List of shipwrecks of Oregon

This is a list of shipwrecks of Oregon. The location is the nearest modern community or primary landmark.

North coast
NameDateVessel TypeLocationNotes
Beeswax shipwreck1693/1705galleonNehalemA Spanish galleon which was wrecked on Nehalem Spit en route from Manila, loaded with a cargo of beeswax. The existence of the wreck was first recorded in 1813, and it is now thought to be either Santo Cristo de Burgos (disappeared 1693) or San Francisco Xavier (disappeared 1705), making it the earliest known shipwreck in the Pacific Northwest.[1]
SS General Warren30 Jan 1852steamshipTillamook HeadGrounded on Clatsop Spit and wrecked in heavy seas
Detroit25 Dec 1855brigTillamook HeadBumped ground putting out of the Columbia River. Crew abandoned ship after she took on 7 feet (210 cm) of water. Ship drifted south and ran aground at Tillamook Head.
Brant00 Jan 1862schoonerTillamookRefloated.
Millie Bondc. 13 Nov 1871schoonerBarviewWrecked on sand spit near Tillamook Bar. Refloated.[2]
Lupatiac. 3 Jan 1881barqueTillamook RockAll 16 humans on board died; the only survivor was the ship's dog.[3][4]
Kate L. Heron27 Apr 1881schoonerBarviewWrecked on Tillamook Bar. Parts washed up at Nehalem.
Pilots Bride1 Aug 1881sloopPacific CityStranded on Nestucca Bar.
Carmarthen Castle2 Dec 1886barquePacific CityRan aground in Nestucca Bay.
Queen of the Bay11 Nov 1887schoonerNehalemWrecked at the mouth of the Nehalem River.
Garcia12 Dec 1893schoonerCape MearesWrecked near Cape Meares Lighthouse.
Occident12 Mar 1897steam tugNehalemTotal loss
Lila and Mattie9 Mar 1900schoonerBarviewWrecked on Tillamook Bar.[5]
Laguna6 Apr 1900steamshipBarviewWent ashore on north spit of Tillamook Bar.[6] Refloated and towed back to San Francisco for repairs, but during a gale abandoned at a point ten miles SWW of Crescent City.[7] Ran aground on July 17 at the Klamath River for a total loss.
Pioneer17 Dec 1900schoonerPacific CityRemains can still be seen when erosion takes place.
Charles H. Merchant11 Aug 1902schoonerManzanitaStranded on Nehalem Spit, refloated and scrapped.
Gem15 Feb 1904schoonerBarviewRan aground on the beach near the Tillamook Bay north jetty.
Peter Iredale25 Oct 1906barqueFort StevensRemains can still be seen.
Gerald C.10 May 1907gas screwPacific CityWrecked on the north spit at the entrance to Nestucca harbor.
Antelope30 Sep 1907schoonerNehalembuilt 1887 in Benicia, CA for salmon packer. Wrecked at Nehalem River.
Emily Reed14 Feb 1908barqueRockawayLoaded with 2,100 tons of coal, the ship ran ashore and broke apart. The captain, his wife and seven crewmen survived, but eight died. Remains are occasionally seen after storms.
Hill17 Jun 1908schoonerNehalemWrecked at Nehalem Bar.
Ida Schnauer17 Jun 1908schoonerBarviewWrecked on Tillamook Bar. While waiting for tug into harbor, wind shifted and she was pushed ashore for a total loss.
Argo #126 Nov 1909steamshipBarviewStruck the bar off the entrance to Tillamook Bay and foundered. Two crew and two passengers were drowned. Sister ship, the Argo #2, a river steamer, went down at Dixon Entrance in Alaska.
Vida28 Apr 1912gas schoonerBarviewLost rudder and broke to pieces on Tillamook Bar.
George R. Vosberg3 May 1912steam tugNehalemHole punched in hull by underwater rock. The crew attempted to plug the hole with a spare fuel tank. Though the effort was ultimately futile, the crew was rescued.
C.T. Hill30 Jul 1912schoonerNehalemStranded on the south side of the Nehalem Bar. Salvaged.
Mimi13 Feb 1913barqueManzanitaRan aground in fog on Nehalem Spit, then capsized in salvage operation, killing 17.
