A.O. Damon became the first non-Native American settler on the Point Brown Peninsula in the late 19th century, where he and his family ran a trading post and later a cattle ranch. During World War II, the Point Brown Peninsula was used to protect the Moon Island (later Bowerman) Airport in Hoquiam.
Development began in earnest in the 1960s when Ocean Shores Estates purchased the land from Damon’s grandson, Ralph Minard. While the development company soon fell apart, the city lived on and became incorporated in 1970.
We have artifacts from all stages of Ocean Shores’ development, from a piano belonging to the Damon family, to a bell left behind after World War II, to dishware from the Ocean Shores Inn. Come learn how the city became what it is today.
