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Inventory Form
Inventory Form
NR Nomination

LOCATION AND PROPERTY NAME
address:850-910 W Park Rd historic name:Mingus Park Community Building
Coos Bay, Coos County current/other names:The Scout Cabin, The Cabin
assoc addresses:
block/lot/tax lot:
location descr: twnshp/rng/sect/qtr sect:25S 13W 27
PROPERTY CHARACTERISTICS
resource type:Building height (stories):1.0 total elig resources:1 total inelig resources:2
elig evaluation: eligible/contributing NR Status: Individually Listed
prim constr date:1940 second date: date indiv listed:05/16/2025
primary orig use: Meeting Hall orig use comments:
second orig use: Outdoor Recreation
primary style: Rustic prim style comments:
secondary style: sec style comments:
primary siding: Log: Other/Undefined siding comments:
secondary siding: Shingle
plan type: architect:Landes, Clarence
builder:Wpa Laborers
comments/notes:
GROUPINGS / ASSOCIATIONS
Survey/Grouping Included In: Type of Grouping Date Listed Date Compiled
   Oregon New Deal Resources from the PWA or WPA, 1933-1943 MPD MPS 04/21/2022 2022
SHPO INFORMATION FOR THIS PROPERTY
NR date listed: 05/16/2025
ILS survey date:
RLS survey date:
106 Project(s): None
Special Assess Project(s): None
Federal Tax Project(s): None
ARCHITECTURAL / PROPERTY DESCRIPTION
(Includes expanded description of the building/property, setting, significant landscape features, outbuildings and alterations)
The Mingus Park Community Building is located at 850 W Parkway Road, midway along the northwest forested edge of the 55-acre Mingus Park in the City of Coos Bay, Oregon. Colloquially known as “the cabin,” the 1,968-square-foot Rustic building is situated on a knoll surrounded by forested ravines, beside a gravel parking lot and across the street from a neighborhood of mixed era single family homes. It was designed by Clarence E. Landes and constructed by Work Progress Administration (WPA) workers between December 1939 and July 1940. The foundation is concrete with a rock veneer, and the one-story, wood-framed walls are clad in vertical D-log siding. The massing is generally symmetrical and comprises a large, rectangular assembly hall with a Dutch gable roof and a shed-roofed porch, flanked by two gable-roofed wings that extend off the northwest and southwest corners of the main massing. The building’s wood casement and barn sash windows and multilight French doors have been covered by plywood since the late 1950s; however, the original wood window frames and doors generally remain extant and intact beneath the coverings, and the fenestration pattern is still evident. The roof, which is clad in cedar shakes, is punctuated by two chimneys: a double-flue stone-clad chimney and a single-flue red brick chimney. The interior, which features Rustic finishes, includes two attached restrooms, a kitchen, an assembly hall space, and three classrooms built for youth scouting activities as well as community, civic, and private events. Notable interior features include a high post-and-beam ceiling, a massive double-side stone fireplace, unique hanging D-log benches, and the clever integration of rooms off the main assembly hall. In addition to the community building, the nominated boundaries also include a camp host set-up, three small storage sheds, and a contemporary wood carving inspired by Pacific Northwest totemic imagery; these resources all postdate the WPA-era construction of the Mingus Park Community Building and are therefore noncontributing. The community building itself has experienced relatively little alteration since its 1940 completion, except for the temporary covering of the windows, the enclosure of the east porch to protect a stone fireplace, and the replacement of some exterior cladding on a small area of the west façade. Overall, the property retains sufficient integrity to communicate the Mingus Park Community Building’s significance as a rare example of WPA-constructed Rustic architecture in Coos Bay.
HISTORY
(Chronological, descriptive history of the property from its construction through at least the historic period - preferably to the present)
The Mingus Park Community Building or “Scout Cabin” is nominated to the National Register of Historic Places under the Oregon New Deal Resources from the PWA and WPA, 1933-1943 Multiple Property Documentation (MPD) Form. The property meets the general and property-specific registration requirements established by the MPD, and it is locally significant under Criterion A in the areas of Entertainment/Recreation and Politics/Government; and under Criterion C in the area of Architecture. The Mingus Park Community Building is the only WPA-associated recreational building in Coos Bay, and it is the only WPA-associated element of Mingus Park that remains extant. Constructed in 1939-1940 by WPA laborers using locally sourced timber and quarry stone, the building is an excellent example of Rustic architecture that was locally designed for youth scouting, civic organizations, and the community’s need for entertainment and outdoor recreation. Its recreational use is particularly associated with local youth scouting troops, and one of its common names, “the Scout Cabin,” underlines its significant association with this recreational program and its sponsors in the community during the 1940 period of significance. The building has experienced only minor modifications and generally retains the character-defining features that illustrate its Rustic design and association with the WPA, including its forested setting, overall massing combining a large assembly hall space with two classroom wings, steep cedar shingled roof, numerous wood casement and barn sash windows, vertically oriented D-log cladding on the exterior and interior, double-sided stone fireplace, and hanging wall benches.
