BG279: Abandoned House & Car at (Now Gone) Mill Town of Bradwood, OR – April 1981.

Before the Restoration:

This restoration shows an abandoned residence & car, one of the last buildings that remained standing in the once-thriving company town of Bradwood, Oregon as seen in April 1981.

The town was the company town of the Bradley-Woodward Lumber Company, and was incorporated in July 1930. It’s name was a derivative of the company name. Shortly after the mill began operations, work began on creating the town.

Bradwood was a location on the Columbia River situated between the towns of Knappa & Wauna, Oregon, about 22 miles east of Astoria.

With a shipping port and served by the SP&S railroad, Bradwood became the terminus for the company’s private railroad bringing down logs felled on Nicolai Mountain, milling them at the company mill & shipping finished products out by ship & rail. Lumber from the mill was used to construct the houses & businesses that were built to accommodate the millworkers & their families.

The mill and town thrived during the depression years and throughout World War II but afterward the once abundant timber stands dwindled and the mill ceased operations of it’s privately owned logging railroad. The mill continued on in operations with logs brought in by trucks & purchased log rafts for awhile. At some point, the entire operation was sold to Pope & Talbot Co.

In June 1962 the decision was made to close down the mill and a year later, on June 25th, 1963 the mill & entire town was sold at auction into private hands. Some of the buildings were moved or deconstructed but the rest were simply abandoned.

A major fire in 1965 destroyed the mill & much of the remaining buildings, and another fire in 1984 took care of what buildings remained including the house pictured here.

Today, the property is privately held, no structures or roads remain, and there is no evidence that the little community of Bradwood ever existed. In the mid-2000s, the site was considered for a proposed terminal for receiving liquefied natural gas (LNG). Protests & bankruptcies however derailed that plan and today the site is unimproved with posted “No Trespassing” signs.

SSA1339: “CLAIRE” – Last Wooden-Hulled Sternwheeler on Willamette River in Portland, OR – May 1960.

Before the Restoration:

This restoration from my archive is showing the Western Transportation sternwheeler CLAIRE docked at the Western Transportation dock at Portland, Oregon as seen in May 1960.

The CLAIRE was built as a towboat in 1918 and was 157 feet long with a 34 ft. beam and a draft of 5 feet 6 inches. She was 563 tons and fitted with 16 x 84″ engines which delivered 716 hp. About 450 hp was utilized by her paddles.

The CLAIRE primarily worked as a tug & freight boat in her early years, hauling occasional passengers along with general merchandise on the upper Willamette & paper products from the Oregon City mills. Her later years saw her more in tugboat service along with other sternwheelers on both the Willamette & Columbia rivers. Because of her smaller length, she could fit where the other larger sternwheelers could not, in the government locks at Oregon City and as a result, was the last steamboat operating above Willamette Falls, a practice dating back to 1851.

In the 1948 flood that inundated Portland & destroyed the Vanport community, the CLAIRE was underway on the Columbia river when she struck a submerged object in the floodwaters of the Camas slough near Camas, Washington and sank immediately but her crew was safely recovered by the company sternwheeler JEAN. The ship was later raised & towed back to Portland for repairs.

The year 1951 saw the addition of the former river packet HASSALO’s unique 3 chime organ-like steam whistle mounted on the CLAIRE. The resonant sound making the boat identifiable everywhere on the river.

A year later, in June 1952, she made her annual trip up the upper Willamette to Champoeg Park with members of the Veteran Steamboatmen’s Assn for their annual meeting. It turned out to be her final voyage under her own power.

After her return to the Western Transportation dock in Portland she was laid up and made into a floating machine shop for the company as seen in this photo.

Her career as a floating shop did not serve her well as oils and other flammable liquids coated her wooden decks. About nine years later, the Portland Fire Bureau after an inspection declared the CLAIRE was a fire hazard. Western Transportation decided, due to her age, it was not cost effective to do repairs and cleanup so on October 10, 1961, the venerable & last steamboat to serve the upper Willamette was towed to a sandbar at Hayden Island & set afire setting loose a raging conflagration consuming the ship to the waterline & ending a legacy of wooden steamboating on the Willamette River.

SSA1301: Astoria Oregon Ferry “Tourist No. 2” Crossing Columbia River With View of Astoria – July 1957.

