Oregon Board of Pilot Commissioners registry
Scope and Contents
The collection consists of a registry of ships arriving at and departing from the Columbia River Bar, covering the period from June 1898 to May 1906. Registry entries include the name of the ship, the ship's nationality and origin, the surname of the pilot who guided the ship through the Columbia River Bar, the date the ship arrived at Astoria, Oregon, and the date it crossed over the bar. The registry also notes the amount of money charged to the ship for inward and outward pilotage, and the amount of inward and outward bar draft, measured in feet and inches.
Dates
- 1898-1906
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.
Historical Note
The entrance of the Columbia River, known as the Columbia River Bar, is treacherous for ships, and numerous ships have sunk there since the late 18th century, leading the area to be nicknamed the Graveyard of the Pacific. In order to safely traverse the bar, ships are guided by river pilots.
In 1846, the Oregon Provisional Legislature, responding to calls for pilotage on the Columbia River to be regulated, passed a bill that formed the Oregon Board of Pilot Commissioners, which licensed individuals to serve as designated river pilots. The Board was later renamed the Oregon Board of Maritime Pilots.
Extent
0.2 Cubic Feet (1 oversize folder (20x24) in shared box)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Register of ships that traversed the Columbia River Bar between June 1898 and May 1906, including information about who piloted the ships, and on what dates the ships crossed the bar or reached Astoria, Oregon. The Oregon Provisional Legislature formed the Oregon Board of Pilot Commissioners in 1846 to regulate pilotage on the Columbia River.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of the Oregon Board of Pilot Commissioners, July 1947 (RL2020-022-RETRO).
General
The collection was designated Mss 419-B prior to 2020.
- Title
- Guide to the Oregon Board of Pilot Commissioners registry
- Status
- Under Revision
- Author
- Jeffrey A. Hayes
- Date
- 2020
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- Finding aid is written in English.
Repository Details
Part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library Repository
1200 SW Park Ave.
Portland OR 97205 United States
5033065204
5033065240
libreference@ohs.org