The Wreck of the Peter Iredale (Oregon, 1906) 

I went to the wreck of the Iredale today, Dec 23, 2023. A lot more of it was out of the sand. I could see the bottom stubs of three masts, a foot of hull around the entire perimeter, and the cross beams of a deck. I have lived in Portland, Oregon for 50 years and visited the Iredale many times. This is most I ever seen of it out of the sand.

I'm now 77 years old. I first saw the Peter Iredale as a 12 year old. At that time her bowsprit was still intact and proudly pointing to the sky. Sadly I haven't been back to visit since I was 13. Maybe about time I go again.

Peter Iredale was my great great grandfather. His daughter Lizzie Iredale married John Porter. Their daughter was my grandmother. This is one of the more thorough presentations that I’ve seen.

I played this for my brother who visited the wreck with the other students from the Washinton State School for the Blind in 1960. He is now 76 and totally blind, but he greatly enjoyed your presentation of the history of the wreck, and I am sure he was picturing it in his mind as he listened. You gave him a fond remembrance of the times when he could still see. Thank you.

This channel is phenomenal. If anyone deserves success, it's this guy. He places quality content above all else.

I love when you overlay old photos of the ship with the wreckage left on the beach! That's a detail you don't get from other channels doing videos about shipwrecks.

Being on lake Erie there's literally thousands of shipwrecks but due to the intense weather there's very few on our shores that can be seen. Although if they went down in deeper water the cold fresh water keeps them in remarkable condition. There's a few which are still rigged as though they are waiting to sail once more. These videos are absolutely fantastic and the production is first rate. Thanks for these tributes to the days of sail.

the dry humor in this is just impeccable

I'm repeating myself but I really like the old photos laid over modern footage. It gives you a sense of scale.

“ well done lads “ got me . Sensing a touch of British dry humour . Great work as always

14:18 Just imagining a ship caught on fire, abandoned, and sailing the waters on its own power for 8 months straight, is a terrifying thought. Think of how haunting it would be to see a ship made of glowing red flame casually sail by you. That has got to inspire some ghost stories. Or maybe the flame wasn't intense enough to see. I don't know.

100 years from now someone is going to read these comments and think to themselves "All these people are dead now..."

This episode is close to my hart. I proposed to my wife just up the beach from the wreck, and my family and I camp at Fort Stephens park often. I have watched everything I can find on the Peter Iredale, this is great. Thanks. Also, I have always heard it pronounced "clats-up" around here. Not "clats op" like it is spelled.

Growing up in Oregon, this was my first shipwreck, first visited when I was a toddler. The Columbia Maritime Museum is a treasure, I visit it every time I go to Astoria.

Being a kid whose dad would take her to look at ships, boats, and cars that were abandoned. To be able to see something, just be left for a reason you don't understand. Is both amazing and saddening. My dad and I found many boats or small yachts left to die let on land. I've explored abandoned houses and places before, and it's enjoyable oddly.

That maritime museum in Astoria is terrific. This video makes me want to go back to see it again and to see any new artifacts acxquired and put on display in the 20+ years since we were there. Thanks for a wonderful story. The mouth of the Columbia River is a true ship graveyard and worth a visit for maritime history afficionados.

Thank you for mentioning the shelling of Fort Stevens. There are people who didn't believe me about that, or about the balloon bombs that were sent. The Peter Iredale is my favorite wreck. My dad took me to see it several times.

