The Maritime Culture of the Coastal Indigenous People of the Pacific Northwest. Coming November 2024
Columbia River Bar Pilot and CRMM Trustee Captain Dan Jordan discusses local shipping, navigation and pilotage issues with a group of foreign naval officers from over 30 nations visiting CRMM as part of the U. S. Naval War College’s “Maritime Security and Governance Staff Course.” The MSGSC “strengthens global partnerships and prepares international officers to face complex and dynamic maritime threat environments.”
Executive Director Bruce Jones and Curator Jeff Smith accept the donation of a name board from Coast Guard Cutter Alert’s Commanding Officer, CDR Lee Crusius, at the cutter’s recent homeport transfer ceremony. Alert, a 210 foot Medium Endurance Cutter commissioned in 1969, was based in Astoria from 1994-2024, and is now based in Port Canaveral, FL. Photo: USCG
Alert shown returning to Astoria’s
just
completion of a
Alert was
17th Street Pier at the
61 day counternarcotics patrol in the Eastern Pacific.
moored
yards away from the museum for 30 years. Photo: USCG
On The Cusp Of Change
Campus Transformation
At the end of 2023, we bid farewell to Sam Johnson as he ended his highly successful, 15 year tenure as Executive Director. Among Sam’s many accomplishments were: installation of the Pilot Boat Peacock; transformation of the decrepit Astoria Railroad Depot into the Barbey Maritime Center; purchase of the defunct Astoria Builders Supply and its conversion into our collections storage (the Maritime Heritage Resource Center); acquisition of an adjoining property and construction of the Warnock Commons and Model Boat Pond; drydock/ restoration of the Lightship Columbia; and substantial growth in our endowment.
It was also Sam’s vision to create an expansive new exhibit featuring the maritime culture of coastal Indigenous people from Alaska to California; that exhibit, Cedar and Sea, opens in November 2024.
CRMM continues carrying out founder Rolf Klep’s vision for the benefit a new generation of museum-goers.
Since Sam’s departure, we have begun an exciting new collaboration with the Chinook Indian Nation, the first result of which is a new Chinook exhibit, ntsayka ili/i ukuk - “This is Our Place,” opening in September 2024. And we have begun and nearly completed the remodeling of 11,000 square feet of existing gallery space to accommodate new and refreshed exhibits.
Now, CRMM is on the cusp of the most dramatic improvements to our campus, exhibits, and visitor experience since we opened the current main building in 1982. The story of the transformational Warnock Mariners Hall project begins on page 8. I invite you to read about this exciting project, and see how we are continuing to carry out our founder Rolf Klep’s vision for the benefit of a new generation of museum-goers.
Bruce Jones, Executive Director
Even after his retirement at the end of 2023, Sam Johnson remains passionate about the Cedar and Sea exhibit and continues to help track down material and objects for the museum. Here he has just returned from Washington with a load of cedar planks for use in the exhibit.
On the cover: Mask featured in Cedar and Sea by K’ómoks carver Karver Everson of Comox, BC.
CRMM Education and Outreach
Senior Enrichment Program, Museum in the Schools (MITS) and Miniboat Program
CRMM’s popular Senior Enrichment Programs bring the museum to those who are not able to visit. Registrar Meg Glazier-Anderson (shown) and Educator Julia Triezenberg select interesting artifacts from collections storage and provide presentations on a variety of topics to seven senior care and independent living facilities across Clatsop and Pacific Counties. For more information about Senior Enrichment Programs, contact education@crmm.org.
Julia Triezenberg
Museum in the Schools (MITS) is a well-established and loved program offered by the Columbia River Maritime Museum. Here Eli Schenk leads one of the 440 classroom programs Eli and other CRMM staff conducted for 9,513 students across nine counties in Oregon and Washington during the 2023-2024 school year. Topics were: Sea Otters, Deep Sea Core Drilling, Monsters of the Deep, and Fishing in the Pacific Northwest.