Glenesslin1 Oct 1913square rigNeahkahnie BeachSailed into the rocks at the base of Neahkahnie Mountain, on a clear day. All survived, but rocks penetrated the hull and little was salvaged. A naval court of inquiry ruled the cause was negligence.
Francis H. Leggett18 Sep 1914steam schoonerManzanitaLost in a gale due to being overloaded. Two survived, but the 60 who were lost make it the worst maritime disaster in Oregon history. The railroad ties that were its cargo were used for construction in Manzanita when they washed ashore. [8]
Oakland22 Mar 1916schoonerManzanitaAbandoned at sea. After running ashore, it was refloated and renamed the Mary Hanlon. Ultimately lost off Mendocino, California.
Life-Line26 May 1923gas propellerNeahkahnie BeachFoundered off Neahkahnie, washed ashore and covered by sand. Uncovered by a bulldozer in 1949.[9][10]
Venus4 Nov 1923gas schoonerPacific CityCapsized on Nestucca Bar. Captain Adolph Kangiser and his engineer made a swim for shore. The captain felt something tug him down. Kicking hard he managed to free himself. Upon reaching shore, he found part of his boot missing, though he himself was not injured.[11] The marks on the boots indicated a shark, making him the first shark attack victim in Oregon history.
Phoenix5 Nov 1923gas schoonerBarviewCapsized on Tillamook Bar. Four died.[12]
Sea Island7 Feb 1932TillamookRum-Runner.
Tyee6 Dec 1940tugboatBarviewFoundered off Tillamook Bar. The engine was ripped out, saving the crew by lightening the ship.

Central coast
NameDate WreckedVessel TypeLocationNotes
Samuel Roberts06 Aug 1850schoonerReedsport
Bostonian01 Oct 1850ReedsportOwned by a man named Gardiner, much of the vessel was salvaged and used in the building of the town of Gardiner, Oregon.
Almira09 Jan 1852brigReedsport
Juliet00 Mar 1852Newport
Nassau22 Jul 1852schoonerReedsport
Roanoke02 Feb 1853brigReedsport
Joseph Warren25 Nov 1853barqueNewport
Fawn21 Nov 1856brigFlorence
Calumet8 Dec 1856schoonerSiletz Estuary (Nechesne)Wrecked at Siletz River while offloading supplies for Indian Affairs. Captain B. Jennings. [13]
Blanco00 Jan 1864brigLincoln City
Cornelia Terry13 Oct 1864schoonerNewportOyster pirate vessel. Sank while being pursued by Annie G. Doyle.
Ork24 Nov 1864barqueReedsport
Annie G. Doyle11 Mar 1865schoonerNewportRan aground at nearly the same location as the pirate vessel Cornelia Terry, which it had pursued half a year prior.
Enterprise20 Feb 1873sternwheelerReedsportEngines salvaged and installed on the vessel Beaver
John Hunter00 Jan 1873NewportNo further information.
Meldon16 Mar 1873schoonerReedsport
Bobolink00 Oct 1873schoonerReedsportSalvaged, but later lost at Mendocino, California.
Sparrow04 Dec 1875schoonerReedsport
Lizzie16 Feb 1876schoonerNewport
Caroline Medeau05 Apr 1876schoonerNewport
Phil Sheridan15 Sep 1878schoonerReedsportRun into by the steamer Ancon.
Olivia Schultze28 Apr 1880schoonerFlorence
Tacoma29 Jan 1883steamshipReedsport
Phoebe Fay16 Apr 1883schoonerNewport
Ona26 Sep 1883steam schoonerNewport
Beda17 Mar 1886steam schoonerYachats
Emma Utter00 Dec 1886Florence
Yaquina City04 Dec 1887steamshipNewportPredecessor of the Yaquina Bay. Lost a year later at the same spot, effectively ruining the vessel owners, the Oregon Development Co.
Yaquina Bay09 Dec 1888steamshipNewportOriginally named Caracas. She was the sister ship of the SS Valencia and successor of the Yaquina Bay. Ran aground near the wreckage of the Yaquina City and was declared a total loss.
