Near Garibaldi in Tillamook County, Oregon — The American West (Northwest)

Captain Robert Gray

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, September 22, 2017

1. Captain Robert Gray Marker

Inscription. commanding the sloop, "Lady Washington" left Boston in October 1787 on a trading voyage to the West Coast of North America, seeking otter furs. To his small crew of about a dozen men, Gray soon added Markus Lopeus, who boarded at the Cape Verde Islands off West Africa. Rounding the tip of South America and sailing north, the "Lady Washington" traded along the coast, reaching Tillamook Bay in August of 1788. Trading with the native Tillamook went on for several days, until a dispute over a cutlass led to the death of crewman Lopeus and the hasty departure of the "Lady Washington." Lopeus was the earliest documented person of African descent to enter present-day Oregon. Gray returned to Boston via China, the first American to circumnavigate the globe. On a return voyage aboard the "Columbia Rediviva" in 1792, Captain Gray entered the Columbia River, now named for his ship.

Erected by Oregon Department of Transportation.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Exploration • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Oregon Beaver Boards series list. A significant historical month for this entry is August 1788.

Location. 45° 33.546′ N,

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

123° 55.674′ W. Marker is near Garibaldi, Oregon, in Tillamook County. It is on U.S. 101 near Bayview Forest Road, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 14170 North Highway 101, Garibaldi OR 97118, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on the Oregon Coast.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast,

in the Pacific Northwest,

and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Pacific Rim,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 9 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: A different marker also named Captain Robert Gray (here, next to this marker); A Way of Life Centered around a 1-Ton Crystal Lens (approx. 5.6 miles away); Kelly Building (approx. 8.2 miles away); Mill Stone (approx. 8.2 miles away); Tillamook County (approx. 8.2 miles away); Steam Donkey (approx. 8.2 miles away); Tillamook Hotel (approx. 8.2 miles away); Beals Building (approx. 8.2 miles away).

Also see . . . Oregon Travel Experience - Captain Robert Gray.

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 27, 2021

2. Captain Robert Gray Marker

(Submitted on February 2, 2018, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon.)

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, September 22, 2017

3. Captain Robert Gray Marker

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 27, 2021

4. Captain Robert Gray Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on December 14, 2024. It was originally submitted on February 1, 2018, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 1,180 times since then and 82 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on February 1, 2018, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. 2. submitted on July 14, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 3. submitted on February 1, 2018, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. 4. submitted on July 14, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.