Published In
Oregon Historical Quarterly
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
Summer 2018
Subjects
Shipwrecks -- Oregon -- History, Treasure troves -- Oregon -- History, Cultural property -- Protection -- Oregon
Abstract
“Euro-Americans in coastal communities conflated and amplified Native American oral traditions of shipwrecks in Tillamook County, increasingly focusing on buried treasure,” write authors Cameron La Follette, Dennis Griffin and Douglas Deur. In this article, the authors trace the Euro-American blending of Native oral tradition with romances and adventure tales that helped create the “legends contributing to Neahkahnie [Mountain]'s reputation as Oregon's treasure-seeking haven.” They also examine the history of treasure-seeking in the area and describe the escalating conflict between Oregon's treasure-hunting statute and cultural resources protection laws, which led finally to statutory repeal that ended all treasure-hunting on state lands. While treasure hunting is no longer allowed in Oswald West State Park where Neahkahnie Mountain is located, the “Beeswax Wreck” lore continues to fascinate visitors to the north Oregon coast.
Locate the Document
Article is available online at: https://doi.org/10.5403/oregonhistq.119.2.0282
DOI
10.5403/oregonhistq.119.2.0282
Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/27227
Citation Details
Cameron La Follette, Dennis Griffin, & Douglas Deur. (2018). The Mountain of a Thousand Holes: Shipwreck Traditions and Treasure Hunting on Oregon's North Coast. Oregon Historical Quarterly, 119(2), 282-313.
Description
This is the publisher's final PDF article as it appears in Oregon Historical Quarterly. Copyright © 2018, Oregon Historical Society. Reproduced by permission.
This article is part of a special issue of the Oregon Historical Quarterly, that features articles on over a decade of research into uncovering the mystery of the “Beeswax Wreck.”