Welcome to the Columbia Soil and Water Conservation District.

 

AUTHOR EVENT

Irene Martin, Northwest author and co-author of the new book “Flight of the Bumble Bee: The Columbia River Packers Association and a Century in the Pursuit of Fish,” will be speaking on May 24, 2012 at 7:00 PM at the Clatskanie PUD meeting room located at 495 East Columbia River Hwy in Clatskanie.  Irene is a well known speaker on the history of salmon industry in the Northwest.

Bumble Bee brand has for years been synonymous with tuna, salmon, crab and other seafood. Bumble Bee Seafoods (Columbia River Packers Association) had fish receiving stations all along the Columbia River utilized by many local commercial fishermen.  Begun in Astoria in 1899, Bumble Bee Seafoods eventually became a national and international success story, employing thousands of workers and fishermen at ports in California,Oregon,Washington,Alaskaand elsewhere.

Published by the Chinook Observer Publishing Company, Irene’s book contains hundreds of historical photographs of the company’s fishing boats, workers and packing plants, as well as company labels and other illustrations. Author Irene Martin noted that “This book was a real challenge to write, because there was so much information and the company was so successful. It was also a company with heart, and played a major role in Astoria’s history, and that of the west coast fishing and processing industry.” Chapters on tuna fishing, early salmon canning, the Bumble Bee Shipyard and struggles with environmental issues such as dams on the Columbia indicate the broad nature of the company’s influence.   “The Flight of the Bumble Bee” is the only book available about a company known from Alaska to California and beyond.

For additional information call the Lower Columbia River Watershed Council at 503-728-9025 or the Columbia SWCD at 503-397-4555.

 

 

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