Bayocean - by Jerry Sutherland (Paperback)

About the Book

Chronicle of a resort town destroyed by the sea.

Book Synopsis

Like Plato's fictional island kingdom, most of Bayocean sank below the sea long ago. The rest lies buried beneath the shore pine, salal, and beach grass covering the four-mile-long spit that protects Tillamook Bay from the Pacific Ocean. This book chronicles the half-century during which this Oregon resort town existed, tells the stories of the people who lived there, and explains its demise.

Review Quotes

"On the narrow, sandy spit enclosing Tillamook Bay, there were once well-lit sidewalks for people living in dozens of bungalows. There was a grand hotel that promised to be among the largest north of Monterey Bay, ...a general store, and a steam-powered saltwater swimming pool. By 1960, all of it had washed into the sea. Bayocean Park, a coastal resort named in 1907 by a pair of Portland developers for its wide vistas atop a 100-foot ridge line, is the subject of research by author Jerry Sutherland in Bayocean: Atlantis of Oregon...The book details the peninsula's history, development and battles with coastal erosion...Most of the area's erosion stopped when a second jetty was built in the 1970s. The spit is now home to a county park with shore pines, dunes and narrow trails. All that remains of Bayocean is its name." -Lissa Brewer, Coast Weekend, August 22, 2023

"More than a century ago, a real estate developer traveling through Tillamook County hatched a plan to build a world-class beach resort on the spit between Tillamook Bay and the Pacific Ocean. Poor timing, access challenges, financial crises and, ultimately, erosion caused by hydrological ignorance ended up dooming Bayocean, which was nothing more than a memory just over 50 years after its founding. After discovering the story in the mid-2010s, author and historian Jerry Sutherland became fascinated with the story of the town and set off on a nearly-decade long quest to tell its story. That journey culminated in the publishing of Bayocean: Atlantis of Oregon earlier this year, in which Sutherland recounts the saga of the rise and fall of the now-buried town...Sutherland's newest book traces the stories of Bayocean's residents as they built homes and offers compelling insight into the causes of the town's eventual failure." -Will Chappell, Tillamook Headlight-Herald, August 8, 2023

"Events in the book are especially well documented. And if the discussion of litigation early seems overly complex, subsequent events involving the Bayocean development and spit erosion are more straight forward and extremely interesting to follow...In short, Bayocean: Atlantis of Oregon provides a unique opportunity to observe the birth and demise of an entire community within the timeline of approximately 50 years." -David Krogh, Southeast Examiner (Portland, OR), August 2023

"Bayocean: Atlantis of Oregon offers a comprehensive examination of a massive real estate development in one of the Northwest's most scenic and pristine ocean beaches. The many tales of speculation, promotion, and determination are interwoven with extensive research of original sources to tell the tales of a long-ago age. Jerry Sutherland teaches us history and also engages in storytelling at its best. At times, this reads like a thriller and mystery, becoming a page-turner and a biography of dreamers and adventurers, as well as many who were driven by greed and speculation. He brings speculators and pioneering residents to life, with a work that is abundantly supplemented with maps, photos, and helpful discussions of the times and the dreams of many...He manages to craft a resource of entrepreneurial spirit, natural dynamics, and tales of the lives of intriguing characters of our past. His efforts bring a much-needed reference and storybook for a land that is a fundamental part of the Oregon story." -Neal Lemery, Tillamook County Pioneer, March 26, 2023