The
original town of Brookings was established in 1913, by John E. Brookings, cousin
to Robert S. Brookings of the Brookings Institute, when he moved his
lumber business from the San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California.
One of the first things John Brookings did when he relocated was to hire renowned architect,
Bernard
Maybeck, to lay out the street design for what is now the core
area of the city.
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Stately houses line Redwood Avenue,
reminders of Brookings' heritage... |
The history of the area was chronicled when the Brookings-Harbor
Rotary contracted with Edward G. Olsen to compile a "social
history of the Chetco Community Area." Although the book is long
out of print (copyright 1979) much of the information can be found online on the
Curry
Coastal Pilot's web site.
Beginning with stories of the Chetco
Indian People, the book follows development in the Brookings-Harbor
Area through the late 1970s. The Rotarians are in the process
of updating its history.
When this effort is complete the book will be reprinted.
Since
incorporating in 1951, Brookings has grown to a population of 6,465 and
covers an area of 2,435 acres. It is the largest city in Curry County.
In the late 1980's, Brookings
was “discovered” as a retirement destination and much of the population growth
since that time has been from retirees, relocating from other parts
of the Country to enjoy the area's mild climate, beautiful coastline,
and other scenic and recreational amenities. This trend has been
fueled by magazine and other media recognition
of Brookings as being a desirable place to retire.
Back to the About Brookings
Page
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