Picturing Astoria's Maritime Past
But sometimes the images were closer to home. Two oil paintings recently acquired by the Museum depict the mouth of the Columbia River, along with two sailing vessels that figured prominently in the early development of Pacific Northwest maritime enterprise. In this fine pair
the UARTERDECK
Vol. 22, No. 3 Summer 1996
of ship portraits, we see the barkentine Jane A. Falkenberg (pictured above) and the pilot schooner California, both vessels that belonged to marine entrepreneur Captain George Flavel and were crucial to his success in West Coast trade. For more about the paintings, Captain Flavel, and his ships, please turn to page 6.
In the 19th century, shipmasters, merchants and owners who could afford to do so were eager to commission portraits of their vessels. Sometimes these were painted in faraway ports, the exotic backgrounds immediately recognizable to any sailor. For example, Chinese port artists made their living by painting European and American vessels
against the distinctive landscape features of Hong Kong or Macau.
A review and newsletter from the Columbia River Maritime Museum at 1792 Marine Drive in Astoria, Oregon
The barkentine Jane A. Falkenberg at the lower Columbia River, with Tongue Point visible to the left of her bow. "Mount St. Helens, conical and snow-capped, attains an elevation of 9,750 feet nearly 80 miles east of the mouth of the river and may be visible on a clear day" (The U.S. Pilot, 1975). Oil on canvas, attributed to WilliamH. Tappan, ca. 1862. (1996.19.1)
J.W. 'Bud' Forrester Jr., Emeritus
Carl Fisher, Secretary
Sid Snyder
Alan C. Goudy
Nikki Bryan Karen Carpenter
Richard G. Reiten
Thomas R Dyer
Lora Gerry Charlotte Jackson
Allen V. Cellars
Rod Leland
James H . Gilbaugh, Jr.
Anne Witty
Mummies and two-headed calves ...
Kevin Hertig
Richard T. Carruthers, Emeritus
Frank M Warren
Peter Brix
John Davis
Not all that long ago, museums just contained curious relics in dark and dusty rooms. I remember school trips to these places where we would see mummies and two-headed calves. Although these experiences were memorable, I can't remember just exactly what it was that we were supposed to learn there .
Eugene Lowe
Herbert Steinmeyer, Treasurer
Alan Green, Jr.
June Spence
Elaine Rusinovich
Rob Rudd
I bring this up in light of the tremendous transformation museums have undergone during the last two decades Our outstanding Museum, long admired as the only nationally accredited maritime museum on the West Coast of the United States, provides a classic example of the expanding role of museums in our communities.
Mitch Boyce
We also created outstanding "museum in a trunk" units: traveling trunks that are sent to schools throughout Oregon and Washington. Filled with objects and hands-on classroom projects, the trunks cover subjects such as exploration, navigation, commerce, marine science, meteorology, and social history.
Jack R. Dant
David Pearson
Ted Natt, President
In any given year, the Columbia River Maritime Museum opens its doors to over 90,000 visitors specifically interested in maritime history During that same year, the Museum also provides first-class meeting space to many organizations serving a wide variety of community needs Last year, 285 special events in the Museum's Kem Room included public forums, city and county meetings, educational lectures, change of command ceremonies for the U.S. Coast Guard, members' and trustees' meetings, U.S. Power Squadron classes, OSHA workshops, safety training sessions, a Red Cross blood drive, and local elections!
Rose Palazzo
2
Sali Diamond
Jim McClaskey
Chris Bennett
Our Museum also has acted directly in our community by leading the development of the 17th Street waterfront facilities, used by increasing numbers of visiting cruise ships. Columbia River Maritime Museum obtained the dredging permits, worked with the State Marine Board, and, in concert with the City of Astoria, has created a focus for maritime tourism in the heart of the waterfront.
Anne Morden
Willis Van Dusen
Trish Custard
W Hampton Scudder
Perhaps the most significant example of our "heart of the waterfront" focus occurred on the Fourth of July, when the City of Astoria and the Columbia River Maritime Museum co-sponsored the first ever Open House and fireworks party on the Museum plaza. The fireworks display was outstanding, and the crowds were awesome. In just two hours that evening, the Museum opened its doors to over 1,300 people: a new record, and for many residents, a first time exposure to the wonders of our Museum
In this review, J have deliberately omitted details of our primary museum work the new exhibits we launched recently, the ongoing collecting and research- in order to demonstrate how our museum is meeting its mission to be more than a closet for curious objects. The Columbia River Maritime Museum provides a classic example of the many roles good museums play in today's world. (I must confess, though, that I would like to have a two-headed salmon and perhaps even its mummy!)
John McGowan
Evelyn Georges
Celerino Bebeloni
-Jerry L. Ostermiller, Executive Director
Jim Nyberg
In fact, the Museum's expanded mission revolves in large part around the waterfront. This spring, the Museum hosted the International Pacific Challenge, a prestigious event that brought maritime folks from all over the Pacific Northwest to compete in historic watercraft for the "Queen's Cup." At this event, the Columbia River Maritime Museum demonstrated its commitment to education by co-sponsoring, along with the Lower Columbia chapter of the U.S Power Squadron, a new Pacific Challenge educational trophy.
Russ Bean
At the same time, the Museum is reaching out to the public school system. Our full-time education coordinator developed numerous maritime curriculum programs for use in kindergarten through twelfth grade Museum in the schools programs are carefully prepared to meet Oregon State teaching mandates and educational objectives, while focusing on maritime subjects
Board of Trustees:
from the Wheelhouse ...
Rachel Wynne
Don Magnusen
Ward V Cook, Immediate Past Pres.
