1920 Map of Coquille City, Oregon
Click on a block number for a closer look
Click on a block number for a closer look
"The two blocks on First street must be paved soon" was the expression that gives rise to the hopes that the rotten planking on that throughfare will give place to a hard-surface paving while this generation is alive to enjoy it.
Coquille Valley Sentinel, February 7, 1919
City Engineer A.N. Gould advised the city council to repair the bridge on Hall street at the intersection with Front street or the city would be liable for some damages if the bridge should give way when some heavy load crossed it.
Coquille Valley Sentinel, February 7, 1919
Expressions such as these were typical in the period between 1908 and 1920 in Coquille and throughout the Coquille Valley. Incorporated towns saw increased pressure from the inhabitants to improve their roads and infrastructure, while those smaller communities that were not incorporated began to loose prominence in the valley. While many of these smaller communities survive today, they no longer support more than one or two businesses.
The Sanborn map collection consists of a uniform series of large-scale maps,
dating from 1867 to 1961. These maps show the commercial, industrial, and
residential sections of some twelve thousand cities with populations of more
than 1000 people in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The maps were
designed to assist fire insurance agents in determining the degree of hazard
associated with a particular property and therefore show the size, shape,
purpose and frequently the names of prominent businesses. The maps also
indicate widths and names of streets, property boundaries, and house and block
numbers. Sanborn maps are thus an unrivaled source of information about the
historical use of buildings in American cities.