On the central Oregon coast lies a sliver of land bounded on the north by the Salmon River and on the south by Depoe Bay, with Devils Lake at its heart. Creeks and rivers wind their way across this coastal plain, down from the mountains, through stands of towering spruce trees, and empty into the sea. This little bit of paradise remained as nature shaped it for many thousands of years of Native American habitation. In the late 1890s, rugged individuals began to find their way into the more hospitable corners of this windswept coast. In time, a string of small towns and cities appeared,...