Alaskan13 May 1889SidewheelerDepoe BayWhile sailing to San Francisco from the Columbia River, the Alaskan ran into bad weather and the river going vessel began to fall apart from the stress off Cape Foulweather.
Fearless20 Nov 1889tugboatReedsportFormerly a brig named the Star of China. Ran aground in 1873, refloated, and converted into a tugboat. Loss not discovered until the next day when debris and one survivor washed ashore. However, he perished before he could reveal the final fate of the Fearless.
Struan25 Dec 1890schoonerTillamookConstructed in John Fraser's shipyard on Courtney Bay in Saint John, New Brunswick, in 1877[14][15]
Maggie Ross08 Dec 1891steamshipNewport
St. Charles17 May 1892Depoe Bay
Mary Gilbert17 Dec 1894schoonerWaldport
Bandorville21 Nov 1895steamshipReedsport
Volante07 Mar 1896steamshipNewportBurned in Yaquina Bay in Newport.
Truckee18 Nov 1897steamshipReedsport
Atalanta17 Nov 1898clipperSeal RockRan into a reef while coasting along the shore.
Nettie Sundberg28 Dec 1902schoonerFlorence
Charles Nelson00 Nov 1903steam schoonerFlorence
Ocean Spray20 Nov 1903schoonerFlorence
Alice Kimball12 Oct 1904schoonerFlorence
Quickstep24 Nov 1904barquentineNewport
Bella25 Nov 1905schooner
Alpha03 Feb 1907schoonerReedsport
Berwick13 Mar 1908schoonerFlorence
J. Marhoffer22 Apr 1910steam schoonerDepoe BayCaught fire off Newport, and drifted north, eventually grounding at what is now Boiler Bay. Boiler Bay was named after the discarded boiler from the J. Marhoffer
Wilhelmina22 Jan 1911gas schoonerReedsport
Pilgram00 Jan 1912sloopNewport
Condor17 Nov 1912cargo shipWaldport
Frederick14 Apr 1914bargeFlorence
Hugh Hogan28 Apr 1914schoonerFlorenceRefloated and renamed as the Ozmo.
Graywood02 Oct 1915steam schoonerReedsport
Anvil11 Apr 1917Florence
Washtucna17 Aug 1922bargeReedsport
Admiral Nicholson16 May 1924steam schoonerReedsportRan aground while towing the disabled G.C. Lindauer.
G.C. Lindauer16 May 1924steam schoonerReedsportHad a history of wrecks prior to final loss at Reedsport. Came loose and lost soon after the towing Admiral Nicholson wrecked.
Yaquina20 Feb 1935patrol boatNewportCoast guard patrol boat. Lost while attempting to aid the crew of a barge caught on the Yaquina Bar.
Parker #226 Feb 1935dredgeNewport
Dorothy Joan13 Sep 1945Newport
Etta Kay11 Dec 1946schoonerNewport
John Aspin22 Apr 1948cargo shipNewportAs of 1986, portions of her hull were still visible at low tide.
Helori21 Dec 1949oil screwReedsport
L.H. Coolidge20 Aug 1951tugboatYachatsRan aground at Bandon. While under tow to the Columbia River by the Salvage Chief, she came loose and sank of the coast at Yachats.
Captain Ludvig25 Jun 1953Newport
Blue Magpie19 Nov 1983cargo shipNewport
New Carissa04 Feb 1999cargo shipWaldportHalf of the ship. This half was beached before being towed off and sunk by Navy. The other half is at Coos Bay. The ship broke apart at Coos Bay, with the rear portion drifting north.

South coast
NameDate WreckedVessel TypeLocationNotes
Bandon00 Jan 0000steamshipCoos BayGrounded several times before being sold.
Cohansa00 Jan 0000Coos BayNo further information.
Echo00 Jan 0000sternwheelerBandonRefloated.
Jackson00 Jan 0000Coos BayNo further information.
New World00 Jan 0000Coos BayNo further information.
W.L. Hackstaff00 Aug 1849schoonerGold BeachGrounded at Rogue River. Survivors marched overland to the Willamette Valley.
Captain Lincoln30 Dec 1851schoonerCoos BaySurvivors established Camp Castaway.