Walter Gadsby, Jr
Mike Foglia
Don M. Haskell
Jerry L. Osterm iller, Executive Director
Ted Bugas
Jon Englund
Museum Staff:
Robley Mangold , Vice President
W. Louis Larson
Lynne Leland
Afterguard
Justine Van Sickle
Larry Perkins
Charles Shea
A trust allows you to make a significant gift without affecting your standard of living. In fact, you may increase your annual income through a trust gift. Highly appreciated assets, such as property, stocks, or bonds, can be transferred to the trust, sold free of capital gains taxes, and be reinvested in more income producing assets.
Tax laws affecting capital gains and charitable contributions have made one kind of charitable gift of interest to many individuals: the charitable remainder unitrust. Unlike many gifts, the charitable remainder unitrust allows you to make a gift to the Museum today, while enjoying the benefits of a continuing income for the rest of your life.
You don't have to be a John Jacob Astor to benefit from these programs. Charitable trusts can be created at all financial levels, and can benefit anyone seeking to reduce taxes, increase income, and make a contribution to support the Maritime Museum. For more information on charitable remainder trusts, contact your accountant or attorney, or call Rob Rudd atthe Museum at (503) 325-2323.
"I want to know that part of my estate is going to stay in the local community, and benefit the places that need and appreciate my support. "
Recent trust donor
A Profitable Plan
3
Many of our members have inquired about planned gifts and the Museum's new planned giving program. In response to your questions, we continue our discussion about these important gifts.
Mary bought three beach front lots in the 1960s for $10, 000 each. She had planned on retiring to the beach, and thought they would make a smart investment. Since then, the lots have increased in value to $300,000 each. Mary is 60 years old and would like to sell two of the lots and invest the money in an income producing way. However, she does not want to pay capital gains taxes, and is interested in reducing her estate taxes.
By creating a charitable remainder unitrust, Mary avoided capital gains taxes on the lots, and enjoys a lifetime income of six percent on the full value of $600,000. In addition, during the first five years after her gift, Mary enjoys a charitable tax deduction of $385,000. At the end of her life, the trust assets become part of an endowment to support the Museum's children's education programs.
A charitable remainder trust is a simple financial investment which provides income for life in exchange for your contribution. Your contribution is placed in trust, and each year you receive income based on the value of the trust. Lifetime income begins immediately, or at your point of retirement. At the end of your life, the assets of the trust revert to the Museum.
Quarterdeck, Vol. 22, No. 3
The fresh morning quiet is interrupted by the tap, tap, tap of chipping hammers. The "crew" is hard at work again on the lightship Columbia (WL V-604 ), ensuring the preservation of our own National Historic Landmark vessel. They feather out the chipped edges, then everyone grabs a brush and paint disappears by the bucketful. At noon, they gather on the mess deck to enjoy a box lunch and swap sea stories, some of which are even more colorful than the ship they are painting!
Volume 22, No. 2
The Columbia River Maritime Museum sailed proudly in the annual Astoria Regatta Grand Land Parade. Pat Ryan towed our sailing gillnet boat behind his 1953 red Chevy pickup truck, while friends of the Museum waved from the bedecked boat. Left to right: Seth Collins, student docent; Matt Weidman, student docent; and Rachel Wynne, museum store manager.
If you would like to volunteer and join this select group of individuals and share in the pride that comes from sprucing up "Old 604," please contact Chris Bennett or Russ Bean at 325-2323.
-Russ Bean, Visitor Services Assistant
The QUARTERDECK is published four times a year by the Columbia River Maritime Museum, 1792 Marine Dr., Astoria, OR 97103. Phone (503) 325-2323, Fax (503) 325-2331.
A humanities self-study grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) will allow the Museum to begin looking at future themes of new exhibits and public programs. Funding will be used to bring a panel of nationally-known scholars and museum professionals to the Museum for a workshop to identify thematic directions: the stories the Museum could tell. The workshop process will include a community "town meeting" at which museum members and the public will be asked to participate in planning for the Museum's future. The $16,700 NEH grant is an honor, particularly at a time of greatly reduced federal funding for mu-
Prestigious Grants Awarded
Opportunity Knocks!
Columbia River Maritime Museum News and Notes
Q_tfAR_Ti_ERD_~_C_K_
Editor, Karen Carpenter. Editorial Staff: Jerry Ostermiller, Anne Witty, Patricia Turner Custard, Rachel Wynne, Rob Rudd. Printed at Anchor Graphics, Astoria, Oregon
4
A $112,500 Institute for Museum Services (IMS) general operating grant will provide funding for the Museum's ongoing operations and maintenance. This highly-coveted grant is reviewed by fellow museum professionals and provides funding for those areas of operations that might not normally receive outside funding. In the words of IMS Director Diane Frankel, "The grant provides national recognition for museums that have the highest rating of their peers." One of only three maritime museums nationwide to receive funding this year, the Columbia River Maritime Museum will use grant funds to strengthen its programs and facilities over the next two years.
Dare to become one of "the few, the proud the ship's crew!"
This hard-working group of volunteers is dedicated to getting Columbia shipshape. Among their tasks, trying to hold the rust in check is an important but neverending shipboard chore. Cleaning decks and bulkheads, replacing burned-out lights, and general spiffing up are also among the lightship's needs.
Welcome aboard to Nikki Bryan, the Museum's new fiscal officer. Nikki brings accounting, fiscal development, and organizational skills to the Museum. She was formerly employed with Coryell's Crossing Child Care Center, where, as assistant director, she wore many hats. Nikki fills the
Many other tasks await those willing to help preserve our lightship and make her look her best for visitors to enjoy. Volunteers John Gaw, Ben Cadman, Jim Woods and Chris Jacobson, along with staff Rachel Wynne, Trish Custard, Russ Bean, and Hampton Scudder, all spend extra time and effort working on the lightship. And you, too, can become part of this elite ship's crew!
position formerly held by Marietta Doney, who served the Museum for seven years as membership secretary and fiscal officer. Marietta is now employed by Bornstein Seafoods, Inc. as the plant accountant. We wish her fair winds in her new endeavors!
