Florence, OR

Florence, OR is located in Lane County on the coast of Oregon.  Population 8466 with a median income of $30,500 and a median age of 56.  Florence was originally inhabited by the Siulsaw Native Americans until the settlers moved into the area.  There are two different claims as to how Florence got it's name.  The first one is that Florence was named for A.B. Florence, a state senator. He represented Lane County from 1858 -1860.  The second one is that it was named after a French ship that wrecked at the mouth of the Siuslaw river in 1875.  Logging, commercial fishing and agriculture were the main economy of Florence for a long time.  Today it is tourism.  The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area is one of the big draws along with the Sea Lion Caves and the Heceta Head Lighthouse.  Old Town Florence is also a big attraction located on the Siuslaw river near the marina. It has some unique shops and some really great restaurants.  It has a charm about it with flower boxes on the windows and tables and chairs outside almost every restaurant.  There must of been four different bakeries and each smelled so good.  It was hard to resist but we did.  One other interesting fact about Florence is that over one third of the population are retirees.
Florence is a nice town and Old Town Florence is a nice way to spend an afternoon checking out the shops, enjoying a nice lunch and check out an art gallery or two.  It is a busy place and most people seemed to be enjoying themselves; we did.