Anita00 Jan 1852barquePort Orford
Chansey00 May 1854Coos Bay
Quadratus00 Jan 1856schoonerCoos Bay
Friendship00 Jan 1860barqueSixes River
Baltimore00 Jan 1861schoonerCoos Bay
Cyclops00 Jan 1862schoonerCoos Bay
Energy00 Jan 1862brigCoos bayOne survivor.
Noyo00 Jan 1868schoonerCoos BayBurned when her cargo of lime ignited.
D.M. Hall03 Oct 1868barqueCoos Bay
Alaska00 Dec 1869schoonerBandon
Ida D. Rogers15 Dec 1869brigCoos Bay
Commodore00 Jan 1870steamshipCoos Bay
Charles Devans00 Feb 1870barqueCoos Bay
Occident3 May 1870barquentineBandon
Bunkalation00 Jul 1870schoonerCape Blanco
Jenny Thelin00 Jan 1874schoonerRefloated. Lost for good later at Punta Maria, California.
Laura May00 Jan 1874schoonerCoos Bay
Northwester00 Jan 1875schoonerGold Beach
Mary Schowner00 Jan 1876schoonerBandon
Messenger00 Jan 1876SternwheelerCoos Bay
Harriet Rose28 Jan 1876schoonerPort Orford
Perpetua24 Oct 1876brigCoos BayFoundered in a gale offshore.
Oregonian16 Jan 1877schoonerBandon
Esther Colos21 Oct 1879schoonerGold Beach
Gussie Telfair25 Sep 1880steamshipCoos BayFormerly a Confederate blockade runner named the Gertrude that had been captured.
Victoria28 Nov 1883steamshipPort Orford / Cape Blanco
Mose28 Jul 1884Port Orford
Escort21 Dec 1886tugboatCoos BaySank in bay when its boiler exploded.
Dawn03 Feb 1887scowCoos BayDrifted for nine days before being towed into Coos Bay. However, abandoned due to the ship being waterlogged.
Ocean King26 Dec 1887cargo shipCape BlancoDestroyed by on board fire.
Julia H. Ray26 Jan 1889schoonerCoos Bay
Parkersburg18 Nov 1889schoonerBandonRan aground during storm attempting to enter Coquille River.
Rosalind18 Feb 1890schoonerGold Beach
Express08 Sep 1891steamshipCoos bayDestroyed by fire.
General Butler08 Dec 1891barqueCoos bay / Cape BlancoStarted breaking up 100 miles (160 km) offshore. Part of hull drifted north and ran aground at the Yaquina jetty.
Charles W. Wetmore08 Sep 1892steamshipCoos BayPreviously ran afoul of Columbia Bar after rudder came loose.[16]
Emily17 Jul 1893steam schoonerCoos BayRepaired and renamed the Arago. The re-christened Arago sank at the same location.
T.W. Lucas24 Oct 1894brigPort Orford
Bawnmore28 Aug 1895steamshipBandon
Ella Laurena18 Dec 1895schoonerCoos BayAbandoned by crew during a storm. Found ran aground the next day.
Arago20 Oct 1896steamboatCoos BayStruck bar previously in 1891 at same location.
Cyclone00 Jan 1897schoonerDestroyed by fire prior to launch.
Moro06 Dec 1897gas schoonerBandon
Eureka30 Nov 1899schoonerBandon
Monterey19 May 1900power schoonerCoos BaySalvaged and converted into a whaler.
Baroda29 Aug 1901barqueBandonRefloated. Converted into barge.
South Portland19 Oct 1903steamboatCape Blanco
Fulton12 Feb 1904Port Orford
Western Home13 Nov 1904schoonerBandon
Del Norte00 Jan 1905steam schoonerBandonCollided with the vessel Sea Foam.
Onward25 Feb 1905schoonerBandon
Sacramento15 Oct 1905schoonerCoos Bay
Melanope00 Dec 1906bargeCape BlancoBegan as a Cape Horn windjammer in 1876, turned into a barge after damage at Cape Blanco in 1906. Sunk to form part of breakwater at Royston, British Columbia in 1946.[17]:14
Daisy00 Jan 1907schoonerDestroyed by forest fire prior to launch.