The Museum is delighted to announce it has received two prestigious federal grants to support ongoing operations and planning for the future. This funding represents both a stamp of approval and a vote of confidence from two well-known granting agencies.
seums. The Maritime Museum was the only museum in Oregon to receive funding this year.
Welcome Aboard
For North Coast residents and visitors, the show promises a special eloquence: these are beloved and familiar places, many around
the South Jetty, exquisitely captured by an artist's unique vision . Mr. Adams, who received a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship in 1994 for his work in photography, has been described as "perhaps America's most thoughtful and eloquent photographer-writer." He and his wife Kerstin are frequent visitors to the Astoria area.
The show will open in the Museum's Kem Room in late October and run through the winter.
150 institutions from the world over belong to ICMM, which provides a focus of contact and professional help, technical assistance, and support for a flourishing international network. Ms Witty has been a member of ICMM since 1981, serving since 1993 on the Executive Council and as Assistant Secretary General.
Curator Re-Elected to International Museum Post
Much closer to home, but in the same
A professional guild of institutions, organizations and individuals in the maritime preservation field, ICMM is dedicated to international friendship, collegial cooperation, and mutual understanding. More than
spirit of collegial cooperation, both Anne Witty and Director Jerry Ostermiller are active with the Pacific Northwest Maritime Heritage Council. This unique group brings together organizations involved in diverse aspects of maritime heritage preservation for informal and informative quarterly meetings in Washington, Oregon and British Columbia.
In September, Museum curator Anne Witty was elected to a second three-year term on the Executive Council for the International Congress of Maritime Museums.
Photographer Robert Adams Featured in Special Exhibition
A dramatic and moving visual expedition to the river's mouth is in store for museum visitors this fall, as we bring works by renowned landscape photographer Robert Adams to the Columbia River Maritime Museum An essay of photographs about the meeting of a great river with the sea, the exhibition "West from the Columbia" will feature forty of Adams' black and white works.
Quarterdeck, Vol. 22, No. 3
5
6
In the summer of 1857, Captain Flavel purchased the barkentine Jane A. Falkenberg from the Oregon and California Packet Line and took her command. According to Lewis & Dryden's Marine History of the Pacific Northwest, "The Falkenberg had been running to the Columbia in the lumber trade, and, while Flavel was sailing his old schooner Halcyon up and down the coast, he often looked with envious eyes on the clipper that was never known to make a slow passage." The Jane Falkenberg's speed was a matter for the record books. Built at New Bedford in 1854 as a "clipper bark," she made her maiden voyage from Boston to San Francisco (according to Fairbum's Merchant Sail) in 118 days. Only the clipper ship Flying Fish was faster, by 6 days. Her owner, Captain Falkenberg, was in command, with his wife Jane and two other passengers on board. She continued to make fast passages as long as she sailed the seas.
Cargo was generally arranged through shipping agents in San Francisco, Portbmd and Vancouver. In June 1857, an advertisement in a San Francisco newspaper announced that the brig Halcyon would be departing for the Northwest under Capt. Flavel. It refers those wishing to take passage, or ship goods, to the shipping agents Brennan & Bachelder. Apparently this continued to be a useful business arrangement for Capt. Flavel. Several years later, when W.H. Tappan painted the barkentine Jane Falkenberg, she was flying the house flag of Brennan & Bachelder from her main mast as well as the star-studded blue government service flag.
In the poorly-lit auction warehouse, the two small oil paintings looked unprepossessing. The vessels were painted with a certain artistic self-assurance, though, and apparently by the same hand. When Museum staff inspected them in stronger daylight, the names on bow and stem could almost be made out. Elaborate scrollwork at the bow of the pilot schooner disguised the name California. Tucked behind rigging at the stem of the barkentine, the words Jane A. Falkenberg could just barely be discerned. A piece of flotsam, the tom up rigging of an ill-fated ship, floated on the painted sea to leeward of the schooner, and yielded another name: W.H. Tappan, and a date: 1862.
Ship Portraits: Windows on History
Fast Ships, Fast Profits
Painted in 1862, the portrait of the pilot schooner California commemorates one of Flavel's earliest and most successful seagoing enterprises. When he first arrived in the Columbia, George Flavel was mate and pilot of the steamer Goldhunter, and was issued the first pilot's branch license in Oregon territory. Soon afterwards he and others bought the schooner California and established a Columbia River bar pilotage service. It was the profits from successful pilotage that enabled Flavel to secure additional funding to purchase a share in the coastwise schooner (or brig) Halcyon, which he commanded as captain. In tum, profits from the coasting trade enabled him to pmchase a share in the fast barkentine Jane A. Falkenberg, which he captained for a time before going ashore.
First Impressions
But the business of shipping was only partly about commanding a vessel from port to port. An entrepreneur like George Flavel diversified his interests through ownership shares, profits from cargo, establishing services (such as pilotage), and commissions. He was successful because hr. was a risk-takf.r in husinr.ss a , well as an intrepid seaman. A closer look at the portrait of the Jane A. Falkenberg yields another clue to his network of business relationships.
