Onlookers viewing the wreck of the Santa Clara near Marshfield (Coos Bay), November 5, 1915. Courtesy of Coos History Museum & Maritime Collection (982-190.61)

On November 2, 1915, the steamship Santa Clara, carrying 91 passengers and 500 tons of cargo and merchandise from Portland, ran aground and was stranded near the entrance to Coos Bay.

Due to darkness, thick fog, and a tumultuous sea, the rescue effort resulted in several casualties. The ship remained wrecked and stranded, and by the third day looters boarded the vessel and began removing cargo. Days later, arsonists lit the wreck ablaze, leaving what remained to be broken up by the surf.

Other stunning and historic images of the Santa Clara, Coos County's maritime and logging traditions, community celebrations, and much more can be found in the new pictorial history book, "Coos County Memories."