Platted
in 1925 by J.E. Glenn of Copalis Rocks and Otis Chabot from Moclips,
their vision for Ocean City was to create a great resort town. This
included plans for a country club but the depression put a stop
to that idea. Ocean City was known as a "shack" town. There
was no electricity, water supply or road - everything had to
be transported via the beach. Ocean City became a clam
cannery town with the Bode Cannery as its first business. Ocean
City is known for its excellent razor clam beach. It is
also known for its three famous women residents:
Dorothy
Anderson came to the United States from Norway when
she was nineteen. She worked in several hotels in Seattle
and Spokane before coming to Ocean City in 1926. She collected
driftwood along the beach and built several cabins with the help
of one carpenter. This resort was called, "Dorothy
Anderson's Tourist Harbor". Her cabin, built in 1926,
still exists in Ocean City and has been moved 1/4 mile north
of its original location on State Route 109.
Nina
Rutherford came from Everett to work in the canneries
including the one in Taholah. In 1938 she became the postmaster
at Ocean City. In 1939, she opened a small grocery store
and gas station, "Nina Rutherford's General Store" which
also included the post office in the rear of the building. Together,
Nina and Dorothy Anderson cleared the land. Nina's building
is also still standing; it is the yellow one just to the south
of the Sunrise Market.
Norah
Berg came to Ocean City from Seattle with her new husband
Sarge in 1942. She learned very quickly that life on the
beach was difficult but rewarding. In 1952, she wrote a
book, "LADY ON THE BEACH" which is highly
sought after (especially an autographed first edition). In
her book, she details her and Sarge's life on the beach at Ocean
City. Norah's 1912 typewriter that she used to write the
book, copies of Lady on the Beach and photos of Norah
and Sarge are on display in the museum.