A Safe Harbor
Ship portraits, the classic "art of the sea," em body the pride and excitement that master mariners throughout time have felt about their vessels. No wonder, then, that Captain George Flavel, one of Astoria's most prominent early businessmen and maritime entrepreneurs, owned several ship portraits which became cherished family possessions. Today, the Columbia River Maritime Museum is proud to own a pair of ship portraits that descended in the Flavel family. We were fortunate enough to be able to acquire them at an auction of the Flavel family estate in July, thanks to the very generous financial assistance of several friends of the Museum. But the story behind the paintings has proven even more intriguing than we expected.
waters, Captain Flavel's ships those he captained, those he owned, and those he piloted were more than his livelihood. They represented strong personal pride in his profession, and although he was later just as well known as a businessman, ship owner and bank president as he was a master mariner, it was perhaps the latter description that he identified with most deeply.
fomia Packet Line, and made her first voyage to the Columbia River in March 1857. When George Flavel purchased the vessel, her rig had been changed from a bark to a barkentine square-rigged on the foremast, with fore-and-aft sails on main and mizzen probably for better maneuverability along the coast. At 13 7 feet long, the Falkenberg carried considerable cargo and made her owners a good deal of money. More than forty years later, in 1895, when E.W. Wright edited the Lewis & Dryden Marine History of the Pacific Northwest, he was able to write of the Jane Falkenberg, "The venerable packet is still sailing the seas, and has probably covered more miles and made more money than any 'wind-jammer' that ever sailed the Pacific."
Most exciting of all, the backgrounds to both pieces show the v~ssels at the mouth of the Columbia River. The Jane A. Falkenberg sails in the wide river mouth, with the distinctive tree-covered promontory of Tongue Point, and, beyond it, the snow-covered peak of Mount St. Helens. The California is shown leaving the river, past the cliffs of North Head. The paintings were clearly linked not only to Captain Flavel, but also to early shipping on the Columbia River.
By 1858, Captain George Flavel's marine ventures and other investments provided sufficient income that he could retire ashore, and concentrate on business. But whatever else he undertook, he remained a man of the sea. It is little wonder, then, that in Astoria in the early 1860s, financially secure and with his family around
In February 1856, Captain Falkenberg was killed in San Francisco. His vessel went into the coastwise trade with the Oregon & Cali-
These observations yielded a flurry of research which soon revealed that Captain George Flavel's early business activities in the Astoria area had flourished in large part because of the two vessels immortalized in this pair of oil paintings. In his long and active career of over 40 years in Northwest
him, Captain Flavel looked to the sources of his pride and security his ships and had their portraits painted
William Tappan is also remembered as the designer and engraver of the official Washington territorial seal.
The pilot schooner California outbound from the Columbia River. Oil on canvas, signed and dated W. H. Tappan, 1862, on the flotsam in foreground. (1996.19.2)
7
Quarterdeck, Vol. 22, No. 3
What we can say is that these portraits, which obviously had strong meaning for George Flavel and his family, also appeal strongly to the modern viewer. Not only do they contain a goodly amount of tech nical detail, but they also convey a living sense of the sheer power of the ship plowing her way through the ocean The pair brings to life the days of sail on the lower Columbia. They remind us of the overriding importance of maritime enterprise to the founding of this town.
Davidson calls ship portraits "among the most handsome and pleasing memorials to the heyday of American maritime activity ... Brought home from all comers of the earth by the masters, owners and crews ofworld traveling American ships, many of these souvenirs still remain in the proud possession of the original owner's family Whether painted in Hong Kong, the Mediterranean, the Baltic, the Channel ports, Liverpool, or elsewhere, they recall the ethos of a bygone era and possess a human and aesthetic appeal far superior to any written record " These words certainly ring true for ship portraits like the California and Jane A. Falkenberg that were painted closer to home. We are proud to add these paintings to our permanent collections , knowing that they will stay in the community which George Flavel was instrumental in founding -Anne Witty, Curator
The Columbia River Maritime Museum wishes to thank fourteen generous supporters who funded the purchase and restoration ofthis pair ofpaintings. Once restored they will be on view in the Museum.
Tappan ' s biography and the existence of
this pair of ship portraits lead us to speculate about how he and George Flavel came together. Flavel's impulse, to memorialize for his home or office two of the vessels that had had great import for his life and career, met Tappan's abilities. A commission resulted, apparently in 1862. Did Flavel see Tappan's work exhibited at the 1862 State Fair, and seek out his commission? Or, perhaps, were these paintings of the California and Jane A. Falkenberg among the works that Tappan exhibited at the State Fair? We may never know
j~l -f
In his essay "Across the Western Ocean : American Ships by Liverpool Artists," A.S.
And what of the artist? The modest signature cannily hidden on a piece of flotsam near the schooner California reads "W H. Tappan 1862." According to biographical dictionaries of American artists, William Henry Tappan ( 1821-1907) was born and died in Manchester, Massachusetts . He was known as a cartographer, sketcher, and drawer as well as an engraver and painter. After training in Boston, he traveled overland to Oregon City as an artist with the U .S . Mounted Rifle Regiment in 1859, and settled in the Fort Vancouver area where he lived for over 25 years be fore returning East. Biographers note that, while Tappan was active in Washington territorial and civic affairs, "it is not known to what extent he continued to paint or draw after settling in Washington although he did exhibit at the Oregon State Fair in 1862 ."
continued on page 10
The Indomitable Captain George Flavel
Draining 259,000 square miles, the Columbia River delivers more than half the water entering the Pacific from the United States. This 1,200-mile river attracts great commerce, but with instant wind changes, huge swells, and drastic weather, the perils of the "Mighty Columbia" were quite often deadly. The Columbia River bar has taken the lives of many who tried to conquer her. In the days of sail and steam, crossing the bar was treacherous and unpredictable. Today, even with jetties, dredging, new electronic technology, and bar pilots, crossing the bar can be a harrowing experience. Captain George Flavel was one of the first courageous bar pilots to take on the redoubtable Columbia River bar.
