southtillamookcounty.com
History
"Short History of the Little Nestucca River Valley and Its Early Pioneers" written about South Tillamook County, Oregon
The page below was written by Mrs. Hardy Rock (Alexandria LEY Rock) and published in 1949. NVMS students have retyped her history so that many may read it. Although some punctuation errors have been corrected the text remains as written by Mrs. Rock.
Note that Alexandria LEY Rock's "Short History of the Little Nestucca River Valley and Its Early Pioneers" has been republished in book form as of January 2007 and is now being offered for sale by the Tillamook County Historical Society!
(This page was typed by NVMS 7th grader, Logan, during the spring of 2002 and edited by Dean Bones.)
During a severe storm December 2, 1886, a large seagoing three masted schooner with all sails set, was driven on the beach a short distance north of the high point of land south of the Lake.
The Captain, whose home address was Captain W. Richards Dinas, Pembroke Wales 1872-1874, said he thought he was entering the mouth of the Columbia River. The "Carmarthan Castle" from Wales was bound on this trip from San Diego to Portland with a cargo of wheat.
During the night, it had sent up distress rockets seen only be a few families living near the beach. Besides the Captain was a crew of 28 men, all of whom reached the beach shore safely. The deck load of lumber and miscellaneous articles was washed off, later thrown upon the beach and picked up by the settlers who swarmed to the scene of the unusual disaster. Hardy Rock got enough teakwood lumber to make an octagonal card table. Ed Talbot made the table which now belongs to John Rock, son of Hardy Rock. Chris Christensen had a clock shelf made of teakwood which he got on the beach at that time. His daughter, Mrs. Iona Cater has it in her home in Scappoose, Oregon.
Before the vessel listed seaward, some books, papers and personal effects were gotten off. Among these was a compass built by the Captain of very small stones secured by him in different parts of the world, arranged in the shape of a well. The needle at the bottom was in constant motion being drawn backward and forward by the magnetism of the stones. It was greatly prized by the Captain who gave it to Oscar Faulconer. His widow still has it in Sheridan, Oregon. This was not the ship's compass. A pet rooster that had been three times around the Horn was drowned. A dog got off by swimming.
One of the crew gave Hardy Rock a Bible with this inscription in it: "To my son, Llewellyn, on his 1st leaving home to go to Sea on the ship, Carmarthan Castle, June 11, 1886. Trust in the lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding." Prov. 111-5.
This Bible now belongs to Gilbert Rock, son of Hardy Rock. The large vessel gradually listed seaward. Parts of the wreck were visible for 40 years. The Captain and crew were cared for in homes of the settlers until they could go horseback to the Willamette Valley over an almost impassable road. At one bed ford of the Little Nestucca River, the Captain was washed from his horse and escaped drowning only by the strenuous efforts of Henry Page, the mail carrier, who was with him on another horse.
The Oretown School children made a large sign, "Carmarthan College" and hung it over the schoolhouse door. The vessel standing upright on the Beach, with all sails set, made a striking picture and one long remembered by those who witnessed it. Most unfortunately, no picture was taken of it. The settlers had no cameras at that time.
Continue to page 20 of "Short History of the Little Nestucca River Valley and Its Early Pioneers!"
Return to South Tillamook County - History main page!