Home » Oregon » Coos Bay

James W. Loewen (1942-2021)

We mourn the loss of our friend and colleague and remain committed to the work he began.

Coos Bay

Oregon

Basic Information

Type of Place
Independent City or Town
Metro Area
Politics c. 1860?
Don’t Know
Unions, Organized Labor?
Don’t Know

Sundown Town Status

Sundown Town in the Past?
Probable
Was there an ordinance?
Don't Know
Sign?
Don’t Know
Year of Greatest Interest
Still Sundown?
Probably

Census Information

The available census data from 1860 to the present
Total White Black Asian Native Hispanic Other BHshld
1860
1870
1880
1890
1900
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
1960 7084 4
1970 13466
1980
1990 15076 41
2000 15374 13952 57 221 349 691 207
2010
2020

Method of Exclusion

  • Threat of Violence
  • Private Bad Behavior

Main Ethnic Group(s)

  • Unknown

Group(s) Excluded

  • Black

Comments

A former Coos Bay resident writes:
%u201CCoos Bay / North Bend Oregon, where I grew up, had the recent distinction of becoming the home of choice of the retiring Head Creep of the KKK: he said he couldn’t find a more white place in the US. When I was in High School in the *early 80s,* an African-American family moved into town and I became good friends with a daughter my age. They moved out shortly, and I didn’t find out until years later that someone had burned a cross on their lawn etc. As far as I know there were no repercussions from this. To this day, the HS students will tell you that there is no racism in Coos Bay / North Bend, but I can’t recall the last time I saw an African American in my visits there. I’m optimistic that this is dying down some with each succeeding generation due to failure to be transmitted, and will eventually be only of historical significance perhaps this is just wishful thinking, though.%u201D