Maritime Museum Accepts Francis Drake Landed in Oregon
The 1579 Drake Anchorage Site Embraced by Oregon and California Associations
Astoria, Oregon – Bruce Jones, Deputy Director of the Columbia River Maritime Museum and Jeff Smith, Curator accept a Proclamation by the City of Wheeler from Garry D. Gitzen, President of the non-profit Sir Francis Drake Association of Oregon and California in recognition of the earliest Maritime Land Survey on the Pacific Coast. The proclamation identifies the 16th century plane chart survey performed on Neahkahnie Mountain, Oregon by Captain Francis Drake between June 27 and August 2, 1579 (Georgian Calendar). Gitzen stated the proclamation could not have been possible without access to the M. Wayne Jensen library, bequeathed to him shortly before Jensen’s passing in early 2005, enabled Gitzen to write Francis Drake in Nehalem Bay 1579, Setting the Historical Record Straight among other books and articles on the subject. Mr. Jensen, an anthropologist and former Director of Tillamook Pioneer Museum, made a study and collection of English and Spanish Exploration for more than 45 years. It was Jensen and Donald Viles, a commercial fisherman, who first theorized in 1971 that Captain Francis Drake had made a 1579 survey on Neahkahnie Mountain. Smith, while holding the 1985 Phil Costaggini Oregon State University Civil Engineering Master’s Thesis, said; “In accepting this proclamation we support the historical study and recognize that there is sufficient evidence to support the idea of Drake’s anchorage is in Oregon.”
Gitzen credits the new discovery through his access of the collection’s materials, a 16th century navigation manual, a recently uncovered 16th century world chart and previously unavailable online resources. He said; “When the evidence is examined collectively along with the 1985 master’s thesis of verifiable evidence, they formed the final pieces of my [Gitzen's] 16-year comparison of theories and analysis confirming the long sought-after 5-week anchorage site; located in Nehalem Bay, Oregon, and not in California as popularly theorized for many years.”
Contact: Jeff Smith, CRMM - Smith@CRMM.org
Contact: Tom Mock, VP Sir Francis Drake Association - TBMock2002@Yahoo.com
Sir Francis Drake Association is a 501(C)3 in Oregon and California www.SirFrancisDrakeAssociation.org
The 1579 Drake Anchorage Site Embraced by Oregon and California Associations
Astoria, Oregon – Bruce Jones, Deputy Director of the Columbia River Maritime Museum and Jeff Smith, Curator accept a Proclamation by the City of Wheeler from Garry D. Gitzen, President of the non-profit Sir Francis Drake Association of Oregon and California in recognition of the earliest Maritime Land Survey on the Pacific Coast. The proclamation identifies the 16th century plane chart survey performed on Neahkahnie Mountain, Oregon by Captain Francis Drake between June 27 and August 2, 1579 (Georgian Calendar). Gitzen stated the proclamation could not have been possible without access to the M. Wayne Jensen library, bequeathed to him shortly before Jensen’s passing in early 2005, enabled Gitzen to write Francis Drake in Nehalem Bay 1579, Setting the Historical Record Straight among other books and articles on the subject. Mr. Jensen, an anthropologist and former Director of Tillamook Pioneer Museum, made a study and collection of English and Spanish Exploration for more than 45 years. It was Jensen and Donald Viles, a commercial fisherman, who first theorized in 1971 that Captain Francis Drake had made a 1579 survey on Neahkahnie Mountain. Smith, while holding the 1985 Phil Costaggini Oregon State University Civil Engineering Master’s Thesis, said; “In accepting this proclamation we support the historical study and recognize that there is sufficient evidence to support the idea of Drake’s anchorage is in Oregon.”
Gitzen credits the new discovery through his access of the collection’s materials, a 16th century navigation manual, a recently uncovered 16th century world chart and previously unavailable online resources. He said; “When the evidence is examined collectively along with the 1985 master’s thesis of verifiable evidence, they formed the final pieces of my [Gitzen's] 16-year comparison of theories and analysis confirming the long sought-after 5-week anchorage site; located in Nehalem Bay, Oregon, and not in California as popularly theorized for many years.”
Contact: Jeff Smith, CRMM - Smith@CRMM.org
Contact: Tom Mock, VP Sir Francis Drake Association - TBMock2002@Yahoo.com
Sir Francis Drake Association is a 501(C)3 in Oregon and California www.SirFrancisDrakeAssociation.org