Captain George Flavel played a prominent role in the development of piloting on the Columbia River bar. Despite competition from other bar pilots, Flavel dominated the trade throughout the late 19th century. Many ask, "What kind of a person was George Flavel?" Much has been written about him and his investments, but it was his character that made him extraordinary. Flavel had a rare trait-presence of mind. He was able to think clearly in any situation, which led to his success even in life and death situations. In 1853, Captain Flavel tried to save the General Warren from disaster during a furious storm on the Columbia River bar (see account opposite). Telling the ship's crew "IfI live, I will return," he left the ship to cross the treacherous bar in a small rowboat to find help. These words were emblematic of George Flavel and his business style. A risk taker, Flavel flourished against tremendous odds. He was a strong-willed man who created a legacy that extended far beyond his own lifetime.
The Early Years
Like thousands of others, Flavel then tried his hand at gold mining, but was unsuccessful and he went back to sea. He transported passengers and miners between Sacramento and San Francisco on the steamer Goliah.
From the Goliah, Flavel transferred as mate and pilot to the steamer Goldhunter running between California and the Columbia River. In 1850, while there were other pilots on the Columbia River bar, Flavel received the first branch pilot's license from the Oregon Territory. The owners sold the Goldhunter and Flavel returned to the Goliah. Looking fornew ventures, he joined several others in purchasing the schooner California to run against Captain Jack Hustler and the Mary Taylor,
already piloting on the bar. With fine piloting skills and services from his team of pilots, Flavel managed to run the Mary Taylor out of the market. Captain Jackson Hustler later purchased shares in the California, which was said to always be a money maker.
Captain Flavel dominated the bar pilotage and charged high rates. He also offered high service standards, which proved very profitable. Leaving command of the California in the capable hands of one of his pilots, Alfred Crosby, Flavel returned to California to purchase shares in the schooner Halcyon.
8
Who was Captain George Flavel?
Success and Failure
In 1849, a young Captain George Flavel sailed the brig John Petty from Norfolk, Virginia to San Francisco, California in hopes of selling eastern goods to "Westerners." When he arrived he discovered a market of gold seekers who only wanted tools and supplies used in mines. Finding no buyers, he sailed up the Columbia River to Portland where he was met with eager buyers and immediate profits.
The General Warren headed south on her course, the gale increasing. At midnight the foretopmast was carried away and it was discovered that a leak had been sprung The pumps were manned, but the loose wheat in the hold, shifting, had clogged the pumps, so Captain Thompson decided to return to Astoria for repairs.
Captain Thompson said, "I will fire up with a lot of fat bacon and dry stuff to make steam. You must take us in "
Quarterdeck, Vol. 22, No. 3
The vessel was off the mouth of Columbia by daylight, but was not sighted by the pilot boat until midafternoon. A very heavy sea was running. Presently the captain of the General Warren sighted the pilot boat California The gale had subsided, but the waves were running high on the bar. Captain Block, the pilot aboard the California, prepared to go aboard the General Warren and with much difficulty, on account of the heavy sea, had the small boat which was lashed bottom side up on the deck of the California cleared and bunched Captain Flavel had taken off his sea boots and was in his slippers. When the pilot boat came within hailing distance of the General Warren, Captain Thompson called out that he wanted Captain Flavel to come aboard . Captain Flavel, without waiting to don his boots, jumped into the small boat and went aboard the General Warren.
The Wreck of the Steamer General Warren, 1852
On January 28 the General Warren, in command of Captain George Thompson , with Captain George Flavel aboard as pilot, crossed the Columbia River bar en route to San Francisco with a cargo of wheat. A heavy southwest breeze sprang up not long after Captain Flavel left the ship.
[Note: Captain George Flavel received a medal of honor for risking his own life in his courageous attempt to save the General Warren and its passengers.]
Captain Flavel stood near the bell when Captain Thompson approached him and said, as he pointed to the one remaining boat, "Pilot, do you think you can make it? Can you get to Astoria and summon help for us?"
save our passengers we will have to beach her."
Captain Flavel, again, shook his head and said, "I know the bar. You can never make it. It is suicide to make the attempt."
This dramatic biographical account was told by Mrs. George Flavel to writer Fred Lockley in 1922 It was published in the Portland Daily Journal in 1922 and in the History ofthe Columbia River Valley from the Dalles to the Sea, Volume III in 1928 The following account is told in Mrs. Flavel's own words : "I wish I were able to have you see the scene as I see it..."
Captain Thompson , finding the pumps were unable to cope with the rising water, said to Captain Flavel, "Ifwe are going to
Captain Flavel said , "Captain Thompson, we need clear minds ifwe are going to save the men aboard Help me roll that barrel of whiskey overboard."
Some of the passengers hearing his refusal said, "Ifwe could get hold of a pilot who was not a coward we could cross the bar."
Captain Thompson called the crew together and said, "The following members of the crew will man the small boat, which will be in charge of Captain Flavel : Edward Beverly , first officer; William Irons, second mate; James Murray and Isaac Sparrow, seamen, and from the passengers, E. L. Finch, Henry Marsh and Matthew and James Nolan ."
Captain Flavel flushed and said , "A heavy ebb tide is running. It is unsafe, but if you insist I will take you in, but I will not be responsible for the consequences."
"Can you handle an oar?" asked Captain Flavel.
The mate and the captain, with the help of Captain Flavel, rolled the barrel of whiskey over the side . Some of the passengers were trying to light their pipes for a last smoke; others were praying.
"If I Live, I Will Return"
Captain Flavel told his boat's crew to return to the pilot boat and tell the boat to follow them in. They crossed the bar at five o'clock, just as it was getting dark. The pilot boat was unable to follow on account of the breeze dying down . The General Warren was beginning to show distress on account of the water in her hold. She responded to her rudder poorly. She was unable to make headway against the strong ebb tide.