RESEARCH INFORMATION
Title Records Census Records Property Tax Records Local Histories
Sanborn Maps Biographical Sources SHPO Files Interviews
Obituaries Newspapers State Archives Historic Photographs
City Directories Building Permits State Library
Local Library: University Library:
Historical Society: Other Respository:
Bibliography:
Newspaper Articles “A Successful Birthday.” Coos Bay Times, September 27, 1934. “Accordion Club Has Picinic at Mingus Park.” Coos Bay Times, March 18, 1949. “Added Scout Cabin funding is rejected.” The World (Coos Bay, OR), March 26, 1986, 2. “Approve Building in Park; WPA has Labor Allotment.” Coos Bay Times, June 23, 1939. “Arlitt Anniversary.” The World (Coos Bay, OR), December 24, 1970. “At Scout Cabin Mr. and Mrs. Shower Held for Leibelts.” The World (Coos Bay, OR), November 18, 1959. “Bay Area Church News.” Coos Bay Times, January 8, 1949. “Bay Area Spin Fishing Club.” The World (Coos Bay, OR), August 16, 1961. “Boy Scouts Are Highly Praised.” Coos Bay Times, February 6, 1922. “Boy Scouts For Marshfield.” Coos Bay Times, October 25, 1912. “Boy Scouts invite you to visit.” The World (Coos Bay, OR), September 9, 1994. “BPW Hold Annual Picnic Dinner in Boy Scout Cabin.” Coos Bay Times, June 25, 1949. “BPW Holds Annual Picinic at Scout Cabin.” Coos Bay Times, June 27, 1950. “BPW Members Lectured by Mrs. Gunderson on her Recent Mexican Trip.” Coos Bay Times, August 11, 1945. Brayfield, Benjamin. New life for old cabin. Photograph. The World (Coos Bay, OR), January 18, 2010, 1. “Bunyan Park Is Sought Locally.” Coos Bay Times, May 3, 1938. “CB planners to take a look: Scout cabin victim of insect infestation.” The World (Coos Bay, OR), November 21, 1984. “C F Candy Queen to Be Crowned.” The World (Coos Bay, OR), March 11, 1969. “City Park Named for Paul Bunyan by City Fathers.” Coos Bay Times, August 20, 1935. “City Planners Busy Thursday in Meet Here.” Coos Bay Times, April 21, 1939. “Clarence Landes Will Leave Local Schools in June.” Coos Bay Times, February 4, 1942. “Clarence Landes Thanked; Scouts Plan for Spring.” Coos Bay Times, April 12, 1939. “Coos Bay May Increase Fees for two city park buildings.” The World (Coos Bay, OR), April 6, 1996. “Coos Bay Soldier is Active in Scouting.” The World (Coos Bay, OR), March 11, 1969. “Coos Bay To Build Mingus Caretaker Home.” The World (Coos Bay, OR), July 13, 1960. “County’s Relief Quota Unfilled; Many projects Aided by WPA.” Coos Bay Times, November 14, 1935. “Crew of Marshfield Men Runs Quarry for Cabin Project.” Coos Bay Times, November 29, 1939. “Dedication of New Scout Cabin to be Late Summer.” Coos Bay Times, July 18, 1940. “Elaborate Plans for Recreation Area Completed.” Coos Bay Times, June 13, 1938. Erickson, Kathy. “Community volunteers deserve some recognition.” The World (Coos Bay, OR), October 2, 1999. “Eugene Sea Scouts Coos Bay Visitors.” Coos Bay Times, April 1, 1946, 3. “Ex-Residents Will Be at Dance Tomorrow.” Coos Bay Times, April 16, 1955. “Four Coos Bay Union carpenters, A new Scout cabin for Camp Sol-Holm, Here is how Camp Sol-Holm,” Coos Bay Times, September 29, 1952, 1, three uncredited photos. Gamewell, Edward W. “Public forum: About the Scout Cabin…” The World (Coo Bay, OR), July 18, 1981. “Going-Away Party at Scout Cabin.” Coos Bay Times, August 12, 1950. “Guy Smith Honored by Lions Club for Leading Scout Cabin Projects.” Coos Bay Times, November 23, 1952. “He’s an Eagle Scout.” The World (Coos Bay, OR), August 26, 1994. “Historic buildings get city attention.” The World (Coos Bay, OR), November 11, 1996. “Historic Buildings Must Go?” The World (Coos Bay, OR), May 25, 1987. “Historical