Table Of ContentCLATSOP COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY QUARTERLY
GUMTUK
Vol. 14, No. 3 - Summer, 1994
Photograph courtesy of The Daily Astorian
Lyle Anderson
Many photographs not published elsewhere can be found in the new book,
Warrenton: 1791-1991, by Lyle Anderson. This book is the culmination of twenty-
five years of gathering data by Anderson on the history of Warrenton through
interviews with old-timers and a search through the records. Many original records
are reproduced in this book, such as the Warrenton school clerk's annual census
report for 1893, the 1906 history of the Skipanon School by Verna M. Tagg, and
the 1935 water works bond for the City of Warrenton. Recent history (Crown
Zellerbach, Eben Carruthers and Martin Nygard) is not neglected. One hundred
copies of his book were printed. All were sold within only two or three weeks.
Another printing may follow.
Lyle Anderson wrote in the preface to his book that he had lived on a western
Washington "stump-ranch" until he graduated from high school. He worked
summers in Astoria in the fisheries while doing graduate work in chemistry at the
University of Washington. He has been a resident of Warrenton since 1952. See
page 30 of this issue of Cumtux, for an article Lyle Anderson contributed, titled,
"The Fish Liver Industry."
CLATSOP COUNTY
HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Inc.
Heritage Museum
16th and Exchange
Astoria, Oregon 97103
325-2203
CLATSOP COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Flavel House
8th and Duane QUARTERLY Vol. 14, No. 3 - Summer, 1994
325-2563 Copyright © 1994 Clatsop County Historical Society
Uppertown Firefighters
Museum Contents:
30th and Marine Drive
1 LYLE ANDERSON: Warrenton's
BOARD of DIRECTORS
Historian
Warfield Martin Astoria
President
Carol Ross Haskell, Astoria 2 THE HISTORY OF THE COAST
Vice-President GUARD IN CLATSOP COUNTY
Carol Johnansen, Warrenton
Secretary By Ed Nelson
Allen Cellars, Warrenton
Treasurer
10 THE WRECKED:
Jean Anderson, Astoria
Ronald Collman, Warrenton An Eyewitness Account from 1841
Helen Gaston, Seaside
By Rev. W. W. Kone
Rae Goforth, Astoria
Blair Henningsgaard, Astoria
Jack Marincovich, Astoria & 14 FIRST RECORDED ASCENT OF
Clifton
SADDLE MOUNTAIN: List of Climbers
Carol Seppa, Warrenton
Molly Ziessler, Gearhart By E.W. Giesecke
STAFF
16 MEMORIES OF THE ART OLSON
Karen Broenneke
WHIP SEINE
^ecutive Director
Newsletter Editor By Lawrence V. Parker
Darlene Felkins
22 CENTERFOLD: Smith Point in 1943
Public Relations Coordinator
Jeff Smith
24 SUBMARINE BELOW! The Kay Baker
Historic Buildings Manager
Curator of Collections Story
Bob Goss
Museums Maintenance 26 KENALROB REVISITED: Memories of
a Home on the Beach
Irene Cadonau
Bookkeeper By Gordon D. Kinney
Liisa Penner
30 THE FISH LIVER INDUSTRY
Cumtux Editor
By Lyle Anderson
Jean Anderson
Carol Moore
Volunteer Coordinators 32 SIXTH STREET MONUMENTS
Sandra Arbaugh
33 REGATTA CENTENNIAL
Volunteer Registrar
Bettie McCue
45 CLATSOP’S PAST
Volunteer Photo Librarian
Mary Dwyer Cover: 1897 Regatta Queen Marthena Gosslin
Volunteer Archives Clerk
The Astorian Printing Co.
Alma Jackson
Volunteer Membership/ CUMTUX: Chinook jargon:
Memorials Clerk
"To know...acknowledge...to inform"
Point Adams Light House CCHS Photo #968-370
Cape Disappointment Light House CCHS Photo #2856-370
2
Revenue Cutters, Li^ht Houses and Life Saving Organizations
History of the Coast Guard in Clatsop County
By Rear Admiral Ed Nelson, Retired
THE COAST GUARD IS AN The second of the Coast Guard's
amalgamation of several agencies, the predecessors was the U.S. Lifesaving
first of which establishes it as the Service which had its origins in the
nation's oldest continuous seagoing private organizations such as the
service dating from August 4, 1790, Massachusetts Humane Society which
when Congress authorized $10,000 for was founded in 1786. These
the construction of ten cutters to organizations furnished stations with
enforce the customs laws. The boats and line-throwing equipment at
Continental Navy had been abandoned dangerous locations to rescue victims of
in 1789 and a Navy Department was not shipwrecks. For several years, all of the
created until April 1798. Thus the assistance to distressed mariners was
Revenue Marine, later to be known as furnished by private organizations in
the Revenue Cutter Service, became a the various states, principally New
forerunner of today's Coast Guard, and Jersey, New York and Massachusetts.
