Editing Coos Bay, Oregon (section)

===== Industry =====
Prior to around 1915, the Coos region was largely isolated from the rest of Oregon due to difficulties in crossing the [[Southern Oregon Coast Range|Coast Range]] and fording rivers, and the Pacific Ocean was used to link people to other areas, including San Francisco, which was an easier two-day trip compared to traveling inland over rugged terrain.<ref name="chamber"/> In 1916 a rail line was completed that linked the region to other interior settlements and towns, which increased commercial trade and tourism<ref name="chamber"/> Significant urban growth occurred in the 1920s, and during the 1930s to 1950s large-scale growth occurred.<ref name="chamber"/> Per the Oregon Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, during the 1930s to 1950s:

<blockquote>
''Shipyards contracted with the U.S. Government to build [[Minesweeper (ship)|minesweeper]]s and rescue [[tugboat|tugs]] for World War II defense purposes. Large national lumber companies set up operations and expanded significantly for the next two decades. Jetty improvements, commercial fishing, and crabbing shaped the development of [[Charleston, Oregon|Charleston]]. The completion of the North Bend Bridge (now [[Conde McCullough Memorial Bridge|McCullough Memorial Bridge]]) in 1936 and the [[U.S. Route 101 in Oregon|Roosevelt Highway]] significantly improved modern transportation connections and provided the final link in opening the Coos region to the outside world. The formerly remote district known as the Coos Bay country had come of age.''<ref name="chamber"/>
</blockquote>

What now makes up the central district of Coos Bay was called Marshfield until November 10, 1944. The name change, long advocated by residents, had been voted for and became effective on November 11,<ref>United Press, "New Name Taken by Marshfield, Oregon", ''The San Bernardino Daily Sun'', San Bernardino, California, Sunday November 12, 1944, Volume 51, page 10.</ref> thus matching the name of the Bay itself. The City of Marshfield was named after the Massachusetts hometown of the Cityʼs founder, J.C. Tolman, and incorporated in 1874.<ref>{{cite web |title=Historic Walking Tour of Coos Bay |url=http://www.oregonsadventurecoast.com/trip-ideas/historic-walking-tour-of-coos-bay/ |publisher=Oregon's Adventure Coast |access-date=October 17, 2012 |archive-date=August 1, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120801002618/http://oregonsadventurecoast.com/trip-ideas/historic-walking-tour-of-coos-bay/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Carissafire.PNG|thumb|The ''New Carissa'' after catching fire]]
[[File:Carissaburns.PNG|thumb|upright|''New Carissa'' burns, while a seal looks on]]
On February 4, 1999, a Japanese ship named the ''[[New Carissa]]'' ran aground on a beach 2.75 miles (4.3&nbsp;km) north of the entrance to Coos Bay, drawing international attention to the area. The ''New Carissa'' was empty of cargo at the time, heading for the Port of Coos Bay to pick up wood chips. When the captain was told that the weather was too severe for the ship to enter port, he anchored his ship close by. The crew put out only one anchor, and it appears that this was probably on too short a chain to be effective. The subsequent US Coast Guard investigation found several other aspects of the ship's company's handling of the situation to have been poor, leading to the conclusion that human error caused the grounding. Seventy thousand US gallons (260 m3) of #6 crude oil were spilled by the vessel, with a further 165,000 to 255,000 gallons (625 to 965 m3) set alight via explosives and liquid napalm, by the Army Corps of Engineers, over the course of weeks. The explosives, the heat from the burning oil and the beating of the Pacific Ocean on the ship are what eventually caused the ''New Carissa'' to break in two.

The stern of the ship remained on the beach; the bow was towed out to sea and sunk after multiple attempts. They had to get special tow lines shipped in from overseas and had multiple tug boats pulling it out.

In 2008, the stern of the ''New Carissa'' was cut into pieces and removed from the beach.