Meet Slated.” Coos Bay Times, December 6, 1956. Humphreys, Mr. and Mrs. John A. “Eastside Couple Celebrate 50th Wedding Anniversary.” Coos Bay Times, August 25, 1951. “In Protest to Congress.” Coos Bay Times, July 13, 1939. “James Family Honored with Farewell Party.” Coos Bay Times, June 11, 1949. “Junior Women Meet for Outdoor Picnic.” Coos Bay Times, March 3, 1942. “Lack of Signature Stops Crew in Mingus Park for Few Days.” Coos Bay Times, December 9, 1937. “Landes Drawing New Scout Cabin.” Coos Bay Times, December 16, 1938. Lagerstrom, A. T., and Ricksecker, H. “Boy Scouts 1925 Activities Spread Over Big Territory.” Coos Bay Times, December 21, 1925. “Last Marshfield WPA Job Ordered to Close June 30.” Coos Bay Times, June 23, 1941. “Learn survival and outdoor preparedness.” The World (Coos Bay, OR), December 8, 2016. “Lions and Ladies Plan Crab Feed.” Coos Bay Times, February 11, 1949. “Lions Potluck Planned.” The World (Coos Bay, OR), March 29, 1963. “Location near CB bandshell suggested for Scout Cabin.” The World (Coos Bay, OR), August 12, 1981. “Many Gifts Already Set for Coos-Curry Museum.” Coos Bay Times, February 11, 1957. “Messes Stop Rental of City Cabin.” The World (Coos Bay, OR), December 5, 1960. Mingus, Dr. Everett-Chairman, Simpkin, Dr. J. M., Ellwood, Cecil and Thuerwachter, Ed, “Parks and Beautification.” Coos Bay Times, February 20, 1935. “Mingus Park is Suggested; Walsh Named for Board.” Coos Bay Times, May 11, 1937. “Names of Donors to Scout Cabin Fund Go onto Plaque Shortly.” Coos Bay Times, December 6, 1939. “New Playground Benefit Is Eyed.” Coos Bay Times, January 29, 1935. “New Scout Lodge in Paul Bunyan Park Nearly Completed.” Coos Bay Times, July 12, 1940. Olbekson, Jane. “Choshi Gardens project improves thanks to ongoing volunteer efforts,” The World (Coos Bay, OR), January 31, 1992. “Paul Bunyan’s Birthday Fete Set Sept. 6, 7. 8.” Coos Bay Times, June 27, 1934. “Paul Bunyan Park Gets WPA Workers in $28,000 Project.” Coos Bay Times, April 5, 1939. Peden, Dave. “Mingus Scout cabin getting reprieve.” The World (Coos Bay, OR), May 29, 1985. “Planning Board Asks Committee on Park Building.” Coos Bay Times, August 21, 1940. Plourde, James. “Cannot be rehabilitated: Scout Cabin faces demolition.” The World (Coos Bay, OR), June 13, 1981. Plourde, James. “CB Scout Cabin can be rebuilt, but….” The World (Coos Bay, OR), July 31, 1981. Plourde, James. “Council agrees to cabin upkeep.” The World (Coos Bay, OR), August 3, 1981. Plourde, James. “Raise CB Rates.” The World (Coos Bay, OR), April 30, 1982. “Petition Seeks New WPA Scale.” Coos Bay Times, September 4, 1935. “Rotary Eats Venison Tonight: Montgomery Risked Life to Get It.” Coos Bay Times, October 29, 1940. “SAF To Hear Industrial Men.” Coos Bay Times, January 7, 1956, 3. “Scouts Are Allowed to Cut Logs for Coos Bay Building.” Coos Bay Times, March 25, 1939. “Scout Cabin at Beach Burned.” Coos Bay Times, November 8, 1948. “Scout Cabin Here, Coquille Sewer on WPA Project List.” Coos Bay Times, November 14, 1939. “Scout Cabin Is Being Renovated.” Coos Bay Times, January 17, 1931. “Scout Cabin to Be Hurried Along, Is Statement of Emery.” Coos Bay Times, November 8, 1939. “Scout Cabin Will Seek WPA Money for Construction.” Coos Bay Times, May 19, 1939. “Social Sorority Children’s Party in Scout Cabin.” Coos Bay Times, December 31, 1955. “Some fear Scout Cabin may be beyond repair.” The World (Coos Bay, OR), October 9, 2009. “Square Dance Club.” Coos Bay Times, October 4, 1950. “Twenty-Thirty Club to Provide Windows for Cabin in Park.” Coos Bay Times, July 18, 1940. “Two WPA Jobs to be Started Next Thursday.” Coos Bay