This guy definitely would have been obsessed with Instagram naming so many of those boats after himself

Portland Oregon here...the history of the Oregon coast is fascinating. I love the lighthouses, the beaches and rain forests. Here in the city you can visit the Shanghai tunnels, that run under the city to the Willamette River, where I love to fish. Thank you for this lovely video 🌹

I've personally been to the Maritime. It is amazing but if you go be ready to spend at least six hours there and you still won't see everything that there is there to offer and they keep adding to it. It's a pretty cool museum

I've lived in Oregon for all 19 years of my life, and the Peter Iredale's wreck is always a fascinating wreck to explore. My earliest memory of it was when I was only a few years old. My family used to go camping at Fort Stevens state park, and we would often visit the wreck. As I grew older, I was able to see how the wreck was still ever slowly sinking into the sand. It wasn't extremely obvious, but having seen it a handful of times and climbed around on the wreck, I was able to tell. Thank you for covering the story of the Peter Iredale as, ironically, I myself have never known its history outside of it being a famous wreck. It's something that has always sat in my memories even today, as my love of maritime history continued to grow. I consider myself very lucky to live not far from both the high desert and Oregon coast, as they are some of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.

Tom’s easy, conversational style makes all his videos a pleasure to watch, not to mention the haunting, evocative music that’s always in the background.

The Portland "Shanghai Tunnels" (where drugged sailors were held) are still there, although access is limited. Astoria is well worth a visit just for the Maritime Museum. If that's not enough, a visit to the Astoria Column provides a magnificent view of the mouth of the Columbia River. The gift shop at the base of the column may still provide a list of locations of the movies that were filmed in the area-the Goonies, Short Circuit and Kindergarten Cop to name a few.

The Wreck of the Peter Iredale was part of my childhood. We would camp at the nearby park and play on the wreck until someone adult like yelled at us to get down because it was dangerous. Killjoy! I was hoping they would leave the New Clarissa to decorate the mid coast as a great tourist draw.

I just got home from a trip to the Peter Iredale and the Maritime museum. I usually go about once a year or so. Right now more of the ship is exposed than I have ever seen. I was amazed to be able to see sections of wood around a section of the mast where it passed through a deck. Also the bowsprit still remains in a back storage area of Fort Stevens.

Very interesting thank you. I grew up in Astoria in the 60's and 70's . My family spent many days on the beach with our station wagon having picnics, playing in sand, ocean and on the wreckage of this ship. My dad was a policemen there when when they built the bridge across the river in Astoria and they still had the ferry across the river. Thanks for doing this history of the ship it brought back many great memories of my childhood.

On a family vacation from Colorado we traveled to Oregon and up the coast to Washington. That was in 1973. I remember staying at Fort Astoria campground, touring the bunkers and seeing the reck of the Peter Iredale. Our dad drove on the beach and I thought that was the coolest thing ever! ❤

We visited that beach YEARS ago, I had to be 13 maybe? I remember it had more of the hull plate on it yet and was over all taller. Tied was just going out when we went there, I timed the waves and ran out to touch it quick. We didn't know anything about the wreck, I had assumed it was some old steamship at the time, its amazing to hear its full story now. So thank you Tom, answered a question thats been 17 years (ish) waiting.

Love the Oregon videos! I’ve been going to the Iredale since I was a little one. Glad I know more history about the ship. Thanks for all you do

Stumbled on the channel a couple weeks ago while searching for historic shipwreck documentaries. Love the content and the subtle humor within.

Oh my god! My family had a reunion at this beach once when I was 7 years old, and for *years* I’ve been trying to figure out what beach it was and why there was a random shipwreck in the middle of it lol. Thanks for solving my 20+ year mystery 😂

I grew up and live upriver of Astoria, have spent a lot of time around the wreck, and coming from a family of commercial fishermen, grew up with the stories and books about the graveyard of the Pacific. It was nice to hear about the history of the vessel. There is a very good reason why the USGC has their Motor Lifeboat School at Cape Disappointment at the mouth of the Columbia River.

I work on the North Oregon coast and get to see it almost daily if not weekly. It is nice to see people still interested in the wreck, as well as the many others around the Columbia bar. Its definitely changed, but is still there.

Since I live a couple hours from this whole stretch of coast, I make it a point to see the Iredale and Fort Stevens every time I go there. I've gone about 15 or 20 times since I was a kid and it never gets old. It's crazy to see all the old pictures and to get the history on it.

