Seal Rock History
Historical Insights
This community has a rich history. Seal Illahe is a Chinook Indian term which translates to Seal Home in English. The area was first inhabited by the Alsi tribe who were believed to have occupied the Central Oregon Coast 8,000 years ago as part of the great migration across the land bridge from Asia prior to the last Ice Age.
The first involvement of white settlers started in the late 1870’s when developers hoped to benefit by a railroad expected to be built between Corvallis and Newport. In anticipation of the future railroad the Brasfield family hired a survey of the area and platted several acres of home sites which remain to this day as officially designated lots in the Seal Rock Resort subdivision and Brasfield Addition. The Brasfields went so far as to develop a resort hotel which is no longer standing but did serve “summer people” who made the somewhat arduous journey from the Willamette Valley to Seal Rock. Roads were primitive at best until the 1930’s — and bridges were none existent. After a trip by train, boat and wagon visitors arrived at what must have been a paradise. Farmers from the Beaver Creek area brought fresh produce by mule drawn wagon to sell to the “summer people”.
In the late 1880’s the first post office was established in Seal Rock and continues to operate to this day — in its modern form. At about the same time, the Seal Rock Store was opened and today is considered to be the oldest continuously operated grocery in Oregon.