Captain Flavel shook his head and said, "It is absolutely out of the question. You will have to ride out the storm Possibly by morning I can take you in. The bar is breaking clear across. You haven't enough steam to cross the bar before dark."
The boat was lowered and to the surprise of all it got away from the ship through the heavy sea safely.
The young man nodded and said, ''I'll go if you need me , though I believe it is sure death."
Captain Flavel called back, "Ifl live I will return."
As they were leaving Captain Thompson said, "Pilot, you will comeback?"
Taking him to one side, Captain Thompson said, "We have three feet of water in the hold We won't live till morning unless we get into the Columbia. You will have to take us in "
Captain Flavel shook his head and said, "No, we can never live through the breakers, but I am willing to make the attempt."
The heavy seas filled the boat again and again. They only kept afloat by constant bailing They rowed all night through the blinding snow, keeping off shore when they heard the roar of the breakers Day light found them off Scarborough head.
They rowed to Astoria, where they found the bark George and Martha in command of Captain Beard Securing a large whale boat and more men they started back for the General Warren. They stopped at Kindrets for a quick breakfast and hurried on to rescue the passengers and crew left aboard the General Warren Where they had left the ship they saw a few bits of wreckage, but nothing more. When the storm subsided forty-five bodies drifted ashore near the mouth of the Necanicum , not far from the present site of Seaside They were buried on Clatsop beach.
Captain Flavel saw a muscular young man standing by the rail. His name was J G. Wall and he was one of the passengers.
In crossing the bar several heavy seas had been shipped so the water in the hold was almost up to the fires. The heavy seas that had swept the deck of the General Warren in crossing the bar had carried away all her small boats but one. Captain Flavel peered through the blinding snow that had started to fall at dusk to see if he could locate Sand Island, but being unable to locate it he steered for Clatsop Spit. The moment she struck, the heavy seas began to break her up. Captain Thompson rolled out a barrel of whiskey and told the crew and passengers to help themselves, as it might be their last chance
9
Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Borland
Captain Barry Barrett
Mr. & Mrs. Jerry Boisvert
Captain George Flavel was an extraordinary man. He attracted honor and success as well as criticism. He was ruthless toward his competitors, but sincere to himself. E.W. Wright, editor of Lewis and Dryden's Marine History ofthe Pacific Northwest (1895), describes the man who was Captain George Flavel: "Captain Flavel's success was due in a large measure to a thorough, practical knowledge of the business in which he was engaged. He never sent a man where he would not go himself, and coupled with absolute fearlessness he possessed rare good judgment. With his death [in 1893] passed away a remarkable man."
had on the river. Among other things, they complained that it affected their prices. Their feelings were expressed in an editorial in the Oregon City Enterprise: "Flavel has long been a curse to the farmers of Oregon. Every importer and every exporter, hence every citizen ofthe state, has had to suffer because of the insatiable appetite of this blood sucker at the mouth of the river. " Flavel ignored the attacks and continued on with his affairs. Another editorial written by William Reid, of a trust and investment company, accused Flavel of careless and inefficient service and fees that exceeded the legal limits set by law and were applied in a discriminatory manner. Flavel responded saying that Reid falsely attacked without provocation, and denied all accusations.
Edward L. Morris
Helmsman
Boatswain
Mr. & Mrs. James Mandes
Mr. & Mrs. James Santee
Mr. & Mrs. Marvin Mace
Jean A. Peterson
Charles Gordanier
Woodrow Walker
Mr. & Mrs. James Mccafferty
Karen Carpenter, Quarterdeck Editor
In 1865, Flavel was faced with the most serious opposition of his piloting career. Captain Paul Como challenged Flavel with the first steam tug in the service, the Rabboni. The State of Oregon saw great potential with a steam-powered tug and believed that this competition would stop the constant uproar from ship owners and masters. Captain Flavel and his pilots ruthlessly waged opposition until the State revoked their licenses. In response, Flavel simply sent his pilots to Washington for new pilot licenses and they were back on the bar the next day. Flavel's unbeatable
Mr. & Mrs. Robert S. Lovell
Navigator
Crew/Family
Mr. & Mrs. Charles T. Trullinger
Boatswain Pilot
Captain
Mr. & Mrs. W. Louis Larson
Mr. & Mrs. Dennis Johnson Jim Casterline
Robert Sageser
Flavel was an astute businessman and offered great service for the money, but he also was a master at manipulating marine affairs at the mouth of the Columbia River. Because of his position and his demeanor, he was often abused by the public and the press. Grain farmers in the Willamette Valley were incensed by the monopoly Flavel
New Members - April 1, 1996 - June 30, 1996
David D. Chomeau
Helmsman
Mr. & Mrs. Eino Mattson
Mr. & Mrs. Roland M. Andersen
Crew/Family
Terry Schumaker
Marc Greenhouse
Mr. & Mrs. Bob Rudd
The Man
Rodney Welshans
The Big Controversy
Mr. & Mrs Stephen Paus
Robert H Richardson
Mr. & Mrs. Matthew Johnson
Mr. & Mrs. Charles Farmer
Donald Christie
Ensign/Individual
Christopher C. LarryAlexander Parson
Mr. & Mrs. Donald Magnusen
Susanne Whitt
Increased Memberships - April 1, 1996 - June 30, 1996
Major Gordon Umino
Charles Maddox
June E. Olson
He ran her from Vancouver, British Columbia down the West Coast ferrying ice. With the success of both the Halcyon and the California, Flavel was able to retire from the sea and concentrate his efforts in managing his piloting business and landbased ventures. He invested in community businesses, including real estate, banking, and a sawmill. The sawmill used the Halcyon to ship the lumber, thus providing a double venture for Flavel. However, due to a slump in the lumber market, Flavel was forced to sell the Halcyon to recover losses.