“The coloring sheet he left with me was perfect for the transition. They colored and talked about otters. I sent home a reading text with writing prompt for homework asking them to compare the two otters and they were super excited to write! Several student wrote a whole page in response. Thank you Eli!” – 3rd grade teacher
“It is inspiring to me to see such engaging strategies firsthand that I can then try in the classroom on a regular basis.” – 4th grade teacher
“I love how every year there are new topics to choose from. Each topic this year has been fascinating and interesting as we learn about our local area.” – 1st grade teacher
Photo:
Photo: Katy Menne
Miniboats
Now under the leadership of CRMM Boat Educator Olive Delsol, the Miniboat program continues to be a popular and deeply impactful way of engaging students in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) subjects.
Alisa Dunlap, Regional Business Manager for Pacific Power, visited Executive Director Jones and Education Director Katy Menne to deliver two Pacific Power Foundation grant checks for the Miniboat Program! Alisa’s visit came just one day after The USCGC Alert launched the Barnes Elementary school Miniboat off the coast of Mexico. Thank you to Pacific Power for their continued support of CRMM’s educational programming! Photo: Alisa
Jewell School students christen their miniboat in CRMM’s Warnock Commons Model Boat Pond. Photo: Katy Menne
Dunlap
The crew of the NYK vehicle carrier Sakura Leader carefully launch the S/V (Sailing Vessel) Puffinstuff in the Bering Sea. Interestingly, Sakura Leader is NYK’s first LNG-powered vessel. Photo: NYK
Boat Educator Olive DelSol, top left, with her Barnes Elementary School Miniboat student team at their boat’s christening ceremony in Kelso, WA.
Donors make the difference
Engaged, passionate, and generous donors have made all the difference in CRMM’s journey from good to great over the past 62 years. Each of the major milestones in our growth has resulted from a recognition of a unique opportunity to fill a museum need, a vision to capitalize on the opportunity, and individual, business and foundation supporters rallying to bring the vision to reality.
Mike Henningsen
“I support the Columbia River Maritime Museum because it not only preserves our rich maritime heritage but also ignites a passion for learning in young students. Through a commitment to hands-on classroom instruction, engaging activities such as building mini boats to be launched and tracked through ocean currents, the museum inspires and educates future generations about the wonders of maritime history and the importance of our connection to the Columbia River and the ocean.”
Mike and Melissa Haglund
“Since its founding in 1962, the Columbia River Maritime Museum has been progressing toward levels of archival, exhibit and program excellence that are truly world-class. It is the capstone character of the Warnock Mariners Hall Project’s contribution to this amazing achievement that inspired our family’s capital campaign gift.”
Linda Keizer
“My contribution towards the construction of the Mariner’s Hall at CRMM is driven by my deep commitment to preserving maritime history and fostering education. This new facility represents more than just bricks and mortar; it embodies a collective effort to safeguard invaluable pieces of our maritime heritage. By expanding the museum’s capacity, we are not only enhancing the visitor experience but also creating a dynamic space for community engagement and educational outreach. I firmly believe that by investing in initiatives like this, we are laying the foundation for future generations to connect with and be inspired by our rich maritime legacy.”
Anne Myers
“In 1984 when David and I bought a condominium at Columbia House in Astoria, our friends would say ‘you what?’ At the time, Astoria was not a destination and the Columbia River Maritime Museum was hardly known. Needless to say, that is not the case today and our investment in Astoria has been one of our most satisfactory. Today one of the biggest attractions in Astoria is the Columbia River Maritime Museum. Visitors come from all over the world. We appreciate the impact the CRMM has had not only on Astoria, but all of the West Coast.”
ntsayka ili/i ukuk (This is Our Place)
We are thrilled to offer our first collaborative exhibit with the Chinook Indian Nation beginning in mid-September 2024. Featuring the photography of Amiran White, along with a special video welcome from Tribal Chairman Tony Johnson, the exhibit is an important milestone for the museum, as we seek to fill a significant gap in our storytelling by sharing Chinook maritime traditions as lived today, from the Chinook perspective.
Executive Director Bruce Jones, who first collaborated with Chairman Johnson on the Fort Astoria interpretive sign while Jones served as Astoria’s Mayor, has committed to a permanent Chinook presence at CRMM; Jones and curatorial staff are working with Johnson on ideas for additions to the exhibit as it evolves over time.
