Members, and the public and potential members, are invited to attend the Tillamook County Pioneer Association meeting, meal and presentation on Sunday October 9th in Rockaway Beach at the Lion’s Club Building (268 S. Anchor St.) Come and visit at 1 pm, enjoy a meal provided by the Pioneer Association at 1:30 pm; guest speaker Craig Andes, treasure hunter/local fisherman will share about his recent discoveries, and an association meeting. The Pioneer Association is no longer having potlucks (due to Health Department regulations) so the association has decided to provide the food. So if you hesitated to join us in the past because potluck dishes aren’t your thing – you’re in luck! Come by and enjoy lasagna, mac ‘n cheese, salad and dessert.
Craig Andes is looking forward to chatting with the Pioneer Association about his treasure-hunting escapades and also his fishing exploits as well. Craig discovered the most recent shipwreck remnants of the famed Beeswax ship in a cave located in North Tillamook County, recently featured in a National Geographic article in June 2022 – https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/legendary-spanish-galleon-shipwreck-discovered-on-oregon-coast/
In June 2022, the Tillamook County Pioneer Association decided to lower the “age limit” – to 20 years for membership. Membership includes unlimited admission to the Tillamook County Pioneer Museum, a discount on our three historical books, and a subscription to the Pioneer Bylines Newsletter. Dues are from July 1 to June 30. Annual dues are $10, except for Lifetime members (those 80 years young!) Lifetime members are exempt from yearly dues. Donations are welcome. The Pioneer Bylines Newsletter goes out in January, May and September with information about the meetings. Meetings are held in February, June, and October in Sandlake, Tillamook, and Rockaway.
Tillamook County enjoys a rich history. For thousands of years Native Americans lived and thrived on the rich lands surrounding Tillamook Bay. But most of the written history that we have today begins August 14, 1788 when Captain Robert Gray sailed his ship Lady Washington into Tillamook Bay, and then on April 1, 1851 when Joe Champion became the first white settler in Tillamook County.
But it wasn’t until many of the pioneer families gathered at “Aunt” Rhoda Quick Johnson’s 90th birthday party on May 25, 1934, that the idea to create an association dedicated to preserving the history of Tillamook County was formed. Donations were solicited that would begin a small museum located in a single room in the retired county courthouse. The first donation listed in the archives was a rifle from Rollie Watson, publisher of the county’s first newspaper.
Since the Museum opened in 1935, the Tillamook County Pioneer Association has collected and maintained thousands of genealogical and historical records concerning past Tillamook County residents. The records are housed in the Museum’s Library and are available for public use. Please contact the museum to make arrangements to use these records.
For information contact Ruby at 503-842-4553 or ruby@tcpm.org or write: Tillamook County Pioneer Association PO Box 992 Tillamook, OR 97141
Check out the website: www.tcpm.org/tillamook-co-pioneer-association.html and the blog: kilchispoint.wordpress.com