Chinook12 Apr 1907schoonerCoos Bay
Novelty20 Sep 1907schoonerCoos Bay
Marconi23 Mar 1909schoonerCoos Bay
Czarina12 Jan 1910steamshipBandon
San Buenaventura14 Jan 1910schoonerCape BlancoAbandoned. Final resting spot unknown.
Washcalore21 May 1911oil schoonerGold Beach
North Star #120 Jan 1912motor launchCoos Bay
Osprey01 Nov 1912gas schoonerCoos Bay
Advent08 Feb 1913schoonerCoos Bay
Randolph15 Apr 1915gas schoonerBandon
Claremont22 May 1915steam schoonerCoos Bay
Santa Clara02 Nov 1915steam schoonerCoos BayFormally named John S. Kimball and then James Dollar.
Fifield21 Feb 1916steam schoonerBandonSecond ship named Fifield.
Sinaloa15 Jun 1917gas schoonerCape Blanco
Wallacut03 Nov 1918bargeCoos Bay
Rustler24 Aug 1919Destroyed by on board fire.
J. A. Chanslor18 Dec 1919oilerCape Blanco
Adel02 Oct 1920Coos Bay
Joan of Arc15 Nov 1920steamboatGold Beach
Ozmo17 May 1922schoonerPort OrfordOriginally christened as Hugh Hogan
Sea Eagle20 Nov 1822tugboatCoos BayWrecked while towing the vessel Ecola. The Ecola survived.
Brush26 Apr 1923steamshipCoos Bay
C.A. Smith16 Dec 1923steam schoonerCoos Bay
Columbia17 Feb 1924steam schoonerCoos Bay
Acme31 Oct 1924steam schoonerBandon
Admiral Wainright00 Jan 1927steamboatBandonRefloated.
Mary E. Moore23 Feb 1927steam schoonerBandon
Sujameco28 Feb 1929steamboatCoos BayRan aground at Horsfall Beach in heavy fog missing Coos Bay entrance by a few miles. During WWII much of the hull was scrapped for iron. The wreck is partially visible each winter due to seasonal sand movement; more than usual emerged April 2010.[18]
Fort Bragg14 Sep 1932steam schoonerCoos BayHit south jetty and ran aground inland.
E. L. Smith01 Jan 1936gas schoonerBandon
Phyllis09 Mar 1936steam schoonerPort OrfordScuttled by captain after ship sprang a leak.
Golden West29 Mar 1936cargo shipBandon
Golden Bear00 Jan 1937cargo shipCoos BaySuperstructure began to fall apart, incapacitating the ship and crew. Towed by the Active and converted into a barge. Now a part of a breakwater in British Columbia.
Cottoneva10 Feb 1937steam schoonerPort OrfordOriginally christened as Frank D. Stout
Willapa #202 Dec 1941steam schoonerPort OrfordFormerly christened Florence Olson. Crew saved by local fishermen.
Camden04 Oct 1942oilerCoos BayTorpedoed off Coos Bay by Japanese submarine I-25. Towed north by tug Kenai to attempt salvage. Sank off Grays Harbor several days later.
Larry Doheny05 Oct 1942oilerGold BeachTorpedoed and sank off Gold Beach by Japanese submarine I-25.
Susan Olson15 Nov 1942steam schoonerPort OrfordFormerly named the Willamette and California.
Y M S #13321 Feb 1943minesweeperCoos Bay
George L. Olson23 Jun 1944steam schoonerCoos BayFormerly named the Ryder Hanify.
Alvarado16 Mar 1945steam schoonerCoos Bay
Ida M.23 Sep 1948Coos Bay
Alice H.23 Sep 1950Port Orford
Helen E.00 Sep 1951patrol boatCoos BayGrounded and burned.
Cynthia Olson09 Jun 1952cargo shipBandonSalvaged by crew of the Salvage Chief and repaired. Sister ship of the Oliver Olson.
Oliver Olson03 Nov 1953cargo shipBandonFilled with rocks and sank as extension of the south Coquille River jetty. Sister ship of the Cynthia Olson.
Port of Pasco #51012 Dec 1953bargeCoos Bay
Andrew Jackson05 Mat 1954Gold Beach
New Carissa04 Feb 1999cargo shipCoos BayAfter running aground, oil cargo was burned out. Half of the ship remained beached while the other half was taken out to sea and scuttled. Remaining half has since been scrapped.

