Shipwrecks of Curry County Book Talk by Hannah Contino, July 28

North Bend author Hannah Contino gives a free talk about her new book Shipwrecks of Curry County, which was published in July by Arcadia Press. Contino’s presentation takes place at the North Bend Public Library on Saturday, July 29 at 1:00pm. Historically, mariners considered the Oregon coast one of the most dangerous in the world.  In 1852, explorers discovered gold in the rivers and along the beaches in Curry County. The area contained many potential dangers to ships, including unpredictable weather, frequent fog, and submerged rocks and reefs. There have been many shipwrecks in this coastal region. During the talk, the audience will learn about the dangers that early mariners had to overcome, and the author will give insight into some of the major shipwrecks in the Curry County. Program highlights include information about the tanker Larry Doheny (torpedoed by a Japanese submarine during WWII, the Cottoneva (whose propeller remains on display outside the Port Orford Visitor Center, and the Mary D. Hume (the would-be museum ship that sank at a dock). Contino has been a researcher at the Coos Historical Museum, and is the author of Shipwrecks of Coos County. This program is free and open to the public.