Welcome to
Old Marshfield
Grand Buildings, Lovely Streets
Located in
the center of
Coos Bay, Oregon
How Marshfield Became Coos Bay, Oregon Marshfield was founded in the 1850"s and named after Marshfield, Massachusetts, hometown of the city's founder J. C. Tolman. It was incorporated in 1874 under as Marshfield, Oregon.. In 1944, residents voted to change the name to Coos Bay, Oregon. Coos Bay was derived from the language of one of the area's Native American tribes and has two Indian meanings --"lake" and "place of pines". Several Native American tribes call the Coos Bay area their ancestral homeland. Before Europeans settled in the area, the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians and the Coquille Indians lived in the area for thousands of years. They were dependent upon the Pacific Ocean and other waterways, the forests and the meadows for their livelihood. Central Avenue is Old Marshfield's Main Street. The boundaries of Old Marshfield are loosely defined as the Coos Bay waterfront to the Myrtle Arms Apartments and the Tioga Hotel to the Egyptian Theatre. See pictures of Marshfield (then) and Coos Bay (now). |