Reedsport, Oregon

Reedsport is a city in Douglas County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 4,154.

History

Reedsport was established on the estuary of the Umpqua River on January 7, 1852. It was named for a local settler, Alfred W. Reed, who founded the city in 1912. The post office was established July 17, 1912.

The building of Southern Pacific Railroad lines extending south to Coos Bay led to the development of Reedsport. Before the post office was established in 1912, Reedsport was a camp for railroad construction workers.

Built on marshy ground, for much of its history Reedsport has struggled with frequent flooding; most of its early buildings were elevated 3 to 8 feet (0.9 to 2.4 m) above ground. After a devastating flood in 1964, a dike was constructed to protect the lower town. During this flood, the waters reached the fish hatchery and overflowed the fish troughs allowing hundreds of thousands of smallmouth bass to be introduced into the Umpqua River. According to fishing reports small-mouth bass became the most abundant fish in the river. Every few years, high water induces city employees to close the dikes to prevent low-lying areas of the city from flooding.