Jump-off Joe was a 100-foot-tall sea stack geological formation composed of middle Miocene concretionary sandstone[1] at Nye Beach in Newport, Oregon, United States.[2] It was a well-known tourist attraction before World War I.[3] It formed sometime before the 1880s when it was connected to the mainland, and was a major impediment walking the beach.[3] Early travelers would have to jump off the side to get over it, hence the name. Early writers claimed the site was connected with Native American mythology.[3] Natural forces separated it from the mainland in the 1890s, and its large arch collapsed in 1916.[3]

Jump-off Joe in 1890
Jump-off Joe in 1910.
Jump-off Joe in the 1910s just prior to the arch's collapse in 1916.
Jump-off Joe in 1970.
Jump-off Joe in 1990.

Etymology

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The name "Jump-Off Joe" originated from the son of Dr. John McLoughlin, Joseph. Joseph accidentally fell near the rock during a trapping expedition but managed to survive for nine more years before dying of his injuries. The rock was originally known as "The Jump-Off Where Joe Fell", before being shortened to "Jump-Off Joe".

Key events

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  • Between 1920 and 1970, the majority of the sea stack collapsed, and by 1990 it had been swept away, and little trace remains today.
  • In late January of 2021, Jump-Off Joe was affected by a landslide and closed it off to the public due to safety risks. [4]

References

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  1. ^ USGS Erosion of a Sea Stack Over 100 Years
  2. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Jumpoff Joe
  3. ^ a b c d Historic Photo Archive - Jump Off Joe, Nye Beach, Newport, Oregon, ca. 1903
  4. ^ "Popular 'Jump Off Joe' site in Newport affected by landslide".

[1]

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44°38′43″N 124°03′45″W / 44.645395°N 124.062617°W / 44.645395; -124.062617