James (Jim) William Haron (1931-2008) was well known for documenting the fishing industry in Newport and Depoe Bay though photography. A beloved local character, his photographs were often used in regional publications.

Jim moved to the area in 1975 and spent over 30-years documenting the fishing vessels, maritime activities, and fisher families in the area using skills he learned as an aerial photographer for the Marines. It was always his dream to document the lives and work of fishers on the Oregon Coast. He would often be seen selling his photographs directly below the Pacific Maritime Heritage Center’s location on Port Dock 5 while wearing his trademark neon orange hat.

He donated thousands of photographs to the Lincoln County Historical Society shortly before his death in 2008 and pieces of his collection continue to be discovered and donated to this day. His photographs are an invaluable resource for historians and researchers, documenting vessels and maritime activities. He recorded the boats he documented alphabetically by name, from the “Aallotar” to the “Zarembo II.” The photos are organized in albums and notebooks, and his meticulous filing notes can be seen on the backing paper of his photos.

In 2025, the Lincoln County Historical Society received a grant from the Lincon County Cultural Coalition and funding from Englund Marine to purchase equipment to digitize, display, and better care for the Haron Collection. The project was a success. We have digitized over 1000 photos in less than a year thanks to this grant and hard-working volunteers. We now have 100 selected photographs from this digitized collection on an iPad slideshow at the Pacific Maritime Heritage Center. We continue to discover and digitize more of his photography and are excited to share part of this priceless collection.