Exploring Gearhart History As You Explore N. Oregon Coast Beaches

Published 12/04/24 at 4:45 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Gearhart, Oregon) – These days, it's a bit exclusive, a little hidden, and often – but not always - exceptionally pristine. Gearhart, on the north Oregon coast, appears to many to be Seaside's older, perhaps even stuffier brother. But it's the town's long-standing commitment to not being like other beach towns that really stands out. (All photos Oregon Coast Beach Connection)

In fact, going back to Gearhart's founding in 1918, the town's progenitors intended it that way, to keep it nature-oriented. This also leads to the realization: Gearhart is younger than Seaside by a couple decades (Seaside was established as a town in 1899).

Gearhart's southern end crammed with upscale homes, thick forested chunks and sections of green grass, which then gives way to a slightly more touristy northern end – all within a mile or so. As you walk or drive these well-manicured neighborhoods, one thing you'll notice is Gearhart's emphasis on retaining its past and traditions.

There's a distinctive look to this little beach town.

Gearhart's history goes back to around the 1840s – a time when white settlers first started to hit this part of the north Oregon coast. In 1851, Missouri's Phillip Gearhart began purchasing much of this area, acquiring most of the town's land by 1863. He passed it onto descendants, but it grew into an attraction all its own as Seaside did in the 1880s.

The area already had that name by 1898 to some degree: some of the earliest mentions of Gearhart come that year as Portland newspapers listed vacationers hanging out in this part of the coast that summer. A lot of mention is made of Hotel Gearhart.

It quickly became a destination resort for Portland's wealthier residents, coming here by train during the milder summers. Like many such spots along the coast in the late 1800s, that train became known as the “Daddy Train,” as moms and kids would stay out here for weeks at a time, while Dad would arrive by train on the weekend.

Many buildings here date back to that turn-of-the-century, and there are historical markers on quite a few of them. One notable home was the summer hangout of famed American chef James Beard in the early part of the 20th century, and it's said it's here where some of his culinary skills were honed by the family's penchant for living off locally-caught seafood.

Gearhart has remained an extremely quiet little resort over the last century and a half, that way by design. Not much is found here, except bundles of lovely homes, while commercialization or any sizable business district is left for Seaside to its immediate south and to Warrenton a ways north.

The beach accesses are typified by lengthy dunes sitting between the actual shore and the street. Geologically, this is at least partially due to the fact they've been left alone over the decades and have continued to build in height and width – unlike Seaside, which has actually worked at clearing out sand periodically.

The dunes here at Gearhart result in some rather entrancing landscapes, with long green stretches that almost resemble Ireland in a way. The place is enchantingly peaceful.

There isn't much to Gearhart in terms of beach, either. It's not quite a mile long, and the northern end allows vehicles to drive on it, from there all the way up to Warrenton, in fact. This stretch is a bit oily because of that and not as pristine.

Interestingly enough, not all the darker sands you find between here and the Wreck of the Peter Iredale several miles away are because of traffic. You may notice a propensity for brownish waves in Gearhart as well as Seaside, which can alarm visitors, thinking it's pollution. In fact, this is due to the large amount of diatoms – a form of phytoplankton - on this stretch of the north Oregon coast, which color the breakers and the beach when they're extremely numerous in number. It's a good thing, and a sign of a healthy ocean.

This is largely because of how the currents spread the abundance of nutrients from the Columbia River. It also enhances living conditions for the beds of sand dollars just offshore. Thus, close to the Necanicum River – on either the Seaside or Gearhart sides – you'll notice a huge amount of unbroken sand dollars.

For more on all this fits together in Gearhart and nearby: Curious Bits About Sand Dollars on Oregon Coast / Washington Coast You Didn't Know

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Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

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