Mr. & Mrs W.A. Lissy
Rick Garner and Jayne Leigh
piloting services still outweighed Como's fast and efficient tug. Como discontinued service from the Columbia River bar, prompting the State of Oregon to offer $30,000 to anyone who could maintain a steam tug on the bar for a period of five years. Flavel accepted the offer, signed a contract, and had a tug built by Asa Simpson of San Francisco. The $40,000 tug Astoria entered the Columbia River for active service in 1869. And for the next 20 years, Flavel enjoyed a piloting and towing monopoly on the Columbia River bar.
O.C. Kirkland
Dr. Kenneth Bierly and Family Steven Smith
I 0
Mr. & Mrs. Dennis Marks
Flavel purchased interest in the Jane A. Falkenberg, a fast barkentine he had admired for some time. In 1861, under the command ofFlavel, she ran from Astoria to San Francisco in 3-1/2 days. She was his pride and he made her famous in the Pacific. With the Jane A. Falkenberg and the California, Flavel was making a handsome profit.
Mr. & Mrs. Howard McGinn Floyd E Holcom
Mr. & Mrs. Harry L. Larson
Mr. & Mrs R.D. Bulletset Captain & Mrs. Bill Dougan Mr. & Mrs Todd H. Dowaliby Mrs Marjorie Graham
Mr. & Mrs Eino Mattson Mrs Marian McBride
Mr. & Mrs. Erland Fahlstrom
Bob & Mary Frame
Mr. & Mrs. Ernest J. Barrows
Donna Miller
Mr. & Mrs. George Wilhelm
Ronald J. Honeyman
Mr. & Mrs. Trygve Duoos
Ed Lundholm
Mr. & Mrs Don M Haskell Captain & Mrs Charles Hathaway Mr. & Mrs Rich L. Hoffman Mr & Mrs. Victor W Horgan Eldon E. Korpela
Mr. & Mrs. George Webber Mr. & Mrs Gary C Olsen
Dr. & Mrs Arthur Huber
Mr. Arthur I. Stromsness Mr. & Mrs. Jack Temple Dan Thiel
Mr & Mrs Louis J Kennedy, Jr.
Mr. & Mrs. Pat Codd Mr. & Mrs. Howard Lovvold Mrs Ella P. Hill
Bennett Norlund
Godfrey Watson
Viena Fluhrer
Mr. & Mrs. David Hallin
Richard T. Charlton
David Moffitt
Mr. & Mrs John Kalander Mr. Kenneth Lampi Walter E. Larson
Mr. & Mrs Ernest J. Barrows
Ira Watson
Mr. & Mrs Frank Little Mr. & Mrs. Charles Mestrich Mr. & Mrs Joe Mille r LTC & Mrs Victor L. Nunenkamp Jerry L Ostermiller & Lynne A John s on
Don Huckelberry
Mrs. Ella P. Hill
Mr. & Mrs. David Pratt Mr. & Mrs Michael Ramsdell Mr. & Mrs. Clint Renney Donald V. Riswick
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Bish
Ann Mitchell
Viola Lund
Mr. & Mrs Robert Cordiner Glen Bay William Leahy Mr. & Mrs Eino Mattson Mrs Dorothy R Mickelson Mr. & Mrs John Price Mrs June Spence Dr. David I. Williams
Captain & Mrs Paul A. Jackson
Mr. & Mrs Merrill Ginn
Mr. & Mrs George Wilhelm
Quarterdeck, Vol. 22, No. 3
Mrs Edith D Schenk
Mr. & Mrs William R King Mr. & Mrs. Stuart Lahti Mr. & Mrs. Dan Lake Georgia Maki
Mrs Jean Nordmark
Buddy Hoell
Mary E. Catlin
Mr. & Mrs. Darwin Anderson
Mrs. Doro t hy Labiske
Mrs. Lucille Perkins
Mr. & Mrs Eino Mattson
Mrs. Betty Manners Mrs. Hope Moberg Mr. & Mrs. Dave Parpala Mr. & Mrs. Roderick Sarpola Charlene Mana/a Dr. David I. Williams Paul Albert Matschiner
Peter Bryant
Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Chan
Mr. & Mrs. Ed G Fearey Jr. J W. Forrester, Jr
William Turns
Lawrence Blue
Mr. & Mrs Donald Magnusen
Marva Jean Frisbie
Harry Wood
Stan Grimberg
Frank Price
Memorial Donations - January 1, 1996 - March 31, 1996
Captain C. Jack Dempsey
Mr. & Mrs Eugene Knutsen
Mrs Imogene Abrahamson
Mr. & Mrs. Darwin Anderson Mrs. Lucille Berger
Shirley Brooks Cole
Mr & Mrs Harrison Greenough Kenneth Ginn & Family
Ragnar Gustafson
Darrell & Kathryn Murray
Mr. & Mrs. Arthur R Johnson
Mr. & Mrs. Trygve Duoos
Nadine Legarza Mrs. Phyllis Reuter
Paul Gauthier
Mr. & Mrs George Wilhelm
Gene Paxton
Mr. & Mrs William R. King Darrell & Kathryn Murray
Mrs. Ellen Pietila
Mrs. Dorothy Labiske
Mr. & Mrs. Ward Paldanius
Mr. & Mrs. Ward Paldanius
Mrs Nora S. Bue
Henry Niemi
Robert Shane
Mary Jane Van Dusen Mrs . Mary B . Hoffman
Eino Wahlbom
Arthur Sandstrom
Gladys Haglund Duncan
Mr. & Mrs George Webber
Johanna Haglund
Mr. & Mrs. Allen V. Cellars
Mr. & Mrs McFadden
Roberta Riutta and Julie Riutta Mr. & Mrs John R. Warila
Franklin Bay
Mr. & Mrs Hallin Arni Rautio Donald V. Riswick Pat Stricklin
Mr. R L. McColloch
Mrs. Gertrude M Oja
Mr. & Mrs David Hallin
G.MaryHoff
I I
Mr. & Mrs. Walter Gadsby Mr. & Mrs F M Ginn
Mr. & Mrs Sion Wentworth Mr. & Mrs. Nicholas Zafiratos Mrs. Donna Mary Dulcich
Mrs. Lucille Perkins
Mr. & Mrs. Herman M. Haggren
Maurice Schmitz
Mr. & Mrs George Abrahamsen Mr. & Mrs Ernest J Barrows Captain & Mrs Joseph Bruneau Mr. & Mrs. Theodore T Bugas Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Chan Mr & Mrs. Gordon Childs Mr. & Mrs. Robert Chopping Captain & Mrs. Dale A. Dickinson Donald F . Fastabend
Dennis Koskela
Mr. & Mrs. Ray Tynkila
Mr. & Mrs Robert M. Oja
Lynn Hamilton
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Seppa Dorothy 0. Soderberg
Ms. Ruth N iemi
Buel J Ward
Suzanne Caswell Honeyman
Mr. & Mrs Armas Niskanen
Albert Laurie Luukinen
Mrs. Frances P. Larson
Mr & Mrs. Norman Benke Marguerite Moyer Mrs. Thelma Runde!
