The development was the dream of Thomas Benton Potter and his son Thomas Irving Potter, well-established real-estate promoters. They began the construction project in 1906 on a sand dune spit between the Pacific Ocean and Tillamook Bay, claiming the development would be known as "Queen of Oregon Resorts" and "the playground of millionaires." The Potters named their development "Bayocean Park" and starting drawing up big plans. There was to be a grand hotel, a swimming pool and a boardwalk. The idea was that as people bought lots, the Potters would build new amenities and the town would grow. With a total of 600 acres - the first lots were sold in 1907 to Francis Drake Mitchell, a 37 yr old druggist & entrepreneur who built the first hotel and general store. North Jetty was completed in 1917 and Bayocean began to erode within 3 years following the Jetty’s construction. Homes began to slip and slide into the Pacific Ocean. The land continued to erode until the South Jetty was built in 1970’s.
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