I have a photo of my mom standing by the Peter Iredale taken in the mid 1970’s when there was more of the ship still visible. I now know the ship’s fascinating history - thank you! 🤪

Intelligent videos like this are rare on RU-vid. Well done.

Thank you Thomas for yet another well told story about a ship that I've never heard of and I've been researching maritime history for the last 33 years. Your tireless efforts and ability to tell a story is truly inspiring sir.

I saw the Iredale first 37 years ago when I was 7 years old in the 80’s. I wanted my whole life to get back to see her as an adult. I finally made it back there last month at 44 years old. I was amazed that there was something left. I saw a Facebook post a couple days ago that approximately 4 feet of sand has washed away in the last few weeks and there is more of her exposed than there has been for years if not decades. I missed it by a month. 😢😅

Thank you I enjoy these old tales of the sunken ancient ships so much. It is good to know all of her crew could be rescued. So sad about the other ships' human losses. One can she was a proud and strongly built sailing boat.

Amos is a good guy, ive known him for almost 10 years. its awsome to see him out doing things he loves.

I just saw this wreck for the first time last month and I'm learning so much now! Thanks for sharing this video!

Wow what a great story. Although I feel bad for the treatment of the crews. Such history ❤

I remember visiting this wreck some years ago, it's good to finally know the history of it

Thanks for doing all the research for us to enjoy this. Ship wrecks are fascinating!! Sometimes, I watch them for hours, over and over again. SO interesting. thanks again!!

Holy smokes! My buddy visits Astoria frequently and told me about this wreck. I’m so stoked you made a video on it! Wild history!!

This is where I live! Thanks for helping me understand my local landmark so much better 😃

you tales of history are a treasure..thank you

Got to see the wreck in '86 when i was 8 years old. Still vividly remember seeing it and wading past my ankles into the frigid water

My parents let me explore the wreck when I was little, haven’t been back in a couple years but I wish I could go again with my new appreciation for maritime history

I've been there, climbed over the wreckage as a kid. It's a nice beach! Wonderful wreck to look at, and honestly a cool piece of history you can look at while you're out beach going

When I was a child this wreck was so awesome to play around and seemed so Huge.

What a beautiful ship but so sad how they treated some of their pressed crew. Another wonderful video made by you and your own crew. I could watch your videos all day long.

My grandfather took me to see this in '58 and I have been back several times since but not in 50 years. Surprised that anything is left.

Great video, also loved getting to see the old images of the wreck superimposed onto the modern video. So many wrecks like this, so little still exists, sometimes it's difficult to imagine as a ship at all.

The old sailing ships were sublimely elegant & beautiful to look at. I love the old galleons also, have several little models in my family room, which nobody much seems to like but me ! I think they tell a story about days long ago & the difficulties that humans faced & overcame, but also their creativity & artistic talents !

Thank you for the video. I recently drove my Jeep next to the ship to get a picture. My Dad remembers when the bow sprit was still attached, and he remembers when it fell off. My grandpa also climbed on the wreck before WWII. One time a storm relieved more of the wreck and we all made sure to go take a look. When I was a kid I climbed on the wreck, but as I’ve grown up I know it damages the wreck and causes more rust to break off. We teach our kids to respect the wreck so that their kids could see it someday too. It’s degraded in my just my short lifetime.

