Oregon's 'Exploding Whale' legend turns 50 50 years ago, we blew up a whale and it either went terribly, or very well depending on your perspective. Now, a half-century later they have named a park after that lesson. They couldn’t bury it, fearing the eight tons of rotting flesh and its smell would quickly be exposed. A local resident dressed up as “Flo the Whale” to highlight the new name of the park in Florence, Ore. Exploding Whale Memorial Park. Residents of a coastal Oregon city voted to name a park for a 1970 explosion that rained chunks of rotting whale flesh on curious bystanders. More than half of the final tally — 439 out of 856 responses — voted for “Exploding Whale Memorial Park,” Ms. Messmer said. Most of the names on the list spoke to the site's natural beauty: "Rolling Tides Community Park," "Dune View Park" and "Little Tree Park" were several of the less gruesome options. Nov. 12, 1970 is an auspicious day in Oregon history. Live Science is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Still, Florence residents voted to commemorate the whale. "Pieces of meat passed high over our heads, while others were falling at our feet.". The Exploding Whale Memorial Park was funded by two grants: The Land Water Conservation Fund awarded $43,762 and Oregon State Park’s Local Government Grant Program gave $87,525. The park has a shelter with picnic tables, as well as an open grassy area. Oregon Park Named After Legendary 'Exploding Whale' Incident. What was this incident? The park is located along the Siuslaw River on Rhododendron Drive. You will receive a verification email shortly. This year’s theme was supposed to be “Blast From the Past.”. Florence has a new park and it’s named after one of Oregon’s greatest triumphs -- welcome to Exploding Whale Memorial Park. Exploding Whale Memorial Park. After the park opened last May with a temporary name, the city asked residents for suggestions for a permanent title, later narrowing those to a few in an online survey. That is the name of the new park that opened in Florence, Oregon, this week, the city’s website says. "It covered the diner and laundromat, with bits of blood and bone; It covered the old Ben Franklin with a wash of rancid foam," Tanz sang. In 1970, a deceased 45 foot, eight ton whale washed ashore near Florence. Exploding Whale Memorial Park is nestled on the banks of the Siuslaw River, and has a nice walking path and put-in access for canoes and kayaks. The community also created a mascot for the exploding whale's 50th anniversary: an adorable, totally intact whale named Flo. Fast-forward to last Saturday, when a dedication ceremony christened Florence’s new Exploding Whale Memorial Park, a grassy good-time getaway along the Siuslaw River. In a poll to determine the new park’s name, “Exploding Whale Memorial Park” garnered 439 out of 856 votes. So, state highway officials decided to use a half-ton of dynamite to blow up the 45-foot sperm whale, hoping its disintegrated matter would be whisked away by sea gulls. But "Exploding Whale Memorial Park" won in a landslide, with 439 votes of the 856 submitted, according to the statement. Mindy Weisberger - Senior Writer New York, Nearly 50 years ago, a whale beached itself on … Welcome to Exploding Whale Memorial Park! The whale recently made headlines again when an English municipality took to Twitter to relate the COVID-19 pandemic to lessons learned from the exploding whale. Now, the residents of Florence, Oregon, have decided to commemorate the event by christening their new local park "Exploding Whale Memorial Park". A newly-named Oregon park commemorates an important (and gory) piece of local history: the dynamiting of a dead whale that took place 50 years ago. In June, it was commemorated with the opening of the Exploding Whale Memorial Park. A beauty spot in Oregon has been named 'Exploding Whale Memorial Park' after the infamous exploding whale incident of 1970, nearly 50 years ago. Exploding Whale Memorial Park is now open to the public. ‘Exploding Whale’ Park Memorializes Blubber Blast 50 Years Later. Visit our corporate site. Exploding Whale Memorial Park opens near site where that beached whale was blown up in 1970. See Wacky Oregon Coast History: Nov. 12 is Happy Exploding Whale Day, New Facts The decade anniversaries have been fervently noted and celebrated, starting with the twentieth back in 1990. The park, as well as the 50th anniversary of the blast, was originally set to be celebrated at the city’s “Rhody Days” in May, but the Rhododendron Festival was canceled because of the coronavirus. The infamous exploding whale story from KATU News, circa 1970. The name w That is the name of the new park that opened in Florence, Oregon, this week, the city’s website says. Exploding Whale Memorial Park is nestled on the banks of the Siuslaw River, and has a nice walking path and put-in access for canoes and kayaks. She hopes the park can serve as a reminder that “we should celebrate our mistakes” and not be embarrassed. More than half of the final tally — 439 out of 856 responses — voted for “Exploding Whale Memorial Park,” Ms. Messmer said. The park is the latest example of what the public can come up with when invited to choose the name for sites or vessels. Florence has a new park and it’s named after one of Oregon’s greatest triumphs -- welcome to Exploding Whale Memorial Park. Of 124 names that people in the community initially proposed for the park, nine were picked as finalists, with the winner to be decided in a "Name the Park" survey, City of Florence representatives said in a statement. Jun 17, 2020. Musician Dan Tanz further described the gruesome scene in 2016, in a haunting banjo tune, "The Exploding Whale Song.". The name was chosen after city officials asked the public for suggestions. And so, this past weekend, the city of Florence officially announced that the previously-dubbed Siuslaw River Beach Access Park would forevermore be known as the Exploding Whale Memorial Park. For a limited time, you can take out a digital subscription to any of our best-selling science magazines for just $2.38 per month, or 45% off the standard price for the first three months.View Deal. The rest of the park includes picnic tables, a grassy lawn and views of the Siuslaw River and Bridge, according to the City of Florence website. Though the … Exploding Whale Memorial Park, Florence, Oregon. (Image credit: Courtesy of the City of Florence), Mysterious black spot