for a few years, the country's only But in 1847, Congress appropriated
seagoing armed force. $4000 for to provide boats and other
equipment at lighthouses and other
During the American Revolution, exposed places where vessels were
privateering had been endorsed by liable to be driven on shore. It was not
Congress to thwart the blockades of the until 1878 that a separate U.S.
powerful British fleet. However, after Lifesaving Service was established.
the war, many of the privateers
continued the practice which was no In January 1915 the Lifesaving
longer respectable since it interfered Service was merged with the Revenue
with enforcement of the tariff act Cutter Service to form the Coast Guard
which the fledgling nation passed to within the Treasury Department.
obtain desperately needed money.
In 1939, the Lighthouse Service
The service actually began as a law became part of the Coast Guard.
enforcement agency, but was directed Lighthouses had been built along the
to assist in the defense of our coasts Atlantic Coast early in our nation's
which she did with distinction in the history, the first one in Boston Harbor
quasi-war with France. The cutters were in 1716. Many of our nations early
also authorized to render assistance to leaders took a personal interest in
vessels in distress in the course of their lighthouses and several were completed
usual cruising and in 1832, they were by the time of the Revolutionary War.
directed to cruise actively during winter In 1852, administration of lighthouses
months for the purpose. was placed in the hands of a Lighthouse
Board under the Treasury Department Early government was supported
where it remained until being mainly by import duties, so customs
transferred to the Commerce houses were established and collectors
Department in 1903 as the Lighthouse assigned. At first customs activities for
Service. Puget Sound were conducted from
Astoria. Then, in 1851 a collection
The Bureau of Marine Inspection district was founded and Olympia
and Navigation was transferred to the became the Port of Entry. When more
Coast Guard permanently in 1946, ports were built, it became inconvenient
adding responsibilities for enforcement for the ships to go all the way to
of marine safety laws through vessel Olympia and the custom house was
inspections, licensing of mariners, and moved to Port Townsend in 1853.
investigation of casualties at sea. After
the Titanic struck an iceberg and sank The customs collectors were
on her maiden voyage in 1912, the political appointees and the jobs were
International Ice Patrol was established plums. In addition to collecting tariffs,
and conducted by the Coast Guard. they documented vessels, administered
Only one vessel has been lost to an marine hospitals, supervised lighthouses
iceberg collision since the patrol was and participated in steamboat
established and that one during World inspections. They received salaries and
War II when patrols were suspended. fees for collections and they controlled
the appointment of subordinates. The
The Service performs many other revenue cutters worked directly for the
duties, but we need to focus now on her customs collectors.
activities in the Pacific Northwest, and
Clatsop County. In the early years, the The cutters enforced the customs
Lighthouse Service, the Revenue Cutter laws when on station by meeting ships
Service and the Lifesaving Service twelve miles offshore and placing an
represented the "Coast Guard" presence officer on board to inspect the cargo,
in the area. certify the manifest and seal the cargo
holds. The officer would either remain
The first unit of the future Coast on board or else satisfy himself that the
Guard to be stationed in the states of ship would proceed direct to the port of
Washington and Oregon was the entry. The cutters also searched ships
Revenue Cutter Jefferson Davis. She that were suspected of smuggling.
was sent to Puget Sound in September
1854 in response to requests from the Communications in the Northwest
Collector of Customs, to suppress depended on water transportation. It
smuggling. This was the first federal was their means of contact with the east
government assistance to mariners in coast, California, and between regional
the region. She performed a variety of settlements. However there were no
functions in addition to customs duties aids to navigation in the Northwest
collection, including transportation of when the Jefferson Davis reached the
government officials, protecting area in 1854. Navigators had to feel
lighthouse personnel and other settlers their way along the coast, relying on
from harassment by Indians and rescue identifying prominent headlands by
of survivors of shipwrecks. descriptions passed on by earlier sailors.