Photo: Amiran White
Warnock Mariners Hall
Our two warehouses full of dozens of historic vessels and thousands of nautical artifacts, mostly inaccessible to the public, represent countless stories of the human experience: stories of sailors, builders, fishermen, lifesavers, designers, explorers, warriors, cannery workers and other maritime people. Soon, we will be able to share these fascinating stories with our guests.
In Fall 2024, we break ground on Warnock Mariners Hall, 24,500 square feet of exhibition and education space with:
• Our first ever purpose-built classroom to support our highly impactful Education programs.
• Substantial new exhibits featuring nearly two dozen boats covering a wide range of Oregon’s maritime heritage.
• Opportunities for putting guests of all ages aboard historic vessels.
• An interactive STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) space with hands on activities and a children’s play area.
• A water tank for Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) programs.
• A Coast Guard rescue helicopter.
• Space for displaying hundreds of other artifacts now in storage for the first time.
• An orientation theater and a small retail space.
In order to create a cohesive campus, the Warnock Mariners Hall project includes modifications to the existing building, including a new gallery which will include a permanent Chinook Indian Nation exhibit, which will be part of the most comprehensive Indigenous exhibitions in Northwest Oregon, providing unique and valuable opportunities for youth programs and field trips to learn about the first people who lived on and still live on this land.
Warnock Mariners Hall will include a wide array of historic vessels and artifacts displayed for the first time.
Aerial view rendering of Warnock Mariners Hall, soon to be under construction at the Columbia River Maritime Museum campus.
Campus Transformation Begins. Warnock Mariners Hall is scheduled to
Campus plan showing the new building site is as close as possible to the existing museum building, and connected to it by a covered walkway that crosses the trolley tracks and river trail. By reconfiguring our parking lots, and adding parking around the Barbey Maritime Center, our total parking spots increase from 170 to 205.
LEFT: Artist’s concept of Warnock Mariners Hall, facing west, with the existing museum at right. Trolley tracks and River Trail separate the two buildings. CENTER: Artist’s concept inside Warnock Mariners Hall, looking toward the Barbey Maritime Center. A mezzanine will provide additional physical and visual access to artifacts, and a unique perspective on the Columbia River, with interpretive material explaining the types of ships and boats engaged in commerce on the river. Warnock Mariners Hall pulls the campus towards the Barbey Maritime Center, creating a more cohesive, integrated campus. RIGHT: The Boathouse: Floating docks at two levels allow visitors to explore boats up-close.
Warnock Mariners Hall’s bulkhead (wall) runs east-west the length of the building, on both levels, and will contain myriad cabinets for the display of rotating selections of nautical artifacts currently locked away from public view.
Walkways and mezzanines provide an array of unique viewpoints from which to study the objects on display.
Through objects, interactive exhibits and images, visitors can explore the inventive ways that mariners have found to live and work on these waters.
Built at Astoria’s Wilson Brothers Shipyard in 1902, Duke served as an iconic local workboat for over a century before being donated to CRMM. We are thrilled to be able to share this treasure with the public. We intend to let visitors stand in Duke’s wheelhouse, where they will see images of the river projected on the wheelhouse window.
U. S. Representative Suzanne Bonamici visits with Executive Director Bruce Jones and Curator Jeff Smith to discuss the Warnock Mariners Hall project. Bonamici also presented Jones a U. S. flag, flown over the U. S. Capitol, in appreciation for his volunteer service as Mayor of the City of Astoria from 2019-2022.
A Steering Committee composed of museum staff and Trustees meets regularly with the architectural, exhibit design, and general contractor firms to ensure coordination of all Warnock Mariners Hall continually moving parts.
Among the many historic boats currently in storage that will be featured in Warnock Mariners Hall is the 45-foot-long, 1938-built classic wooden yacht Merrimac (center). An elevated walkway will allow visitors to peer into her windows and see the elegant craftsmanship of Astoria Marine Construction Company (AMCCO) owner and designer Joe Dyer.
