The Pathfinders of Lincoln County 1912
By Veronica Russell
Published: 09/24/2012  Updated: 08/08/2019
Photo provided by the Lincoln County Historical Society

In 1912, a group of four men and a dog, dubbed the "Pathfinders," set out in a 20-horsepower Flanders Studebaker to promote the Good Roads program and to highlight the need for better roads along the Central Oregon coast. These Pathfinders traveled the 23.5-mile stretch between Newport's bay front and the Siletz Bay—and back again—in the first motorized journey along the Oregon coast. This momentous journey took the Pathfinders 23 hours to complete, and often their route meandered along the soft sandy beaches. In this photo from the Lincoln County Historical Society archives, the Pathfinders are shown using a thick canvas sail they purchased from a recent ship wreck to get traction in the soft sand at Fogarty Creek. Want to see more? The Burrows House Museum in Newport is featuring an exhibit titled "Cars: Motoring the Coast" and the North Lincoln County Historical Museum in Lincoln City features an exhibit titled "Roads to the Future" through January 2013.

The Pathfinders of Lincoln County 1912