Oregon Coast Mail Routes and Cannon Beach Settlement, 1890–1910

Small settlements on the northern Oregon coast relied on carriers who travelled by horse or on foot across beaches, forest tracks and river crossings. Tides and winter storms could make apparently short routes dangerous.

Mail work connected households to markets, newspapers and public institutions while giving some women opportunities for paid labour outside conventional domestic roles.

The Women of Cannon Beach series uses Mary Gerritse’s work to examine adventure, marriage and women’s changing public responsibilities in a coastal community.