Does ‘Exploding Whale Memorial Park’ mean what it sounds like it means? Yes.
Exploding Whale Memorial Park.
That is the name of the new park that opened in Florence, Oregon, this week, the city’s website says. It might just sound like a quirky title, but there’s history behind it, according to KOBI.
About 50 years ago, a dead 8-ton whale washed up on a shore near Florence, KOBI reported. The Oregon Department of Transportation wasn’t sure what to do about the corpse - it would be uncovered if they buried it, no one wanted to cut it up, and it couldn’t be burned, according to KATU.
So the ODOT used about 20 cases of dynamite to blow the whale to bits, KATU reported.
Fast-forward to today, the city held a vote for residents in a contest called “Name the Park,” according to KOBI. The winner turned out to be Exploding Whale Memorial Park, to commemorate the event that took place in 1970, KOBI reported.
The park overlooks the Siuslaw River and Dunes. It was funded by two grants from the Land Water Conservation Fund and Oregon State Parks’ Local Government Grant Program, according to the city’s website.
