I received a press release from the Travel Channel promoting a new series, Mysteries at the Museum.
Airing on Tuesday nights, the November 23 episode [9 pm] will feature the Coos Historical and Maritime Museum and one of its displays.
From the release:
Located on Oregon’s rugged Coast at the Coos Historical and Maritime Museum, there is a peculiar object that looks like a piece of farming equipment, but in fact, it’s actually a piece from a diabolical weapon of mass destruction sent here by America’s former enemy. How did this artifact cause the only deaths resulting from enemy action to occur on mainland America during World War II?
In case you haven’t figured it out yet, here’s a hint. And another:
Lost Oregon 
3 replies on “Mystery item at Coos Museum”
Wasn’t it the fire bomb that the Japanese dropped on the Oregon Coast hoping to burn down the forests? I know one landed in Curry County near Brookings. Didn’t remember anyone being killed, tho.
Several Japanese balloon bombs dropped all over Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Northern California and even a couple in Montana. None actually caused any big fires, due in part to several groups of fire jumpers made up mostly of African Americans. And in part because of the wet conditions.
One balloon bomb did cause several deaths in the Fremont Forest North East of Bly Oregon.
The episode in Brookings was a bombing by a Japanese Pilot who flew his airplane from a submarine – the same one that was responsible for shelling near Battery Russell at Fort Stevens.
A fire was set, but it was quickly put out. The pilot later came back to the US and formally apologized to the citizens of Brookings and donated his family sword to the town.
I should mention, that most of the Balloon bombings were kept top secret, even the one in Bly to keep Americans from panicking. I’d be interested in reading any official documentation if it still exists and has been declassified yet.