Hey, what’s that odd structure sticking out in the water? Why it’s the old Pacific Pier in Seaside! Maintained from 1904 to 1914 the Pier was a popular walkway that stretched out into the water from the old Moore Hotel just north of the turnaround. The pier took a serious pounding from various storms and was repaired a number of times during its 10 year tenure. Finally, after a particularly brutish ocean swell, the pier was mortally damaged and the city of Seaside decided it was a lost cause, especially considering they may have to rebuild at any given time.
However, the Pacific Pier is immortalized here in a lovely snapshot of a festive outdoor day where it seems that all of old-timey Oregon has converged onto the Seaside beach front. What’s the deal with all those rocks? In present-day Seaside, in the exact location pictured here, it’s pretty much all luxuriant sand (perfect for bare feet). It turns out that the jetty system built up north at the mouth of the Columbia River was completed in 1917 and caused a major accumulation of new and extended beach sands.
Also, notice the old wooden boardwalk that predates the concrete promenade that was built in 1920. One can imagine the hollow “clunk, clunk, clunk” of strolling boot heels on the wooden planks. Occasionally it feels as if time is at a standstill, but pictures like these remind us just how much has changed.