The first time I saw the ocean ( grew up in Wyoming) was at that beach was in the late 70s and I saw the Peter Iredale. I’ve seen it many times since. One of my favorite places to be

Hi Thomas, I do not know how to thank you for creating this video. With regards to the bombs sailing over the Peter Iredale the night Fort Stevens was shelled that did in fact happen. The Japanese submarine started firing shells at Fort Stevens and continued doing so while heading South down the coast for a period of time before finally submerging when it got no response. My family used to go camping at Fort Stevens several times per year when I was a child in the 1980s. My father loved to drive on the beach, so when not entering the beach thru the access at Fort Stevens State Park we would head south down the highway then turn west onto a road which paralleled the property line of modern day Camp Riley military facility which led to the beach. At a point between the turn and the beach along this road was a historical marker on the right hand side of the road where one of the shells had impacted. Also in the 1980s Camp Rilea wss unfenced so if you went four wheeling in the dunes of the beach you could end up inside of the facility grounds. This changed when the gulf war broikeout in 1991. Today Camp Rilea is fenced off and homes line the road we used to access the beach thru. I am sure the histrorical marker is still there, but I cannot say whether or not the beach access remains.

I live in Astoria. I visit the Iredale often. A month ago the Peter was showing more now than in the last 30 years. Always changing. If you visit the museum in Astoria during the summer on a Sunday early afternoon. Look for painted sand dollars stashed on the anchor, propeller and a few hidden spots. Also down the river front . LM Sand Dollars. I hope you find one.

My husband got a good laugh out of the "well done, lads" comment lol

This is so awesome! Finally you have an episode on a vessel that I’ve visited for many decades. Sometimes it’s just the top of some ribs, about to disappear; and other times it is as if the beach is about to spit the wreck out. Please continue to pursue your passion.

I listen to a lot of these videos at work, so I’m always reminded of how awesome your facial expressions can be when I actually sit down and watch 😂

This is the second time you have stood in the exact same spot as I did. Back in 1988 I visited that wreck. I had forgotten my trip there, thank you for the video.

Yea you can tour the tunnels in Oregon where they shanghaied people. This is so fascinating .

Your writing is getting really good. Love the deadpan.

Awesome video, thank you for creating this. The 1st I saw the Peter Iredale I was 10 years old (in 1970) when we camped at Ft. Stevens, we would climb around on the wreckage at low tide and we even caught a few Dungeness crabs. Great memories.

Love the photo overlays - gives great perspective 👍

I grew up in Astoria and Warrenton! So glad you made this video! 😁🌲

The Oregon Coast is notorious for shipwrecks. When camping at Ft Stevens as a kid, I went to the Peter Iredale all the time, and each year less and less of it was there. I also remember the New Carissa wreck in 1999, and there have been loads of vessels lost at the mouth of the Columbia and entering other bays along the coast.

I love that you poured that beer into a pannikin before you drank it. Excellent video.

I can't thank you enough for this one! I am a lifelong Oregonian from the Portland Metro area, and have been to the the Peter Iredale and Fort Stevens many times. I now know so much more about this wreck I most likely wouldn't have if not for this channel. I will be going back to take my youngest son and grandkids this summer, will visit Fort Stevens and the museum too. You did the telling of this much justice, job well done!! See you on the next great adventure!🤩❤So happy you are doing more in my area.

I love non fiction that sounds fiction! Iv totally found it here. It’s incomprehensible the loss of life the wrecks on this channel have. Amazing content. Thank you. Also rip to everyone who has been lost.

I live a few hours away from the Iredale, but go out there 2-3 times a year. It's a beautiful, relaxing drive, and the wreck is beautiful to photograph, especially at sunset. When I need a mental break from the world, the Iredale is my go-to. I love the waterfalls around here, but there are always too many tourists.

We often go to see "Shanghaied in Astoria" when we visit Astoria, which is a locally produced play about this process on the Columbia river. I've been visiting the wreck most years for about 30 years now, the first time I saw it I was only a few years old.

Been there many times, over the years it trusts a little more. Hi from Fall River Oregon!

I was just there again the other day. It's been a while for me. I've always been fascinated with the Peter Iredale. I heard not long ago that the bowsprit is sitting somewhere on some local abandoned lot. Right now more of the ship is unburied than has been in a long time.

