily wooded. A garden surrounds the house flowers, vegetables, a dog, chickens and cows in pasture.
The other most desirable place was at the mouth of Tenmile Creek South of Yahats but here too are several permanent homes.
One would want about 160 acres.
Camped last night at Cape Perpetua Government Camping Ground on Cape Creek.
It is a pretty spot but needs enforcement of the regulations for keeping the camp clean.
We left there about 9 o'clock to play about on the rocks around the cape. The tide was coming in and most of the people there ahead of us left soon after our arrival. It was too late to look for clams and too splash to try to fish. The wind was unusually strong it seemed and blew the spray way back upon the rocks.
Hiking along the Highway from here was enjoyable. The coast is rocky, the road follows the coast so one can see out in all directions from a greater or less elevation as the hills project toward the coast line.
We stopped may times to admire the scenery and did not begrudge the time or effort of walking.
Finally Yahats came in to view. The town proved to be a rambling haphazard attractive sort of place. We stopped at a lunch counter for Hamburgers, pie and coffee or milk and candy bars.
The government has reserved a part of the most attractive section of the cape her and is allowing no campers. However there are many cottages on other portions of land in and about town. Some them are very attractive looking.
A carpenter at work on some new Cottages said they were private individual cottages but would probably be available to rent anytime except a month or so during the summer.
A mile or two beyond Yahats the land flattens out again. The road is a long level stretch straight ahead more attractive for speeding than scenery. The coast remains rocky for a little ways then stretches out into a beaurtiful wide level beach – also attractive for speeding at low tide. We saw one car tearing along as fast as it could go.
Between the beach and the road is a strip of more or less irregular land protected by scrub pines and dense shrubbery. Here and there the woods has been cleared for cottages near a creek.
We left the road and walked the beach for a mile or two and were about to pitch our tent when, upon Matt's suggestion we sought out the owners of the cottages near by. WE appeared to be planning our camp on their grounds and they did not wish overnight campers. So we took to the road again thinking it would be less windy than the beach and would enable us to locate a creek more easily.
It has been running in my mind for the past few days that this is now a civilized country and one can no longer travel in an uncivilized simple fashion.
One needs a car for traveling and is expected to camp in cottages.
We were told an English Company owns a good deal of the land hearabouts and has a sales agent living at Hotel Wheeler in Yahats.
Of the towns and the country we have seen so far Yahats is my choice. I liked the towns in Southern Oregon and the Umpqua River but for the combination of land and sea I desire, the territory around Yahats seems to offer most.
The Forester who drove into Reedsport told us and others have repeated it since, that the governmnet is holding tight to every bit of land for the present and is making no concessions, sales or promises until the Roosevelt Highway is complete thru the state.
We learend that a Mr. Carpenter owns the place we considered ideal – about a mile and a half south of Yahats. We finally made our night camp in the meadow, just back of the beach and sheltered by scrub pine, fir, spruce and shrubs. We are about 6 miles from Waldport and 4 miles from Yahats.
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