The Daily Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Or.) 1876-1883, 1881-06-23
D. C. IRELAND .............
Pioneer Ships.


inst, is correct, with regard to
the building of the schooner Gen.
Lane by Mcclellan IN 1859, but
not correct in supposing that she
was the first vessel built in Ore
gon. A schooner was built, as
near as / can remember, in lS4j,
called the Star Of Oregon; she
was taken to San Francisco and
sold. In 1850, ships long-boat
was sawed in two, heightened and
was transformed into a steamer
Tor the purpose OF navigating the
Clackamas rapids below Oregon
city; her name was the Ioosier.
No doubt, she was the first steam
vessel OH the Willamet.
Mr.. John Hobson one Of the
early pioneers Of Oregon, calls
our attention to the fact that prior
to 1850 three vessels were built
in Clatsop county. In lS4G-7-S
the schooner Wave, built by Fred
Ketchum at Hunts mill above
upper Astoria, was plying regu-
larlv on the bav and up and down
the Columbia river. In 1889,
after the gold fever broke out, the
Wave was fitted out and sailed for
California carrying about forty
passengers. Ia 1913 Mr.. Robert
McEwan built the schooner Pic
neer at Skipanon, and she sailed
for California. Among the pas
sengers were Messrs. Thos. Owens,
Trask, and others. Mr McEwan
went as master of her. In 1850
Thos. Goodwin and Mr.. Frost
built the steamer Columbia at
upper Astoria-well known TO a
great many people of the present
day. The reference 20 the long
boat heightened out, probably
comes from the fact that early in
lS4S a part of the crew of the
whale ship Maine wrecked near
Astoria, took one of the ships
boats and cut her in two, spliced
and fitted her for sea, and sailed
for California.
These are matters of conse-
quence bearing upon that branch
of the subject OF history in Ore.
gon. Prior to the date of the
organization OF the territory,
and the establishing of the
Custom-heuse at Astoria, August
14th 1S4S, large amount
of shipping had been car
ried on here, dating back TO the
Active in 1924, the first vessel of
that year to arrive. In 1925 three
vessels came; the Alexander,
Lively and Chadboro. The latter
was for some time employed as a
packet between forts Victoria
and Nisqually. In 1926 the VIII
liam and Ann arrived. la 1922
the Eagle, the Dryad, the Owyhee
and the Convoy arrived, and fol-
lowing that year, up to the arrival
of the Harpooner in lS4S, we have
accounts of thirty five vessels
calling at Astoria. The fate oi
some Of these vessels is unknown
The William and Ann was cast
away just inside the bar, under
circumstances that led DIR. Nc.
Laughlin 10 believe that the lndi-
ans had a hand ia it: not a soul on
board was saved; and he made wal
upon the tribe, killing several, ar
account of which is published in
Mrs. Victors River of the West
page %. The Convoy was SINH
larly lost in the Willamet rivel
below the Clackamas. When the
Owyhee and Convey arrived a
Fort Astoria (Astoria), they wer,
met BY the sloop Multnomah from
Vancouver, with a cargo o
Hudson bay goods, at oppo
sition prices, as they wer,
Boston vessels" The "Bostons'
were considered interlopers. Tn,
May Dacre, Boston brig, arrived
in 1884 with mission supplies ant
goods for Capt. Nat. J. Wyeth
who established the first salmon
packing house on the river, ol
Sauvies island, and started tin
brig back to America with abou
half a cargo of fish, but she wa
never heard from. The schoone
Shark arrived here In 1916, Jul,
10Th. On the 10th of Septembe
she was wrecked going out. Tn
Captain and crew were all saved
and in January, lS41, sailed 70
California in the Hudson bay com
panys schooner Chadboro.
When Abraham Lincoln wa
assassinated, Queen Victoria wrott
a four-page letter to Mrs. Lincoln
1t was the unrestrained outporins