The Morning Star Delay (1855)
On January 4, 1855, the Morning Star of Tillamook—the first ship ever registered in Tillamook County—was still stuck on its launch skids.
- The Launch Struggle: After being christened on January 1, the settlers attempted to launch the ship using estuary mud as grease, but the vessel would not budge.
- The Solution: The ship sat stationary for four days until settlers sacrificed a steer for tallow to grease the skids.
- Departure: The vessel finally reached the water on January 5, 1855, to begin its maiden voyage delivering dairy products to Portland, a feat now immortalized on the Tillamook Creamery logo.
The “Morning Star” was built out of economic necessity because shipwrecks had destroyed all transportation that had carried local dairy products, fish and potatoes to market. The vessel was built by the combined efforts of Tillamook’s settlers. Most of the materials came from the forest, but iron work from a wrecked ship was laboriously packed on horseback from the Clatsop beaches by way of Neahkahnie Mountain. Sails were purchased from the Indians who had salvaged them from a ship wrecked near Netarts. Pitch was used to caulk the craft. Paint was not available. The ship was launched in the Kilchis River on Jan. 5, 1855, and for some years made possible the existence of the pioneers and development of Tillamook County.
From Oregon Encyclopedia – https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/morning_star_ship_/
When commercial traders refused to stop in Tillamook in the mid-nineteenth century because of the difficult entrance to the bay, the settlers of Tillamook County found themselves without access to the Portland and Astoria markets. Residents were required to find new means of importing goods and transporting their dairy products.
In September 1854, fearing starvation because of their diminishing provisions, they began constructing a new vessel. Every member of the community helped assemble the first ship built in Tillamook County and registered in Oregon. Building supplies were gathered from local timber and salvageable remnants of local shipwrecks.
After a good deal of hard work by an eager community, the ship was completed on December 29, 1854. It was christened Morning Star in the belief that the ship was the harbinger of a new day for Tillamook County. The first attempt to launch the ship on skids greased with estuary mud failed, as the vessel remained stationary due to too little grease. After sacrificing a steer to make some tallow, the ship was finally ready for its maiden voyage on January 5, 1855.
Carrying tons of dairy products and seafood, the two-masted Morning Star sailed through stormy waters to Astoria and Portland. After unloading the goods from Tillamook and collecting the necessary supplies, the ship returned safely to its home port.
The Morning Star ensured the survival of Tillamook County and continued to service Tillamook for a year and half until it was sold to pay off the debt of one of the owners. The ship was eventually sold to Leonard and Green of Astoria and then sold to shipping interests in Olympia, Washington; in 1860, it was wrecked in the Straits of Juan de Fuca.
In February 1959, construction of a replica of the Morning Star began as a way to commemorate the Oregon Centennial. Once again, a group of volunteers from Tillamook County worked together to complete the Morning Star II, recreating the community spirit evident during the construction of the original ship. The project was completed in late July 1959. The ship sailed from Tillamook Bay, following the original route to Astoria and up the Columbia and Willamette Rivers, loaded with six tons of cheese. Axel Anderson of Bay City served as skipper on this voyage.
The Morning Star II arrived at the Oregon Centennial Exposition in Portland on August 22, 1959, just in time for Tillamook County Day. Free tours of the ship and samples of Tillamook cheese were offered. After the festivities concluded, the vessel returned to Tillamook and eventually was put on display at the Tillamook Creamery. In 1992, it was replaced by a smaller scale replica, built by master shipwright Richard Miles of Aberdeen, Washington.
The Morning Star played an important role in strengthening the community of Tillamook and establishing the dairy industry in Tillamook County. When the packaging for the Tillamook County Creamery Association was redesigned in 1966, a rendition of the ship was part of the new label.