Tillamook Cheese Factory

2. Morning Star

The "Morning Star" was built out of economic necessity because shipwrecks had destroyed all transportation which had carried the dairy products, fish and potatoes to market. The vessel was built by the combined efforts and ingenuity of the settlers. Most of the materials came from the forest but iron work from a wrecked ship was laboriously packed on horseback from the Clatsop beaches by way of Neahkahnie Mountain. Sails were purchased from the Indians who had salvaged them from a ship wrecked near Netarts. Pitch was used to caulk the craft but paint was not available. Nevertheless, this pioneer ship was launched in the Kilchis River on January 5, 1855 and for some years made possible the existence of the pioneers and development of Tillamook County.