Lincoln County Historical Society, Newport

05/12/2026

Join the Western Flyer Foundation and the Lincoln County Historical Society for an evening of film and conversation featuring The Western Flyer with Nick Offerman and a panel on cooperative fisheries science with local scientists and fishermen at the Pacific Maritime Heritage Center at 5:30pm on Wednesday, May 20. Panel moderated by Jack Barth (Oregon State University). Follow the link below to purchase tickets.

https://secure.givelively.org/event/western-flyer-foundation/the-historic-western-flyer-pacific-northwest-fisheries-pmhc-newport

05/08/2026

The Port of Newport welcomes the return of the Western Flyer to Newport on Sunday, May 17, when the public can tour the vessel at J Dock at the Port's Recreational Marina from Noon - 3:30pm.

That same day, Hatfield Marine Science Center will host film screenings and a Q & A session. On Wednesday (May 20) the Pacific Maritime Heritage Center will also host screenings and a presentation. The full schedule of events can be found at: https://www.westernflyer.org/bringing-the-western-flyer-back-to-the-pacific-northwest/

"Built in Tacoma in 1937, the Western Flyer became famous when John Steinbeck and Ed Ricketts sailed it to the Gulf of California for a 1940 marine science expedition, later chronicled in The Log from the Sea of Cortez. After decades of fishing, two sinkings, and a meticulous restoration led by the Port Townsend Shipwrights Co-op, the vessel now serves as a platform for ocean science research and education."

Visitors wishing to tour the vessel are advised that there is a fee to park in Port parking lots, however city street parking is available nearby.

05/05/2026

Spring Fundraiser! Help keep history standing by donating to help preserve our 9th street facilities. These facilities house the bulk of the Central Oregon Coast's historical and cultural objects, documents, photographs and more! Follow the link below (on Facebook) or find our website link in our bio (Instagram) for more information and to donate today. Thank you for the support!

oregoncoasthistory.org/springfundraiser

05/05/2026

https://www.orartswatch.org/newport-watercolorist-joyce-gaffin-remembered-as-world-traveler-intellectual-maker-of-perfect-martinis/?fsp_sid=20448&fbclid=IwY2xjawRnK-5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeYhY-g0X8HEftMRMf5aK0rtHn2C4tPRTdgiRyTB6E4m_pI-lAjpn03xDWKkI_aem_A-4kGyvQj_BYQFsnP7Dx7g

A celebration of life will be held Saturday at the Pacific Maritime Heritage Museum for the well-known artist.

05/01/2026

*Exhibit extended* Our current mezzanine exhibit at the PMHC, Crafting Boats: A Local History of Boat Building, has been extended another week! The final day to see all the details of the amazing models, historical photos, tools of the trade and more is now Sunday, May 10th. Come check them out before they it's too late!

04/24/2026

Pinball! A beloved arcade game to many, pinball has not always had the audience or gameplay mechanics it does now. Prior to the 1930’s and 40’s pinball had been purely a game of chance, with no levers to affect the movement of the ball. This made the machines great for gambling, and soon created a poor reputation for the game. Even once an element of skill was introduced by the addition of levers in the early 1940’s, the reputation of pinball remained one of deviance and illegitimacy And, in 1949, Portland banned the operation of pinball machines altogether following the lead of cities like New York and Chicago. Still, Oregon continued to have a bustling underground pinball scene, often inciting police raids on establishments operating these illegal machines. Here are a few photos from our archive of a state police raid of 16 taverns and restaurants in our county, where police can be seen burning the machines they found. The newspaper clipping from The Newport News corresponds with this June, 1960 bonfire of pinball machines. It goes on to lists all the establishments found to be illegally operating these machines, some of which are still open today! The pinball ban remained in place all the way until 1976, when bans all across the country were lifted in response to a demonstration of skill in a Manhattan courtroom.

04/10/2026

Join the Newport Symphony Orchestra this Saturday at 7:30pm for their Chamber Music on the Bayfront. Follow the link for information on this concert and to purchase tickets.

04/02/2026

Happy Spring from the Lincoln County Historical Society!

This day in history: April 2, 1867. As we say goodbye to March it can be fun to look back at what folks in the past had to say about last month’s weather on the Oregon Coast. This “Letter from Yaquina Bay,” by a person who only left their initials, begins: “March, with its frosty nights and sunny days has gone. And never before, perhaps, did such a March visit the misty shores of Oregon. Instead of storms, bluster and variableness, the usual characteristics of the month, the temperature has been warm and the weather exceedingly pleasant. The first of the month was rather cold for the season, but toward the last, it moderated into [illegible] spring. There was twenty-six days of bright, clear weather, and the remainder were not very unpleasant.”

Come visit us at the PMHC Wednesdays-Sundays 11am-4pm and at the Burrows House Museum Saturdays and Sundays, 11am-4pm.

12/16/2025

In honor of the opening of Newport's commercial crab fishing season, we have uploaded our latest documentary to YouTube. This Ebb and Flow series film chronicles the early history of Newport's efforts to promote the crab fishing industry through the city’s main annual attraction, the Crab Festival, which ran in the ‘30s to the ‘50s. Crab fishing is now part of Newport’s identity, and the film discusses the evolution of the industry and highlights our modern fleet.

This film was generously funded by Discover Newport and produced by Visually Thinking Northwest for the Lincoln County Historical Society.

This Ebb and Flow series film chronicles the early history of Newport, Oregon's efforts to promote the crab fishing industry through the city’s main annual a...