Before the Restoration:

This restoration shows a view of Astoria, OR from the top deck of the Astoria – Megler, WA ferry “TOURIST NO. 2” headed to Megler on July 18, 1957.

Tourist No. 2 is a 1924 wooden-hulled car & passenger ferry. Today, it is 98 feet long with a 36 ft. beam.

Originally, in 1920, Cpt. Fritz Elfving decided to capitalize on the dilemma of travelers needing to cross the mouth of the Columbia River to get from Astoria to Washington.

He developed the Astoria-McGowan Ferry Company, starting with a scow that could carry nine cars and then added a new ferry called the Tourist that could carry 15 cars and 30 passengers. As rail service increased on both sides of the river, summer tourism also increased. Elfving once again seized the opportunity to meet the demand by building the Tourist No. 2, taking passengers & cars across the Columbia River, from its dock in Astoria, Oregon to a dock on the Washington side of the river at Megler.

The ferry was in service on that route from 1924-1966 except when she was purchased by the US Army in 1941, painted gray, renamed “Octopus” & used to lay mines at the mouth of the Columbia River. After the war, she was purchased from the government by Elfving, rechristened “Tourist No. 2” & returned to her regular route between Astoria & Megler until the interstate Megler Bridge was opened in 1967.

A short time after Elfving reclaimed his ferry, the Oregon State Highway Commission acquired all of Elfving’s inventory & began operations as the “Astoria-North Coast Ferry System.” Operating until the completion of the bridge, the ferry was then sold to Pierce County, Washington & renamed “Islander of Pierce County” operating in Washinton’s Puget Sound Ferry system for 30 years.

Seattle-based Argosy Cruises purchased the boat in 1996, remaking the ferry into a dinner cruise vessel & renaming her “MV KIRKLAND.” She operated in that capacity until about 2010 when an engine room fire put an end to that venture.

The boat was purchased for $10,000 by Christian Lint who used it to rent out for parties & events. Several years later, Robert “Jake” Jacobs, owner of the Cannery Pier Hotel in Astoria initiated an effort to bring the ferry back to Astoria, which was agreed upon by Lint.

The boat returned to her original cruising area in Astoria on Aug. 1, 2016. For several more years, efforts were initiated to renovate the boat but after an evaluation by the Coast Guard, it was estimated that it would cost over one million dollars to get the boat in certifiable condition to again carry passengers which had the effect of putting a halt to any future plans.

Today the boat remains in moorage at Astoria and is currently offered for sale for $225,000.

SSA1297: Tug “PORT OF BANDON” In Rough Bar at Bandon, Oregon – Dec. 1956.

Before the Restoration:

December 1956

This restoration shows the tug “PORT OF BANDON” battling rough bar conditions at the mouth of the Coquille River at Bandon, Oregon in December 1956.

The tug was built in 1938 by Victor Laivo and Herman Hongell at Prosper, OR for the Port of Bandon. She was launched on Aug. 14, 1938 and was 86 feet long with a 20 foot beam and ten foot draft. The ship was powered by a 500 horsepower Fairbanks Morse diesel engine.

In 1942, she was requisitioned by the U.S. Government for use during World War II, and during this time she was decorated for outstanding service.

After the war, she was purchased by the Foss Launch and Tug Company, but was later returned to the Bandon port. She was then purchased by Captain Arvid Leppaluoto of the Upper Columbia River Towing Company. While in that service, under the command of Captain Wayne Locy of Portland, she sprang a leak and sank in Kure Island Channel in the South Pacific early in 1960.

(Thanks to Bandon Mayor & historian Mary Schamehorn and Ernie Osbourne, from his book “Wooden Ships & Master Craftsmen” for their assistance in the history of the tug).

BG238: Rip Van Winkle Bridge & Toll Booth in New York – 1948.

Before the Restoration

This restoration shows the “Rip Van Winkle” Toll Bridge spanning the Hudson River between Hudson & Catskill New York in 1948.

The 5,040 foot long cantilever bridge was built in 1934-35 by the New York Bridge Authority at a cost of $2.4 million and was officially opened on July 2, 1935.

The bridge is still in operation as a toll bridge. The brick building on the right of the photo is still in use although the toll booth on the left of the roadway & the overhead roof connecting it to the building on the right are both now gone.

The sign with the red letters says “Keep Right – Toll Booth Stop” & the sign below that says “Car & Occupants 25¢ (looks like)”.