Trustee John McGown, retired President of Abbot Construction, has volunteered his services as Warnock Mariners Hall Project Manager. John wisely brought the museum’s major contractors and subcontractors together in the Barbey Center for a day-long team-building session as soon as the architect, exhibit designer, and general contractor had been chosen. The Steering Committee is focused on spending each dollar as effectively and efficiently as possible by maintaining seamless communication between all the parties, identifying and addressing concerns early, and sharing ideas.
Photo: Shanna Madison | Our Coast Magazine
Project Manager and Trustee John McGowan inspects the
of an
Warnock Mariners Hall will include a soon to be retired MH-65 Dolphin helicopter. A field trip to Coast Guard Air Station Astoria was held to tour a visiting MH-65. From left to right: Educator Millicent Zimdars, Education Director Katy Menne, Executive Director Bruce Jones, Curator Jeff Smith, Assistant Curator Matthew Palmgren, and Storyline Studios Principal Bill Smith.
interior
MH-65 Dolphin helicopter identical to the one the museum will display in Warnock Mariners Hall.
A MH-65 Dolphin helicopter hovers low over the water while recovering two rescue swimmers. The helicopter in Warnock Mariners Hall will be suspended from the ceiling, depicted in a realistic rescue scenario.
A magnificent first order Fresnel lens, built in Paris in 1876 for the Cape Mendocino Lighthouse in California, is being restored for display on the mezzanine. This is one of only 12 first order lenses in the United States.
Next steps include:
• Piledriving for the new building site beginning November 2024
• Pouring of structural concrete
December 2024
• Building superstructure (framing) beginning April 2025
• Exterior envelope construction
June 2025
• Interior Construction
September 2025
• Placement of large vessels
October 2025
• Exhibit Construction
April 2026
• Grand Opening
September 2026
Warnock Mariners Hall’s interactive STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) exhibits will include a space for parents to rest their feet while their younger children play on a reproduction boat and build creatively with blocks.
What’s Happening Now
The remodeling of 11,000 square feet of the existing building and refreshing of existing exhibits as well as installation of new exhibits, will be complete November 1, 2024.
The CRMM Main Museum Building will remain open during construction. Please visit our website https://www.crmm.org/ campus-transformation.html and the Columbia River Maritime Museum Facebook page for any construction updates.
The museum has held open houses for the community, museum membership, and Astoria Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce members to hear ideas and concerns, and share plans for the project.
Support Warnock Mariners Hall
Scan this QR Code to donate to the Warnock Mariners Hall Expansion Project
We believe that residents of rural Clatsop County should have access to world class cultural and educational experiences, without having to drive to Portland or Seattle. We intend to provide those experiences; we are only able to do so because of the vision and generosity of our donors. Please consider a gift of any size to help us bring this vision to reality.
Scan the QR Code above with your phone to donate, or contact admin@crmm.org, or see our website: https://www.crmm.org/campus-transformation.html
Volunteer Frank Kemp
Frank Kemp, CRMM volunteer since 2011, was honored by the Astoria Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce with the George Award for community service. At CRMM, Frank has been involved in curatorial research, woodshop demonstrations, education and docent activities, the lightship ham radio club, and much more. Additionally, Frank volunteers with the Astoria Riverfront Trolley Association as a mechanic, community liaison and board member. Congratulations Frank!
Naturalization 2024
In March, CRMM was thrilled to once again host a Naturalization Ceremony in the Ford/Kern Rooms. Executive Director Bruce Jones welcomed new citizens from 19 countries with the lightship Columbia as backdrop. The citizens and their families enjoyed touring the museum before and after the ceremony.
Micronesian map
Curator Jeff Smith and museum member Harvey Golden examine a traditional Micronesian stick chart donated by Golden in the Ted M. Natt Research Library. The map was acquired by U. S. Navy officer Burton L. Bikle in Micronesia in 1945.
Constructed of thin, flat sticks connected with natural fiber twine and shells, Micronesian stick charts represent ocean patterns and island locations.
Columbia River Maritime Museum
2024 Board of Trustees
Executive Committee
Board of Trustees
Editor:
CRMM: New Members
Columbia River Maritime Museum 1792 Marine Drive Astoria, Oregon 97103
