Dave Knows Portland

July 28, 1966: Final Run of the Astoria-Megler Ferry

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Front page of The Oregonian (29-July-1966)The M.R. Chessman made the final Astoria-Megler ferry run on July 28, 1966 (The Oregonian, 29-July-1966).

Hundreds of nostalgic ferry riders left the Astoria dock at 9 p.m. Thursday to crossover the 4 1/2 miles of river, returning from Megler at 10:30 p.m. Dozens of present and former crewmen who have worked in the ferry service here over the last five decades were aboard.

Though the Astoria-Megler Bridge would not officially open until August 27, the bridge opened to automobile traffic at 6am on July 29, relieving the ferry boats of their duty.

2016 Update: the Astoria ferry may be coming back!

July 19, 1894: The First Mazamas Summit Mt. Hood

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"On Hood's Snowy Cap" (Morning Oregonian, 21-July-1894)The Mazamas, a nonprofit mountaineering education organization, got their start in 1894, when members of the defunct Oregon Alpine Club orchestrated a group climb to the summit of Mt. Hood.

The group’s first organized climb took place July 19, 1894, when 155 men and 38 women made the summit of Mt. Hood. The group voted for group leaders on the summit at 3pm that day. 105 of the climbers became charter members of the Mazamas – and to this day a requirement for membership is the ascent of a mountain with a living glacier.

In 1896 the group gave the name Mount Mazama to the destroyed stratovolcano known today for holding Crater Lake.

July 18, 1841: USS Peacock Wrecks at Mouth of Columbia

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Wreck of the Peacock and Abandonment
Sent to explore the Pacific Northwest coast as part of the United States Exploring Expedition, the USS Peacock wrecked at the mouth of the Columbia River on July 18, 1841.

The Peacock, having sailed from the Hawaii, approached the Columbia River on the morning of July 17, 1841. A dense fog lasted until early morning on the eighteenth, when the crew spotted Cape Disappointment on the northern side of the river’s mouth. Soon after noon, the ship’s captain, Lieutenant Hudson, called all hands to work ship into the river (Untold Story of the Peacock Wrecked in 1841, by Norman A. Howerton in the Oregon Historical Quarterly Vol. 43, No. 2 (Jun., 1942), pp. 129-134). Following directions through the channel he’d been given in Hawaii, Lieutenant Hudson brought the ship to bear northeast one-quarter east by compass, and was toward the cap to bring Chinook Point to bear east, northeast.

In a few minutes Lieutenant Hudson discovered the sea breaking ahead, and, believing the Peacock too far to the southward, he wore ship and ran a short distance until clear of the breakers, and to where the passage appeared smooth and clear of break, both from below and aloft.

Again the Peacock stood in. Then she struck.

By the morning of the 19th, it became clear the ship could not be saved and the captain ordered the crew evacuate. American missionaries at Point Adams and Hudson’s Bay Company officials at Fort George (now Astoria) provided aid. Not one member of the crew perished.

Popina Swimwear Boutique Travel Showcase First Thursday (7-June-2011)

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Popina Travel ShowcasePopina Swimwear Boutique in the Pearl District (318 NW 11th) is hosting a series of travel events with the help of experts from the travel site BootsnAll.

The latest Popina Swimwear Boutique Travel Showcase takes place this First Thursday, June 7, 2011 from 6:30pm until 8:30pm. The guest host this month is Jessica Spiegel:

Jessica Spiegel is BootsnAll’s resident Italy expert and writer of WhyGo Italy, an online travel guide. Jessica has been traveling in Italy for over 10 years and writing the WhyGo Italy travel guide for almost five years. Her special areas of expertise include trip logistics (especially train travel) and helping first timers to Italy. The only thing she likes as much as being in Italy is talking about Italy, so come with your Italy questions and get insider info on all things Italy travel.

Learn how to escape the cubicle, chat travel with the BootsnAll Travel crew, plan your next getaway with Popina’s retro-inspired swimwear, and enjoy a free beer, courtesy of Kona Brewing! Oh, and don’t forget the giveaways, which this month include two first class upgrades on Alaska Airlines, Alaska Airline travel vouchers, and an Ellington travel bag.

Find more details and RSVP on the Facebook Event page.

July 1, 1958: Second Interstate Bridge Span Opens

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Dedication of New Interstate Span (The Oregonian, 2-July-2011)On Tuesday July 1, 1958 the new Interstate Bridge span opened to traffic for the first time (The Oregonian, 2-July-2011). The original span, opened in 1917, was closed the same day for remodeling (the remodeled old bridge would eventually match the new bridge in virtually every detail – except it’s 2 feet narrower).

The dedication ceremony harked back to the 1917 dedication:

Two little girls in white hats, white stockings and high button shoes pulled loose the bow that opened the first bridge.

The same pair, matronly now and 41 years older, untied the bow that opened the new $6,815,000 span which will be teamed as a one-way couplet with the old bridge to form a metropolitan link between Oregon and Washington meeting modern highway standards.

During the remodeling of the old span the new span served traffic in both directions. The original span now carries traffic northbound and traffic flows south on the newer, 1958, span.