Historic fish boat goes to Astoria museum

Last week, Puget Island resident Olaf Thomason donated a boat commissioned in 1902 by the first permanent settler on Puget Island to the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria.

"We're very pleased to have the Duke," Jeff Smith, the museum's curator said. "We've had our eye on it for many years. We will preserve and protect it in accordance with Thomason's desires."

The museum recently purchased two buildings across the street from their current location. One of the buildings will be used for storage and the other will be a boat hall. The museum hopes to have the new buildings open for viewing, by appointment only, early next year.

The Duke will be the boat hall's centerpiece.

"It represents a style of boat that was seen on the river for years," Smith said. "Our collection wouldn't be complete without the Duke."

According to a history provided by Thomason, in 1902, Johanes Ostervold, the first permanent settler on Puget Island, commissioned Wilson Shipyards in Astoria to build Duke, a steam powered seining boat.

In 1921, Ostervold sold his seining grounds and his boats, including the Duke, to the Columbia River Packers Association. In the 1930's CRPA replaced the Duke's original steam engine with a two cylinder Troy Fox engine and continued to use it on seining grounds, eventually retiring it for use as a pickup boat.

In the 1940's, the CRPA installed a Chrysler Crown six cylinder engine and the Duke found new life as a cannery tender, serving the Clifton Cannery in Oregon for nearly 40 years.

In 1974, a man named Andrew Marcovich bought the Duke from CRPA for pleasure and to tow cattle barges to Tenasillahe Island. Nine years later, Marcovich handed the boat over to Marvel Blix to restore or dismantle.

Blix, along with his son Dennis and grandson Bart tore the decks off. What they saw inspired them to save and restore the Duke. Dennis and Bart scraped the inch thick oil caked timbers and ribs down. They used a portable sawmill to cut boards from cedar and other logs to produce clear boards.

Friends and neighbors stepped in to help bring the boat back to its former glory. Dale Walker furnished cedar. James Gorley did the wiring, Olaf Thomason painted the name on the bow. Louis Jasper donated the running lights.

The Blix family used the Duke as a pickup boat for several years. Eventually they sold it to Curt Nielsen, who continued to use it as a pickup boat. He was well noted for running the Duke fully loaded on the river in season.

Olaf Thomason bought the boat after Nielsen passed away. After having a little work done at the old Astoria port dock boatyard, Thomason used the boat to cruise and exhibited the Duke at the Elochoman Marina Wooden Boat Show for several years.

In August, Thomason contacted the museum to see if they would be interested in the Duke. They were.

"It was built in Astoria," Smith said, "and has come back to Astoria to complete the story."