1957 - Curry County Courthouse, Gold Beach, OR
N 42° 25.022 W 124° 25.145
10T E 383244 N 4697055
This date stone for the Curry County Courthouse is located in Gold Beach, OR.
Waymark Code: WMFXKY
Location: Oregon, United States
Date Posted: 12/13/2012
Views: 6
There are two date stones that are located at the NE corner of Curry County Courthouse along Moore St. The first stone reads:
placed by Grand Lodge
AF & AM of Oregon
January 26th
A.D. 1957 -- A.L. 5957
The second stone reads:
CURRY COUNTY
COURTHOUSE
GUY H. FORSYTH - COUNTY JUDGE
D. O. BREEDLOVE - COUNTY COMMISSIONER
F. W. FLYN - COUNTY COMMISSIONER
The following excerpts were taken off the Curry County website and discuss the history of this county as well as the courthouse:
Curry County was created on December 18, 1855, from the southern part of Coos County. Initially it was proposed that the new county be name after Captain William Tichenor, council member from Port Orford. However, he declined because his constituents wanted to honor the territorial governor, George Law Curry (Oregon's first governor).
Upon creation of Curry County, the Territorial Legislature fixed the county seat temporarily at Port Orford until the citizens of the county could determine a permanent site. In 1859, following an informal vote of county citizens during the general election, Ellensburg was designated the county seat. In 1891 Ellensburg was renamed Gold Beach because of the gold and other minerals found in the sands in this area and to eliminate confusion with the city of Ellensburg located in the state of Washington.
The first courthouse was in Judge Fred Smith's home in Port Orford. Apparently the town's inability to finance the construction of a proper courthouse was a factor in the vote that favored the move to Gold Beach. The first courthouse in Gold Beach was replaced in 1912. The current courthouse was constructed in 1958.
Although the website states that the courthouse was constructed in 1958, the date stone reads '1957'.
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