In 2008, a winter storm revealed a mystery buried in the sand of Horsfall Beach near Coos Bay. The intense weather moved around large sand dunes, exposing the tip of a shipwreck. As the weeks wore on, the storms revealed more and more of the decaying ruins, until nearly 30 feet of the bow was visible (blm.gov). How long ago it crashed, and where it came from, no one knew; but the mystery fascinated people all across the state.

flickr/ flickr/ Katherine Hoppe
After much deliberation, archeological research, and investigating, the ship was identified as George L. Olson, a schooner carrying lumber which wrecked in 1944. Wind-swept sands buried the remains where they rested for years, forgotten.

Here’s a video of news footage from soon after the shipwreck appeared:

Today, the ship is again buried beneath the sand, but soon enough it’s likely to reappear. The next time it emerges, we’ll be able to call it by its name.

Find out about some more amazing hidden gems in Oregon that hold keys to the past here.

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