"The Columbia River gillnet boat is a class of commercial fishing vessel in common use on the Columbia River since its introduction in the late 1860s. It is a small boat averaging about twenty five feet in length and set up for a crew of two men. It terms of its hull configuration, interior organization and superstructure, the boat is designed exclusively for use in the gillnet fishery. ... Earlier versions of the Columbia River gillnetter were open sailboats from 22 to 24 feet in length. The first of these actually used on the Columbia River was built in 1869 by J.J. Griffin of San Francisco for George and Robert Hume. ... The double-ended design is particularly suited for fishing in rough water as such a small vessel has relatively little freeboard. With its net out, the boat drifts for considerable periods and is subject to the effects of waves pounding from either direction. A stern design that divides the waves allowing them to pass on either side of the boat is more seaworthy under these conditions than one with a square transom that stops a portion of each wave abruptly. A large wave might wash over a square stern, where a similar wave would pass a double ended craft without any serious effects. With the introduction of the gasoline marine engine in the early part of this century, the use of sails in the gillnet fishery was slowly discontnued in favor of one cylinder inboard motors. At first, sailboats were simply converted by installing a gasoline engine, but shortly after 1910 boats were designed to be fitted with a motor and the sail was eliminated entirely. As there was no sail to interfere, these newer boats were equipped with a small cabin and pilot house, although they retained the same basic double-ended hull configuration that had been preferred for the past 40 years. ..." Source:    National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form, 1978, #78002783.

"This nomination concerns an archetypal example of the gillnet boat built between 1913 and 1916. It has a length of 26 feet, a beam of 72 1/2 inches and a carvel-built hull consisting of Port Orford cedar planks on white oak ribs. The decking, cabin, and pilot house are also of cedar construction, while oak is used throughout the boat wherever increased strength and durability are necessary, such as in the keel, combings and guards, and in the bow and sternposts. The hull is double-ended or sharp at both the bow and stern, with a rounded V-bottom and a deck that rises gently fore and aft. When viewed from above, the hull outline appears as a roughly symmetrical pointed oval tapering a bit more gradually at the stern. Oak guards rim the upper edge of the hull where it joins the narrow deck or washboards. Along the inside, the deck terminates in a raised combing which flares outward crossing the deck at the fish locker just forward of the cabin where it forms a guiding edge for the net chute. Of particular interest in the construction of this vessel is the decking itself, which consists of narrow cedar strips laminated edge to edge and bent to the curvature of the hull. Caulking cotton packed between the strips makes the deck water tight. This is a rare feature characteristic of the earliest gillnet boats ... The cabin and pilot house are positioned well aft of center to provide working space near the bow. Both structures are half drum-shaped around the front and square across the back. The pilot house sits atop the cabin like a clerestory or second tier providing a nearly unobstructed 180 degree view for a man standing at the helm. The engine, now missing, was originally mounted on the floor of the cabin. The earliest power plant used in these boats was a massive 5 to 7 horsepower, one cylinder, two cycle, gasoline motor weighing several hundred pounds. It is said that in the early years these engines were generally thought of as auxilury power due in part to their hard starting, lack of dependability and the high cost of fuel. They were mostly relied upon for running long distances or when bucking the tide. Otherwise the fishermen preferred to row the stout 25 foot craft. Although most other boats in use during this period were converted to gasoline motors, the construction of this boat indicates that it was originally fitted with an engine. In terms of its functional orgainzation as a working vessel, this type of gillnet boat is referred to as a bow picker, which means that the net is retrieved from the forward part of the vessel where it is piled systematically in bights (folds laid back and forth on the bottom of the boat). The open part at the front of the vessel is termed the net room, which also serves as the work area. ... Presently this particular gillnet boat is missing a number of fittings, although it has been modified very little since it was first completed. In addition to the engine, the propeller, the propeller shaft and rudder are gone. So is most of the original picking gear, consisting mostly of net rollers. The cabin door, steering wheel, handrails, chafirons and all brass hardware items have been removed. ...   A careful restoration program has already begun ... The first commercial cannery on the Columbia River was built in 1866 on Eagle Cliff in Wahkiakum County. Until the early part of the century a great majority of the gillnet boats were the property of the canners on the River; they were rented to the fishermen which made it easier for men of limited means to work in the ifshing industry. The effect and in fact the purpose of this practice, was increased production in the canneries. During the early years many of these boats were actually constructed at shipyards in San Francisco, although a significant number were built on the Columbia River, and some in boatyards operated by the canneries. The subject of this nomination is a gillnet boat that has always been privately owned. Constructed at the Wilson Shipyards in Astoria, Oregon sometime between 1913 and 1916, it was built for one of the owners of the shipyard which no longer exists. In 1917 it was sold to a Mr. Jacobson, who traded his sailboat for it because it had a motor. The chain of ownership since then has been established to the present." Source:    National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form, 1978, #78002783.