Rivers
NameDate WreckedVessel TypeLocationRiverNotes
Bully Washington12 Dec 1857steamshipScottsburgUmpqua RiverFilled in as the foundation of a dock.
Telephone5 Jan 1892steamshipScappooseMultnomah Channel / Willamette RiverStruck the revetment on the eastern shore of Coon Island. Heavy fog prevented the pilot from seeing its red cautionary light. The 80 passengers and 30 crew members were all saved.[19][20]
Regulator13 Jul 1898steamshipCascade LocksColumbia RiverWrecked on the rocks. The 160 passengers and most of the freight were landed on the Oregon shore.[21] Towed in to drydock at Cascade Locks around September 1. The hull was found to be a "complete wreck."[22]
Gypsy11 Jun 1900steamshipIndependenceWillamette RiverTore hole in bottom and sank in ten feet of water.[23]
Rogue River16 Nov 1902sternwheelerGold HillRogue RiverStruck a rock at what is now known as either Boiler Rapid or Boiler Riffle.
Welcome13 Nov 1904sternwheelerMyrtle PointCoquille River

See also

References
  1. Williams, Scott. "Beeswax shipwreck". The Oregon Encyclopedia. Retrieved 24 February 2014.
  2. "Pacific Coast Dispatches: Oregon" (PDF). Daily Alta California (San Francisco, California). 18 November 1871. p. 1. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  3. "What a wreck!". cannonbeachgazette.com. Cannon Beach Gazette. Archived from the original on January 22, 2011. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
  4. "Marine Disasters Off Coast: Another Shipwreck". Oregonian (Portland, Oregon). 8 January 1881. p. 1.
  5. "Wreck of the Lila and Mattie at Tillamook". San Francisco Call (San Francisco, California). 12 Mar 1900. p. 3. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  6. "Laguna Still Aground". Oregonian (Portland, Oregon). 14 April 1900. p. 10.
  7. "Laguna Wrecked Again". Oregonian (Portland, Oregon). 21 July 1900. p. 5.
  8. "The Francis H. Leggett shipwreck". Cannon Beach History Center and Museum. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  9. Marshall, Oregon Shipwrecks, at 97.
  10. "Boat Goes on Rocks; Two Swim to Shore". Oregonian (Portland, Oregon). 28 May 1923. p. 1.
  11. "Gasoline Schooner Hurled Onto Beach". Oregonian (Portland, Oregon). 5 Nov 1923. p. 1.
  12. "4 Men are Drowned in Schooner Wreck". Oregonian (Portland, Oregon). 6 Nov 1923. p. 1.
  13. Hedges, Absalom B (17 December 1856). "Correspondence". Oregon Superintendency. Microfilm.
  14. "The Struan: From Saint John to Sandlake. - Oregon Historical Quarterly". HighBeam Research. Archived from the original on 2014-06-11. Retrieved 2014-02-04.
  15. Crichton, Whitcomb (1999). The Struan: From Saint John to Sandlake. Chelsea Green+ Publishing Co. ISBN 978-1551092874.
  16. "The Wrecked Whaleback". Evening Capital Journal (Salem, Oregon). 22 September 1892. p. 2. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  17. James, Rick (2004), The Ghost Ships of Royston, Vancouver: Underwater Archaeological Society of British Columbia, ISBN 0-9695010-9-9
  18. "Shipwreck emerges from sand near Coos Bay". KATU. April 10, 2010. Retrieved 2010-04-10.
  19. "The Telephone Sunk". Oregonian (Portland, Oregon). 6 January 1892. p. 1.
  20. "Telephone is Raised". Evening Capital Journal (Salem, Oregon). 15 January 1892. p. 1. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  21. "Regulator Wrecked". Daily Capital Journal (Salem, Oregon). 14 July 1898. p. 3. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  22. "Regulator Raised". Daily Capital Journal (Salem, Oregon). 2 Sep 1898. p. 1. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  23. "Gypsy Sunk". Daily Journal (Salem, Oregon). 12 June 1900. p. 1. Retrieved 28 December 2012.

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