What now makes up the central district of Coos Bay was called Marshfield until 1944 
when residents voted to change the name to Coos Bay to match the name of the Bay itself. The City of Marshfield was named after the Massachusetts home town of the City's founder, J.C. Tolman, and incorporated in 1874. 

The waterfront was the focus of Marshfield, with Front Street where there are now various larger industrial uses and office buildings, being a hub of pedestrian and waterfront activity. 

While taking the walking tour, you will note that many of the buildings in the central district of Coos Bay were completed near the turn of the century. This was a time of growth for the community. 

The City of Coos Bay is now made up of various communities that once surrounded the Bay, the oldest of these being Empire City, which was once the Coos County seat. Another community which makes up Coos Bay was until recent years the City of Eastside. Both Empire and Eastside are now districts of Coos Bay. The prominence of these and other individual communities and districts within the City of Coos Bay give it a unique character not often found in a small town. Today Coos Bay is known throughout the world as a major exporter of wood products. It is the largest city on the Oregon Coast, and it is the professional and financial hub of the region.