Times, September 27, 1935. “Youth Organizations: Boy Scouts of America, Cub Scout Packs.” The World (Coos Bay, OR), January 30, 1999. “Youth Sing for Christ Set At Scout Cabin Saturday.” The World (Coos Bay, OR), April 2, 1965, 6. Vinlove, Dirk. “Scout Cabin Still Awaits Repairs.” The World Newspaper, June 12, 1990. Ward, Jillian. “Filmmaker uses local sites for anti-bully tale: The Watchman’s Canoe.” The World (Coos Bay, OR), July 2, 2016. “Waterfalls, Zoo Proposed for Mingus Park.” Coos Bay Times, September 29, 1959. “WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 (U.P.).” Coos Bay Times, August 20, 1935. “Winter Solstice Celebration.” The World (Coos Bay, OR), December 14, 1994. “WPA Gives Local Park Project Its Okeh This Week.” Coos Bay Times, August 17, 1940. “WPA Grants $18,097 for Use in Building of Lake and As Fund for Clearing and Filling; Celebration Draws Near.” Coos Bay Times, August 20, 1935. “WPA System Is Said Efficient.” Coos Bay Times, November 8, 1935. “Yep, It’s Growing.” Coos Bay Times, April 30, 1942. Deed Records Coos County Deed Records. Perham Park Company to City of Marshfield. Deed Book 98: 93. Recorded October 24, 1925. Coos County, OR. Coos County Deed Records Jos. F. William to City of Marshfield. Deed Book 98: 94. Recorded October 24, 1925. Coos County, OR. Government Documents Beckham, Stephen Dow. State of Oregon Inventory Historic Sites and Buildings. August 1, 1974. Oregon State Highway Department. “City of Coos Bay council notes extract.” City of Coos Bay files, (Coos Bay, OR), October 28, 1968. Coos Bay Lions Club. “Extract City of Coos Bay Council Minutes: Repairs to Scout Cabin.” City of Coos Bay file, (Coos Bay, OR), October 28, 1968. Harlan, Bruce L. A.I.A. Architect. City of Coos Bay, Structural Condition Analysis, Mingus Park Swimming Pool Building, Mingus Park Scout Cabin, Marshfield Sun Building. Coos Bay: HGE, Inc. Engineers & Planners; Harlan/Miller Associates PC Architects, 1985. Leedham, Harold A. P.E. “City of Coos Bay Inter-Departmental Communication.” City of Coos Bay files, (Coos Bay, OR), November 16, 1964. Leedham, Harold A. P.E. “Extract City of Coos Bay City Council Minutes.” City of Coos Bay files, (Coos Bay, OR), January 25, 1965. Lions Club Cabin Committee. “Extract City of Coos Bay Council Minutes: Project at Scout Cabin.” City of Coos Bay files, (Coos Bay, OR), June 10, 1968. Munro, Sarah B. National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form: Oregon New Deal Resources from the PWA and WPA, 1933-1943. July 1, 2021. Oregon Historic Preservation Office. Olbekson, Jane. “Memo to Parks Commission: Scout Cabin Update.” City of Coos Bay file (Coos Bay, OR), March 4, 1991. Correspondence Beckham, Stephen Dow- Professor. Letter to Mayor Don Poage. City of Coos Bay, OR files. June 2, 1981. Phipps, William C. Letter to Scouts of Coos Bay. City of Coos Bay, OR files. March 1991. Web Articles, Journals and Online Resources Baires, Jennifer, “Historic Skyliners Lodge to Close In June.” Weekly Source. January 1, 2025. https://www.bendsource.com/news/historic-skyliners-lodge-to-close-in-june-22442203 Blitz, Matt, “When America’s Infrastructure Saved Democracy.” Popular Mechanics. January 23, 2017. https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/infrastructure/a24692/fdr-new-deal-wpa-infrastructure/ . Bomberger, Bruce D. “26 Preservation Briefs: The Preservation and Repair of Historic Log Buildings,” U.S. Department of Interior National Park Service Cultural Resources. Washington: Government Printing Office, September 1991. https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1739/upload/preservation-brief-26-log-buildings.pdf . “BSA Historic Highlights – 1930’s.” Venturingbsa.com. August 2001. http://venturingbsa.com/scouting.d/fact.sheets.d/history.d/1930.html. Clarence H. Landes. grave marker, Klickitat Cemetery, Mossyrock, Lewis County, WA USA. digital images and photo s.v. “Clarence H. Landes, FindaGrave.com. Good, Albert H. -Architectural Consultant. Park and Recreation Structures. Part I – Administration and Basic Service Facilities. Overnight and Organized Camp Facilities (Apologia). United States Department of Interior. National Park Services. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1938. https://archive.org/details/parkrecreationst00good/page/n15/mode/2up. Good, Albert H.-Architectural Consultant. Park and Recreation Structures. Part III – Overnight and Organized Camp Facilities. United States Department of Interior. National Park Services. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1938. https://archive.org/details/parkrecreationst00good/page/16/mode/2up. “History.” City of Coos Bay Oregon. https://www.coosbayor.gov/visit/history. Lane County, Oregon. Camp Lane. https://www.lanecounty.org/government/county_departments/public_works/parks/our_parks/camp_lane Lent, Steve. “Central Oregon History: The first ski resort in Central Oregon,” March 9, 2024, Updated March 11, 2024. https://www.centraloregonian.com/news/central-oregon-history-the-first-ski-resort-in-central-oregon/article_13f650a8-da73-11ee-b8a7-63d0eb8b2517.html . Nature Connection Central Oregon. Skyliners Lodge photo credit. Updated 3/6/2025. https://natureconnectco.org/skyliner. Peters, Gerhard and Woolley, John T. “Radio Address to the Boy Scouts of America: February 10, 1934.” The American Presidency Project. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/radio-address-the-boy-scouts-america. Rich, Alexander. “Boy Scouts Fear Cabin’s Days Are Numbered.” The World (Coos Bay, OR), October 9, 2009. https://theworldlink.com/news/local/boy-scouts-fear-cabins-days-are-numbered/article_f162a095-4715-54dc-a818-f2ce8c296e3f.html . Roosevelt, Franklin D. “U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt addresses the Boy Scouts of America.” The White House-Washington DC. (NBC Radio Washington DC), August 21, 1935. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2u-H32l_mOM . Smith, Doug. “An Illustrated History of Log Cabins.” Homestead.org. Last updated November 15, 2024. https://www.homestead.org/homesteading-construction/an-illustrated-history-of-log-cabins . Thirty-Second Annual Report of The Boy Scouts of America, 1941. Report for the 77th Congress, 2d Session, House Document No. 517. (Washington: Government Printing Office,1942). https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.223423. Timberline Lodge. Photos of Silcox Hut. https://www.timberlinelodge.com/lodge/silcox-hut . U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Sixteenth Census of the United States 1940, Population, Volume 1 (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1942): 888. https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1940/population-volume-1/33973538v1ch08.pdf. Washington Trust For Historic Preservation. Camp Yeomalt WPA Log Cabin. Photo. https://preservewa.org/counties/kitsap / Wendell, Brian. “FDR’s radio address before cancelled 1935 National Jamboree still resonates today.” Scouting Magazine. July 13, 2013. Reproduced pages from Scouting Magazine. October 1935. https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2017/07/13/fdr-radio-address-1935-national-jamboree/. Wolfenbarger, Deon. “WPA Rustic.” History Colorado. September 2004. https://www.historycolorado.org/wpa-rustic