in polar explorer's diary offers gruesome clue to his fate, Black holes may not exist, but fuzzballs might, wild theory suggests, These photos of the Arecibo Observatory telescope collapse are just heartbreaking, Biblical Goliath may not have been a giant, Chinese submarine reaches the deepest place on Earth, Mystery Settlers Reached 'Step to Americas' Before Vikings, Scientists just mapped 1 million new galaxies, in 300 hours. FLORENCE, Ore. – Welcome to the newest park on the Oregon coast – Exploding Whale Memorial Park! Everyone nearby was drenched with dead whale, Linnman said. Named after the famed and infamous incident in 1970, the park is actually a somewhat new park with an even newer name. Other ideas were “Bridge View Park” and “Siuslaw River View Park” for nearby landmarks. The city of Florence recently unveiled the “Exploding Whale Memorial Park” on the north side of the Siuslaw River. The park … Future US, Inc. 11 West 42nd Street, 15th Floor, “The blast blasted blubber beyond all believable bounds,” Paul Linnman, a journalist for the television station KATU, reported at the time. The coastal city of Florence has announced a name for its newest park, which references a literal blast from the past. The city planned to unveil the name at its annual Rhody Days celebration – with this year’s theme of Blast from the Past – but the coronavirus closures “blew those plans out of the water.” The new park is … Head to Exploding Whale Memorial Park. KLCC’s Brian Bull reports on…”Exploding Whale Park.” Exploding Whale Correspondent: "I … “If you talk to people, it’s not necessarily a proud moment,” said Megan Messmer, Florence’s city project manager. On June 13, the City of Florence hosted a low-key dedication ceremony to unveil the new sign for "Exploding Whale Memorial Park" situated on the sandy shores of the Siuslaw River. The episode also found renewed relevance recently as a town in northern England used the blubber-coated bystanders in Oregon as a lesson to its residents about the coronavirus: “Sometimes, it’s better to just sit at home and do nothing than go outside and do something ridiculous,” it said on Twitter. “I can still conjure it up 40 years later,” Linnman said in 2010. This riverfront park provides access to the Siuslaw River in Historic Old Town Florence. Fast-forward to last Saturday, when a dedication ceremony christened Florence’s new Exploding Whale Memorial Park, a grassy good-time getaway along the Siuslaw River. The city of Florence, Oregon, has opened a new municipal park named Exploding Whale Memorial Park. Visitors also enjoy grassy areas, picnic shelters, and views of the dunes across the river. Nov. 12, 1970 is an auspicious day in Oregon history. Florence residents overwhelmingly voted to name this idyllic spot after an exploded whale. The park is the latest example of what the public can come up with when invited to choose the name for sites or vessels. "Exploding Whale Memorial Park" in Florence, Oregon, is named for the explosive event of Nov. 12, 1970, when local officials blew up a beached and decomposing sperm whale … Exploding Whale Memorial Park is now open to the public. 4. Actual explosives have also been used to assist in disposing of whale carcasses, ordinarily after towing the carcass out to sea. According […] Stay up to date on the coronavirus outbreak by signing up to our newsletter today. Nearly 50 years ago, a whale … Exploding Whale Memorial Park, Florence, Oregon. In 1970, the dead, decaying sperm whale that washed up near Florence posed a serious health hazard. But the festival had to be canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the City of Florence unveiled the park's new sign in a dedication ceremony on June 13, the Siuslaw News reported today (June 17). A park in the coastal town of Oregon has been named after the exploding whale incident that took place around 50 years ago. In 2020, residents of Florence voted to name a new recreational area "Exploding Whale Memorial Park" in honor of the incident. Current policy in the state of Oregon dictates that beached, dead whales must be buried and not blown up, according to the OHS. According to LiveScience, Exploding Whale Memorial Park in Florence, Oregon, is named for an explosive event that took place Nov. 12, 1970, when … The mascot for Exploding Whale Memorial Park is shown in Florence, Ore., in June 2020. "Exploding Whale Memorial Park" in Florence, Oregon, is named for the explosive event of Nov. 12, 1970, when local officials blew up a beached and decomposing sperm whale measuring 45 feet (14 meters) long and weighing about 8 tons (7 metric tons). The explosion threw whale flesh over 80 A newly-named Oregon park commemorates an important (and gory) piece of local history: the dynamiting of a dead whale that took place 50 years ago. The park … Named after the famed and infamous incident in 1970, the park is actually a somewhat new park with an even newer name. The explosion instead spewed large chunks of decayed whale on curious bystanders, and even crushed a nearby parked car. “It’s not gory,” Ms. Messmer said. Other ideas were “Bridge View Park” and “Siuslaw River View Park” for nearby landmarks. A sign bearing the park’s new name was installed on June 13, with a rendering of a whale spouting water in the shape of a heart. The 1970 blast was a lesson learned for Oregon: There is now a policy to bury carcasses that can’t be removed easily, Ms. Messmer said. Exploding Whale Memorial Park. And so, this past weekend, the city of Florence officially announced that the previously-dubbed Siuslaw River Beach Access Park would forevermore be known as the Exploding Whale Memorial Park. Tainan City, Taiwan. Other ideas were “Bridge View Park” and “Siuslaw River View Park” for nearby landmarks. The naming of the park in Oregon, however, is not an internet-fueled fluke: Ms. Messmer said most residents are excited about the park’s name. More than half of the final tally — 439 out of 856 responses — voted for “Exploding Whale Memorial Park,” Ms. Messmer said. City of Florence/Facebook The infamous sperm whale was already dead when it … Now, a half-century later they have named a park after that lesson. Please refresh the page and try again. 18 June 2020, "The blast blasted blubber beyond all believable bounds.". Exploding Whale Memorial Park is now open to visitors, with various coronavirus restrictions in place.
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