4
At night or in poor visibility, mariners conditions. The Oriole was under the
Were wise to remain well offshore command of a Captain L.H. Lentz and
taking frequent soundings. Navigators had taken a pilot on board. Captain
often mistook landmarks, leading to George Flavel. On the afternoon of
disaster. It was obvious that a system of September 19th, they started on an ebb
navigational aids would be needed to tide with a strong southwest breeze.
help prevent shipwrecks if trade was to Unfortunately, the wind died as the ship
increase. eased its way through the narrow
channel and she was at the mercy of the
The act that created the Oregon currents. She ran aground in 17 1/2 feet
Territory called for lighthouses at Cape of water, breaking her rudder on
Disappointment and a system of buoys impact. The captain and pilot removed
in the Columbia River and Astoria the thirty-two passengers and crew to
Harbor. But first the government sent a lifeboats and as much cargo as they
coast survey to see if the locations were could. During the night, the weather
suitable. The survey recommended that worked up again and the lighter with
16 lights be constructed. All were the cargo had to be cut loose. The
erected between 1852 and 1858 and survivors were rescued the next day by
manned by U.S. Lighthouse Service an outbound ship.
personnel.
Several months passed until another
Cape Disappointment light was the supply vessel arrived. Then, after the
first primary navigation aid to be tower was completed another two years
established in the Pacific Northwest. were lost before a light could be
The site was part of Oregon Territory installed because the agent in charge of
when surveyed. By the time it was purchasing the lights had ordered lights
completed, it had become Washington that were too big for the installations in
Territory. (Washington didn't become a six of the eight lighthouses on the
state until 1889.) Before the lighthouse Pacific Coast and they had to be rebuilt
was built, mariners would take a or remodeled. The light originally was
bearing on cut trees and white flags at lighted by a five wick lantern that
the top of the hill, then head for the burned 170 gallons of oil per month. In
southerly tip of the cape and the deepest 1937, the light was electrified. The
part of the river. At night they relied on original lens was transferred to North
bonfires. Natives would report the Head light and now is displayed at the
arrival of a ship off the bar and paddle interpretative center. The present lens is
to Astoria to tell the news. Then a fourth order Fresnel lit by a one
Astorians would row across the mouth, thousand watt quartz iodine light.
hike the rugged switch-back trail twelve
miles to the cape and rig the markers or There were two other lights on the
light the fires. Oregon side of the Columbia in
addition to Cape Disappointment and
The bark Oriole carried supplies to North Head on the Washington side.
build the light in 1853. After a twenty- Point Adams light was constructed in
two day journey from San Francisco, 1875, but discontinued in 1899 after the
the ship had to wait eight days outside extension of the south jetty diminished
the bar for favorable crossing its usefulness for mariners sailing in the
5
The Desdemona Light House CCHS Photo #5038-780
river. It was actually a mile south of introducing lifesaving services at the
Point Adams and faced more toward the mouth before the U.S. Lifesaving
ocean than the river. A report of the Service was instituted in 1871. After the
lighthouse board in 1881 commented bark Industry was wrecked on the
on the sand that drifted around the Columbia River bar in March 1865 with
keeper's quarters to "an embarrassing a loss of seventeen lives because there
extent." It mentioned that the fence on was no lifesaving craft available, he
the south that was positioned to control rebuilt a battered lifeboat that he found
the sand drift from southerly winds on the beach and fitted it with air tanks.
tended to build it up when the wind He put the lifeboat into excellent
came from the north. The report condition and the Lighthouse Service
suggested that it might be better to provided temporary shelter. Volunteers
remove the fences to let the drifts were sought when an emergency
balance out. occurred. Captain Munson was an
excellent fiddler. To obtain money for
The lighthouse was a center of lifesaving equipment, he played his
social activity, particularly during the fiddle at dances he arranged in Astoria
tenure of the second keeper, Captain for which he charged admission.
J.W. "Joel" Munson. He had been the
keeper at Cape Disappointment for When the bark W.B. Scranton went
twelve years and was instrumental in aground on the bar. May 1, 1866,
6
Munson and two men from a are covered at high water.