SS774: Italia Line Passenger/Cargo Ship FELTRE Sunk in Columbia River, Near Prescott, Oregon – March 1937.

In this restoration from a heavily-damaged master negative, the Italia Line’s passenger/cargo ship FELTRE is shown sitting on the bottom of the Columbia River near Prescott, Oregon after a collision with the freighter EDWARD LUCKENBACH on February 17, 1937. This photo was taken in early March 1937.

The 7,057 ton, 450 ft long FELTRE was built for Navigazione Libera Triestina, in Trieste, Italy, in 1927 for combined limited passenger & cargo service. She was transferred to the Italia Line in 1937.

She was outbound from Portland in a rain-swept gale in the early morning of Feb. 17, 1937 when she suddenly picked up the starboard light of the EDWARD LUCKENBACH bearing on her. Although both ships took action to evade each other, the LUCKENBACH sideswiped the FELTRE about 3/4 of the entire starboard length of the ship. The LUCKENBACH suffered significant bow damage but remained afloat

The FELTRE was not so lucky. She had received severe damage & sank, fortunately, on an even keel, in 35 feet of river, settling on the bottom.

There were no casualties on either ship. The LUCKENBACH proceeded to Portland under her own power for repairs. A $185,000 shipment of silver bars was removed from the FELTRE’s holds on the following day & on March 18, she was finally raised from the bottom by Pacific Salvage Co.  However, the satisfaction of seeing the ship raised sank when the ship almost immediately sank again. Four days later, she was raised again & this time stayed afloat for the trip back to Portland for repairs.

The FELTRE was libeled by the salvagers & sold for $55,000 to the Pacific American Fisheries & Co. After a $300,000 rebuilding at Portland, the largest maritime repair job in Portland’s history at that time, she was renamed CLEVEDON & returned to service.

As the CLEVEDON, the ship could not shake the black cloud that seemed to follow her.

In late 1941, the CLEVEDON was taken over by the US military and renovated for service as an ARMY transport vessel adding approximately 3300 tons to her tonnage.

On January 12, 1942 the ship was docked at the military pier in Yakutat, Alaska completely loaded with ammunition when, in a worse-case scenario, a fire broke out in her engine room. As the fire grew in intensity, the commander of the pier ordered the tug TAKU to get a line on the burning ship and tow her out of the harbor. The tug towed the blazing ship across the bay & beached her but high tide set the ship free & she drifted for five hours until her cargo finally exploded completely obliterating the ship and turning it into small pieces of shrapnel.

Thus ended the hard-luck life of the FELTRE/CLEVEDON.

SS858: Puget Sound Sternwheeler SKAGIT CHIEF Underway in Seattle, WA – 1949.

Shown in this restoration from the original negative is the Puget Sound sternwheeler SKAGIT CHIEF underway in Seattle, WA in 1949.

In 1950, SKAGIT CHIEF was one of the last two Puget Sound commercial sternwheelers in service.

Built for the Skagit River Navigation Company by Lake Union Drydock & Machine Works, she was launched on February 18, 1935.  She was 165 feet with a beam of 40 feet and a draft of only 18 inches.

The ship was 502 gross tons & propelled by a 400 hp single-cylinder engine that was removed from the turn-of-the-century Columbia River steamer G.K. WENTWORTH. The ship was also built with “spuds” (heavy upright beams that could be lowered to the river bed) to enable her hoist herself over shoals & make difficult turns in the river.

The SKAGIT CHIEF continued in Puget Sound service until 1956 when she was sold to Portland Harbor Marina who planned to convert her into a floating restaurant on the Willamette River.

The little sternwheeler was towed in late October leaving Seattle bound for Portland, OR. In the early morning of October 29, while proceeding through calm seas off the Grays Harbor, WA entrance, the SKAGIT CHIEF quietly began sinking, so quietly in fact that the crew on the tug towing her didn’t realize it until they felt the drag on the towline.
They quickly disengaged the towline and watched the sternwheeler quickly disappear beneath the waves. No one was aboard the SKAGIT CHIEF when she sank & no attempt at salvage was made. The ship now lies on the bottom of the Pacific where she sank.

Undeterred by the loss of the SKAGIT CHIEF, the City of Portland acquired a running mate from the Puget Sound Navigation fleet, the SHASTA which was retired from the  fleet in 1958.

