The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1894-11-09
Pioneer Sailing Vessel
Of Oregon.
She Was Built Fifty-five
Years Ago.
Was Only About FOrty-Eight Feet
Long, but Was Trim
Little Craft.

VI IldAu wax Ol, anu, dL tudt
remote day, the entire site of Port
land was covered with giant sons of
the forest and tangled, impenetrable
thickets.
Swan island was the spot selected
for laying the keel of the pioneer
vessel, and the name chosen was the
significant and appropriate one of
"Star of Oregon" A number Of giant
oaks stood at the lower end of the
island, just opposite the high, abrupt
bluff WheIe the river makes sudden
turn to the west, and it was under
their wide-spreading branches th;tt
the venturesome little craft was built
and took it's initial plunge into the
Willamette.
Work on the Star of Oregon was
commenced early in 1910, and OH the
10Th of May, 1871, she was launched
successfully. The vessel was taken to
Oregon City, where she was finished
and equipped for a sea voyage. The
company owning the craft was COM
posed of John Canaan, Ralph Kill
bcurn, Pleasant Armstrong, George
Davis and Jacob Green. The work
was done principally by Felix Hath
away, Ralph Kilbourn and Captain
Joseph Gale. From all accounts there
was very
members of the Hudson Bay COM
pany, many of whom were then
stationed at Vancouver, and as a
natural result of the jealousy and
rivalry, many obstacles were thrown
in the way. Thus the work pro-
gresSed slowly and under discourag
ing circumstances.
Finally Hathaway became dis
10 ND oh IL
before the vessel was more than half
completed. The piece of timber which
was used for the keel was cut from
tree on Sauvie's island. In those
days the island went by the name of
Wapato. This stick of timber was
found, on measurement, to be forty
eight feet and eight inches in length,
and SO it was resolved to make the
new vessel that long. The tree was
cut and roughly heWed, and transport
ed to Swan iGland. After Hathaway
threw up the job, Gale and Kilbourn
went ON and completed it. 1t was
not until the summer of 1912 that the
Star of Oregon was placed in readi-
ness for her voyage. Soon after the
vessel was completed, Captain Gale
determined to take her down to where
San Francisco now stands. 1t was
then known as Yerba Buena good
herb, and consisted of a few rude
adobe huts scattered about on the
wild sand hills which overlooked the
waters of the bay. A voyage in those
pioneer days from where Portland
now stands down to Yerba Buena,
especially in so small and rudely con-
structed craft, was considered a
great undertaking, and frat ght with
many perils. So thought Captain
Gale. All preparations were COM
pleted, and the little craft started on
her passage not without many fears
tember, 1912, the Star of Oregon left
Bakers bay and crossed the bay out
ward
Captain Gale, who was in command
Of the vessel, in a long letter written
some years ago to the late Colonel j.
w. Nesmith, gives detailed and very
interesting history of how the vessel
was built, and an account of the voy
age from the mouth of the Columbia
down the coast to Yerba Buena. In
his letter he makes very compliment
tary reference to Commodore Charles
Wilkes, of the United States navy,
who made a trip up the river during
the time the Star was being built on
Swan island. He mentions various
acts of courtesy on the part of the
old commodore. Among other things
the commodore presented Captain
Gale with handsome flag, which the
Star of Oregon proudly unfurled at
her mast head when she set sail
Commodore Wilkes had command of
the United States Warship Peacock
which went ashore at the mouth of
the Columbia and was lost in 1S41.
After the loss of the vessel, Wilkes
and others came up the river to pay
a visit to Rev. J. L. Parrish and Gov
ernor AberHethy, who then lived up
the Willam5tte valley near the pres
ent site oa Salem. In that way Cap
tain Gale came to meet the cOmmo-
Gore.
The crew of the Star of Oregon con-
sisted of John Canaan, Pleasant Arm
strong, Ralph KiIbourn, Jacob Green.
Charles Pfeffenhauser, and a little
Indian boy about 10 years of age.
- Captain Gale in his account makes
reference to the late Captain John Fl.
Couch, who came to Oregon in the
brig Chenamus. While the Star of
Oregon was lying near the mouth of
the Columbia, Captain Couch came
down in the brig on his way to the
Sandwich islands. Both vessels
came to- anchor in Bakers bay. and
Captain Gale accepted a cordial in
vitation from Captain Couch to come
over to his vessel and take tea. The
following day both vessels crossed
the Columbia bar and bore away.
Captain Gales account of the voyage
is very amusing in many respects.
There were many difficulties en-
countered, such as fogs, head winds,
sea-sickness, etc. At length, after
many perils, Yerba Buena was
reached in safety on the morning of
September II. 1912. Concluding the
account of the voyage, Captain Gale
says:
"The fog began to open. and we
made sail and ran down with a light
breeze until about 4 o'clock; the fog
commenced giving way, and in a few
minutes we looked up and saw the
high lands Immediately southeast of
us, and in half an hour after the en-
trance of the pert of San Francisco
was opened to us. The breeze now
freshened to a whole-sail breeze; we
i IL.