Mr. & Mrs David Bonocini
Betty Jane Neikes
Mrs Nancy L. Grimberg
Buel J Ward
Henry Crane
Wayne Ostrom
Pat Stricklin
Mrs. Ellen K Sanford
Jim Van Cleave
Mr. & Mrs Frank Malmstedt
Alta M. Rones E. Stuart Gryziec
Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Bue Mr. James W Canton
Mr. & Mrs Piippo
Vieno Toppi/a
Rolf Klep
Mr. & Mrs. Larry Perkins Mr. & Mrs. George E Siverson Mrs Frances Straumford
Dr. Rodney Miller
Mr. & Mrs Harry L. Larson
Mr. & Mrs Arnold C. Swanson Mrs Nancy Thorsness
Mr. & Mrs George Moskovita LTC Victor L. Nunenkamp Mrs. Ruth Pruzynski Mrs Nancy Thorsness
Lois Wolfgram
Dr. & Mrs David I. Williams
Major Duffy E. Morgan
Mr & Mrs. Elton A Anderson
Charles "Chuck" Anderson, (Eugene) Oregon
Mr. & Mrs Harry L. Larson
Mr. & Mrs Eugene Knutsen
Mr. & Mrs. Norman Forney
Gene Hill
Mrs. Ella P. Hill
Mr. & Mrs. Willard A. Ivanoff
Mr. & Mrs Joe Hubbell
Mr. & Mrs Arthur Hermonsfeld Marlyss Mehl Mrs. Lucille Perkins Ervin Rine!
Doug Vinson
Mr. & Mrs Robert E McGhee
Mr. & Mrs Albin E Ihander Arne Jylha
Mrs Betty Paxton
Mr. & Mrs. Joseph L. Thompson
Mr. & Mrs. Gordon Story Mr. & Mrs. Jack Temple Mr. & Mrs Edmund Johnson Al Larson
Mr. & Mrs. Sven B. Lund
Nancy L. Grimberg
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Bish
John B Fewel
Sven B. Lund
Janice Frutiger-Johnston
Susan Jeanette Floyd
Mrs. Marguerite Moyer
Mrs Betty Paxton
COLUMBIA RIVER MARITIME MUSEUM 34TH ANNUAL MEETING
Your invitation will be maied soon. Mark your calendars for:
COLUMBIA RIVER MARITIME MUSEUM 1792 MARINE DRIVE ASTORIA, OREGON 97103 ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED FORWARDING & RETURN POST AGE GUARANTEED N on-profit Organization U S POST AGE PAID Astoria, Oegon Permit No. 328
Friday, November 15, 1996
Mr. & Mrs . Irwin McFadden
Mr. & Mrs James H Morrison
Art Huebner
Judith Mimnaugh
Robert R. Mitchell
Dixon J. Scoffern
5:30 Cocktail Hour
Mrs. Mary B. Hoffman
Major Duffy E. Morgan
7:00 Dinner at the Astoria Golf and Country Club
Mr & Mrs. Don Goodall
Mr. & Mrs. R. Keith Allen
Mr. & Mrs John M McClelland
6:30 Members Meeting
Dr. & Mrs. Joseph F. Lambert
Mr. & Mrs. John Price
Guest Speaker: Gerald W. Frank, author of "Where to Find It, Buy It, Eat It in New York, " columnist of "Friday Surprise" in the Oregonian, and Senior Correspondent on Northwest Reports on KPTV (Channel 12). Come for an exclusive "Friday Surprise!"
Mrs Dorothy R. Mickelson
Gifts
Mr. & Mrs. Herman M Haggren
Mr. & Mrs Robert F Scoffern
Mr. & Mrs. Neil A Jaeger
Samuel C. Wheeler (Wheeler Foundation)
George Malarkey
Exploradores! Exhibit - April 1, 1996 - June 30, 1996
Dr. Rodney Miller
Mr. & Mrs. George Wilhelm
Mr. & Mrs. Byron Broms Ken Chartes
Clarence Demase
Mr. & Mrs. Stephen B Dudley C. S. Emmons
John Gaw