I adore the rich history of this area. The convergence of the water ways, the views from Astoria, absolutely stunning. Those massive boarding houses in Astoria are incredible. I’m obsessed! These people were all New York frame of mind folks. It’s wild, the history around there. This was a great story! Well told😉

I grew up near Portland Oregon, we went along the beach several times and that shipwreck always made me wonder what happened. Thank you for closing that mystery for me.

This video, as always, was so enjoyable. Your research and hard work ,as well as your voice, makes me want to keep watching!!!!

This was great with lovely details, especially the historical overlays and animation. The skills to produce animations that detailed alone merit it's own channel. Bravo! One day it'll be just a memory, thanks for sharing. 💯

I’ve lived in Oregon my entire life and have been to Astoria many many times and I’ve never heard of the Peter Iredale. The only shipwreck that I know about is the New Carissa. But it also happened in my lifetime. I need to visit the museum some day.

I think I might have one of those old postcards with the bowsprit somewhere stored away. As usual, an excellent, well researched and interesting documentary. My brother attended the Washington State School for the Blind in Vancouver WA, (He was legally blind, but not totally blind) the school took a field trip to this site in the late 1950s to early 60s which is where I got the postcard.

I stumbled onto the wreck of the Peter Iredale in 2020 and was captivated by it. Thanks for filling in the blanks.

Thank you so much for showing this video that wreck is two hours from me, I’m going to make a trip to visit it!

Thank you for this detailed (and at appropriate times, alternately serious and humorous) video! Even though I have spent most of my life in Oregon, there is still so much I don't know about the state's history. The most surprising thing I learned from this video is that some sailing ships were constructed of steel. For some reason, I assumed that sailing ships were always wooden. Of course, as soon as I took a moment to think about it, I realized that many steam-powered ships such as Mississippi paddlewheelers were made of wood, so why couldn't the opposite be true?

Another great story uncovered Tom, Great work and calmly delivered.

Fascinating story! I love how you bring history alive. Thank you!

I have visited this shipwreck and the Columbia River Maritime Museum, but I had not learned much about the wreck itself until you made this video. Thank you! Another wreck that may be of interest is at Boiler Bay Scenic Viewpoint just north of Depoe Bay, Oregon, and a few hours south from the Peter Iredale. This viewpoint overlooks a bay where the boiler from the vessel J Marhoffer remains. It is visible at low tides and can be reached during extreme low tides. I haven't had the chance to see this. The accounts of the wreck in 1910 are spectacular with residents of Depoe Bay witnessing an ablaze ship running at speed by the town, then crashing into the bay. It then explodes sending pieces up to 1/2 mile away.

A particularly pretty sailing ship, I must say. I also really like that photograph at 15:32 👍

The way they procure sailors would make a great setup for a movie

Your humors really starting to show aswell as more of your personality, its giving everything so much more character

Amos is one of my best friends, you couldn't have asked for a better tour guide!!! Wonderful video!

Astoria is an hour and a half from us in McMinnville.. the Peter Iredale has been one of our family's favorite places to go all the time. Sunset is beautiful there.❤️

This was awesome video. Before joining the Navy in 71, Fort Steven's area was a family favorite picnic area. Visited the beach to see the wreck many times.

1 of the most relaxing channels, just ate and now comatosing out after a long work day

This video is amazing!! I can’t believe this ship has seen 40,000 sunsets. I can’t wait to watch more of your videos. Great maritime content!!

Love the stories on this channel about shipwrecks and beaches. They really do illuminate this forgotten yet fascinating period of maritime history. Speaking of Pacific Northwest wrecks, one great one to feature would be the USS Milwaukee just off Samoa Beach near Eureka, CA.

another great job!! you might have already been there but lake Champlain Martine museum is great place for maritime facts of the region and history again another enjoyable presentation

I remember seeing the wreck around 2007, I was fascinated by it and I believe it was a major influence on my love of old ships and wrecks. Thank you for covering it!

Brilliant episode, Tom. Learning the story behind those bleached bones, and getting to know the people involved, is a real treat.