Hans Brooten and the Kelp Ore Spa on the Oregon Coast – Thursday, March 12 at 4:00 p.m.

The story of a Norwegian immigrant, a mysterious blue clay, and a coastal spa that drew visitors from across the country will take center stage at the next lecture at the Cannon Beach History Center & Museum.

On Thursday, March 12 at 4:00 p.m., coastal historian Cameron La Follette will present the fascinating history of Hans Brooten and the rise of Brooten Baths, also known as the Kelp Ore Spa. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Hans Brooten immigrated from Norway to Tillamook County in 1899. Guided by a persistent dream, he eventually settled near Pacific City, where he discovered a blue clay he called “kelp ore.”. Experimenting with it, he discovered it had healing properties. This led him to create Brooten Baths, a spa that operated successfully for nearly thirty years and attracted visitors from across the nation. His experiments led to the creation of Brooten Baths, a spa that operated successfully for nearly thirty years and attracted visitors from across the nation.

La Follette’s presentation will explore Brooten’s life, the development of the spa, the popularity of “kelp ore,” and Brooten’s clashes with the federal government during a time of increasing medical regulation.

Cameron La Follette serves as Executive Director of Oregon Coast Alliance, a coastal conservation and land use protection organization. She is also a coastal historian whose work has appeared in Oregon Historical Quarterly, the Journal of Historical Geography, and other scholarly publications. Her research spans topics from Oregon’s oldest known shipwreck, a Manila galleon wrecked in 1693–94, to the history of sea otters along the Oregon coast. La Follette holds a Journalism degree from the University of Oregon, a master’s degree in Psychology from New York University, and a Law degree from Columbia University.

This lecture is free and open to the public and is part of the museum’s annual lecture series, which occurs each year from October through June. The Cannon Beach History Center and Museum is located at 1387 S. Spruce Street in Cannon Beach. This lecture has been generously sponsored by The Ocean Lodge in Cannon Beach.