Tillamook County

Tillamook County. . Dairy Industry -- Henry Wilson, for which the Wilson River is named, brought the first cows to Tillamook County and laid the foundation for the Tillamook dairy industry. As early as 1854, butter and cheese were being made in large enough quantities that they could be sold on commission is Astoria and Portland. , The Morning Star of Tillamook provided the residents of Tillamook County with the means of importing goods and transporting their hairy products to Astoria and Portland markets. This small ship played a vital role in the livelihood of early Tillamook. The Morning Star was completed December 29, 1854 becoming the first ship to be built in Tillamook County and the first registered ship in the Oregon Territory. today, a replica of the Morning Star is located in front of the Tillamook Cheese Factory. , Lumber Industry -- In 1863, there were only three small, one man sawmills in Tillamook County. Lumber from these mills was used locally and forest land in the area was seen as a nuisance because it was difficult to clear for farm land. It wasn't until 1886 that the lumber industry began to take off with shipments of lumber going outside of Tillamook. By 1892, lumber milled in Tillamook County was being shipped to Portland and San Francisco. , The lumber industry took a major blow in 1933, with a major forest fire that became known as the Tillamook Burn. In fact, the Tillamook Burn is comprised of three major forest fires that occurred in 1933, 1939, and 1945. In total all three fires burned 354,936 acres of forest, equaling a total of 13,102,917,000 board feet of lumber lost. , In 1949, a massive reforestation effort began what 72 million seedlings planted by inmate crews from the South Fork Prison Camp of the Oregon State Penitentiary and children's school groups. , Fishing -- The bays, rivers, and streams throughout Tillamook County have supplied the residents of the area with an abundance of fish. Large salmon and lamprey eel runs provided the Tillamook tribes with fresh fish to last year-round. Salmon, eel, and hooligan smelt would be wind dried on the beaches in preparation for year-round storage or trade. Later, as settlers homesteaded the area, fish continued to not only be a source of food, but also revenue. Fish were caught and taken to the Willamette Valley to sell and by the early 1880s fish canneries were established throughout Tillamook County. The canneries thrived until the fish population began to dwindle around 1915.