Thanks for stopping in! Take a look at just some of the things that our lovely Depoe Bay community has to offer. Before you do that, enjoy this brief glimpse into our community then click on the various pages for more.
Depoe Bay officially became a city on May 22, 1973 when 174 residents voted for and 53 voted against incorporation, but the Depoe Bay Story began way before its date of incorporation. Native Americans, those of the original Siletz tribe, were the City’s first known inhabitants. Today remnants of the Indians’ presence can still be found in and around the City in the numerous kitchen middens or mussel shell mounds that built up over many years as the meat of the mussels was removed and the shells discarded. Although the kitchen middens are protected today for their archaeological values, at one time they were mixed with sand and used to build some of the first roads in Depoe Bay.
The first persons who were known to be actual residents of Depoe Bay were William Charles DePoe, the City’s namesake, and his wife. William Charles has been described as a Siletz Indian, or due to his last name, as part French and part Indian and his wife was a Siletz Indian. William Charles DePoe eventually became known as Depoe Charlie. Controversy, contradictions and mystery surround the origin and spelling of his name. For more about that, check out the history page below.
Sometime in the late 1800s the U. S. government allotted over 200 acres of undeveloped land that lay beside a small ocean bay to Charles Depoe and his heirs and assigns. Landlocked, it was accessible only by wagon, boat, on horseback or on foot. The DePoe’s would be the last Siletz Indians to own the land that was inhabited by their people for generations.
Depoe Bay has two important traditions. The first one, the Fleet of Flowers came from an incident that occurred on October 4, 1936 when Roy Bowers and Jack Chambers returned to Depoe Bay from a fishing trip in their boat the Cara Lou. While watching a raging storm from the Depoe Bay Bridge they caught a glimpse of a salmon trawler, the Norwester, caught in the storm and fog. Bowers and Chambers quickly took the Cara Lou back out to sea to help rescue the trawler. The storm lasted all night and no other boats could leave the harbor. The next morning the damaged Norwester made it into the harbor with everyone safe.
The same day the Cara Lou was found swamped but still afloat with Bowers and Chambers dead from exposure. The men’s ashes were scattered at sea, then flowers were thrown upon the water. Both men were posthumously awarded the Carnegie Medal for heroism. There is a memorial to them in the middle of the Depoe Bay ocean front park.
It was not until 1945 that the first Fleet of Flowers was held to honor the two men and has been held each year since that time. The memorial has grown into a moving ceremony, including huge crowds who come to remember departed family members and friends, men and women who gave their lives in defense of their country, and all those lost at sea. For more information, check out the page below.
The Salmon Bake is another well-known Depoe Bay tradition that began in 1955; however, the origins are murky. Some claim the event originated from the “Salishan family of Coastal Native American tribes who each year paid tribute to the spirit gods of fishing for the abundance of the salmon catch.” Others say the Salmon Bake originated in a community bake called the Free Fish Fry that began in the 1930s, when fishermen brought their catch to cook on wire racks over open fires or in frying pans. Currently, it's held in September in the City Park and ran in the traditional Native American way of roasting salmon over open fires using split saplings as racks. More below.
In the past, Depoe Bay was considered the “World’s Smallest Harbor,” but that is not quite the truth. We are now proud that we are the "World's Smallest Navigable Harbor," and we are quite proud of our little city and all that it has to offer residents and visitors alike.
We hope you stay a while and enjoy the views, food, whale-watching and our quaint shops. Thank you for stopping in!