government tug and two soldiers from
Fort Canby rescued the passengers and In order to bring supplies to the
the crew after they determined that the lighthouses and install and maintain
vessel was a total loss. Munson was buoys and other aids to navigation,
considered a hero. A few months later ships were needed. The first steam-
the lifesaving service decided to powered lighthouse tender was the
establish a station in the lee of Cape Shubrick built to the orders of the
Disappointment (Cape Hancock). Lighthouse Service at the Philadelphia
Munson's craft became part of the Navy Yard in 1857. She was fitted with
station equipment. a sail rig with fore and main mast
typical of a brigantine. The steam
For three years Munson operated a engine was supposed to be used for
small river steamer before taking the emergencies only, as it was considered
post at Point Adams. He and his wife a luxury. It took the Shubrick five
were active members of the community. months to sail around Cape Horn,
In later years, his daughter, Clara during which the cabin and paneling
(Callie) became mayor of Warrenton. and furniture had to be chopped up to
feed the boiler when the coal supply ran
After being extinguished, the out. For the next three years, she
lighthouse became a target for vandals serviced aids to navigation along 1500
and fell into disrepair. After the miles of Pacific Coast. In 1859 the
disappearing guns at next-door Battery Shubrick set the first buoys in the
Russell were ready in 1905, the Army Columbia River to mark a channel from
sought to have the lighthouse removed. the bar to Astoria. During the 1860s she
Their argument was that the structure set iron buoys on the major harbors and
constituted a target, negating the value bar entrances in Washington, Oregon
of the guns that could rotate out of sight and California. She did double duty as
after firing. It was also considered a fire a revenue cutter and also carried mail,
hazard and finally ordered demolished passengers, and freight and supplied
by the Secretary of War in 1912. lighthouses. The Shubrick was the first
steam vessel to ascend the Columbia
The other light near the river mouth River as far as the Cascades. During the
was located at Desdemona Sands in Civil War, she was taken over by the
twelve feet of water. The 1 1/2 story Treasury Department to enforce laws
octagonal frame building was erected and customs practices. Originally, she
on a rectangular platform on pilings in was stationed in San Francisco, but later
1902. It was self-contained and had its at Port Townsend.
own boat slung on davits on the
platform. As more efficient buoys and After the war she served as a U.S.
radios came into being, the value of Naval vessel, and was flagship of a
Desdemona light decreased. After only flotilla that surveyed Bering Strait for
forty years, it was replaced by a minor laying a cable prior to the purchase of
unmanned aid, later by a small tower Alaska from Russia. In 1866, she was
and finally a light on a dolphin. It was returned to the Lighthouse Service. She
discontinued entirely in 1964. All that ran into heavy fog off Point Arena in
remains is some piling and stones that September 1867 and struck an
7
underwater rock causing major damage. 1979. On November 28, 1899, a raging
The chief engineer salvaged the vessel storm broke the lightship's anchor
and patched the punctured hull enough cables and No. 50 was driven up on the
to get her to San Francisco. After a beach near McKenzie Head between
complete refit, she was back tending North Head and Cape Disappointment.
aids to navigation. When a second ship, When a series of tugs were unable to
the Manzanita was brought into service, get her off, she was eventually salvaged
the Shubrick was transferred to by a Portland house moving firm which
Portland. In 1886 the Madrona relieved moved her overland to Baker's Bay on
the Manzanita which was sent to a cradle drawn by horse teams.
Portland to replace the Shubrick. The
Shubrick was decommissioned and sold Lighthouse No. 88 relieved No. 50
at public auction for $3200. in 1909 and remained on station for
thirty years until replaced by No. 93.
The first revenue cutter to be She was decommissioned in 1960 and
stationed in Astoria was the Joseph sold to the Columbia River Maritime
Lane, a 102-foot topsail schooner that Museum. Lightship 93, in turn, served
arrived March 20, 1856. She guided at the mouth of the Columbia until 1951
ships over the bar, examined lumber when No. 604 took over the station.
and fishing vessels, visited lighthouses When No. 604 was removed from
and assisted mariners caught in the station in November 1979, she was
currents of the river. In 1856 she was replaced by a large navigational buoy.
ordered to duty with the Navy working A year later, No. 604 relieved the old
for General Winfield Scott suppressing No. 88 at the Maritime Museum and
Indian incursions in Puget Sound. She remains there to this day. The large
was eventually disposed of at Port navigational buoy has been replaced by
Townsend m 1869. a smaller aid, and it too belongs to the
Maritime Museum.
The first cutter to be built on the
West Coast was the Thomas Corwin References
which was constructed at the Oregon
Iron Works in Portland in 1876. After The United States Coast Guard in
commissioning in San Francisco, she the Northwest 1854-1900 by George
was stationed at Astoria on February 6, Richard Reynolds. Thesis, University of
1878. The Thomas Corwin operated out Washington. Seattle WA 1968
of Astoria until 1890, making several
cruises to Alaska on the Bering Sea The US. Coast Guard by Captain
patrol. She remained in service until Walter C. Capron, U.S.C.G. Ret.
1900 when she was sold in Tacoma for Franklin Watts, Inc., 375 Lexington
$16,500. Ave., N.Y., N.Y. 1965
The first lightship on the Pacific Guardians of the Sea by Robert E.
Coast was the Columbia River Lightship Johnson. Naval Institute Press,
No. 50, placed on station on April 9, Anapolis, M.D. 1987
1892. The last one to be withdrawn
from service was Columbia River Oregon's Seacoast Lighthouses by
Lightship No. 604 on November 2, James A. Gibbs. Webb Research Group,
8