It was operated along the Columbia River during Oregon’s 1959 Centennial celebration & was renamed CENTENNIAL QUEEN. Later laid-up, the ship in 1962 became the floating restaurant first envisioned for the SKAGIT CHIEF. She was renamed RIVER QUEEN & was moored along the Portland waterfront on the Willamette River serving as a floating restaurant for the next thirty years.

SSA1263: SS ADMIRAL Excursion Ship at St. Louis, MO – 1950.

Shown in this restoration from 1950 is the Streckfus Steamer Excursion ship ADMIRAL docked at the Streckfus Steamers Office near the Eads Bridge in St. Louis, Missouri.

The steamer was built in 1906 & launched in 1907 as the ALBATROSS, a metal-clad ferry for heavy vehicles of the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley Railroad.

The ship was acquired by Streckfus in 1935 for excursion service on the Mississippi & Ohio rivers. The company rebuilt the ship adding a five story steel superstructure with art-deco styling, completing it in 1940 for over $700,000. Her steel hull was divided into 74 compartments, of which up to 11 could be flooded with the ship still remaining afloat The two massive piston shafts that drove the side paddle wheels were nicknamed Popeye and Wimpy and were visible from the lower deck.

In 1973, Streckfus Steamers converted the Admiral from steam to diesel power. The shafts for the paddlewheels were cut and removed to make way for port and starboard diesel propellers. The side-propellers and a stern-mounted propeller were all run by large Caterpillar engines.

The ADMIRAL operated in excursion service from 1940 to 1978. The ship was pulled out of service in 1979 after a Coast Guard inspection revealed a severely weakened hull. Faced with a projected repair bill of 1.5 million, Streckfus made the decision to sell the aged ship & did so two years later to a Pittsburgh businessman who had repairs done to the vessel but later sold it to local St. Louis investors who turned the ADMIRAL into an entertainment venue in 1987. This was a money-losing venture however & in 1990 it became the President Casino at Laclede’s Landing in St. Louis & operated until 2010.

The ADMIRAL’s fate was sealed when the ship’s owner (Pinnacle Entertainment) was denied a request to move the boat to another point on the river by the state so it was sold to St. Louis Marine for scrapping which was completed in late 2011.

SSA1256: Sidewheeler SENATOR at St. Louis, MO dock circa 1943.

This restoration shows the former Streckfus Steamers sidewheeler SENATOR docked near the Eads Bridge in St. Louis, MO circa 1943.

The 300 foot riverboat was built in 1883 for the DIAMOND JO excursion & packet riverboat line as the ST. PAUL. DIAMOND JO Line folded in Feb. 1911 & John Streckfus acquired most all of Diamond Jo’s holdings.

The ship was rebuilt by Streckfus for excursions on the Mississippi between St. Louis & St. Paul, MN & made her first trip for Streckfus in 1917.

The ship continued in the 1920’s with successful trips further south to the Quad Cities-Cape Girardeau area.

In 1940, the ship was rebuilt and renamed SENATOR & based at Pittsburgh, PA to run trips on the Ohio River which she did in 1941-2. Later in 1942, the ship was acquired by the Coast Guard, moved back to St. Louis and used for training purposes.

She was returned to Streckfus in 1943 & was converted into a floating machine shop & warehouse above Eads Bridge in St. Louis.

The ship was never placed in service again and was towed to an area near White House, MO ten years later, in January 1953 & deliberately sunk.

RR220: Portland, OR Railyard Flooded in May, 1948.

This restored image shows floodwaters from the Willamette River slowly receding after flooding the Pope & Talbot Terminal, railcars, Western Transportation General Offices & the Union Pacific’s Freight Station in Portland, Oregon on May 31, 1948 after three stormy days with heavy rainfall.  Note the water level on the boxcars.

The view is looking from south of the Broadway Bridge northward. This area now is completely changed as it is now NW Naito Parkway and McCormick Pier’s Condos are now located where Pope & Talbot’s Terminal was. Apartments & condos also extend in the area of Union Pacific’s freight station (left of photo) to the Broadway bridge.

Union Station, which had 2.5 feet of water inside, is to the left and out of the photo.

The Albers Mill building (upper left of photo) & the Broadway Bridge still remain today but everything else west of the river in this photo is gone.

This was also the flood that wiped out the then second-largest city of Vanport, Oregon, just northeast of downtown Portland.