❖ MONDAY'S MARINER , CAPTAIN WERNER R. ECKHART

CAPTAIN WERNER R. ECKHART,
Retired Columbia River pilot.
Original photo dated 1 June 1969,
from the archives of the S.P.H.S.©

Werner R. Eckhart, age 83 in this photo, was a prominent pilot on the Columbia, Snake, and Willamette Rivers. He holds a photo of the Norwegian 4-masted bark, ERBRIN, that he photographed in 1914.
      "Captain Eckhart was born in Germany, going to sea at 18, in European sailing and steam vessels. Arriving at Portland in 1909 on the British four-masted bark POLTALLOCH, he was paid off when the owners became bankrupt. He went to work as deckhand on river steamers and as watchman at port of Portland dredges and the steamers OCKLAHAMA and DIAMOND O. He qualified for both citizenship papers and a mate's license in 1915, serving as mate on the OCKLAHAMA, HASSALO, JOHN McCRACKEN, LEWISTON and SPOKANE. 

HASSALO on the Columbia River.
She was built at the Dalles in 1880 as the first
new vessel of the Oregon Railway & Nav. Co;  employed
on the middle river until 1888. She was taken to Puget Sound
for service between Seattle and Olympia and Whatcom,
later she came back to the River and converted to a towboat.
Original photo from the archives of the S.P.H.S.©

     Obtaining masters papers in 1917, he subsequently commanded the JOHN McCRACKEN, PRONTO, and WENONA, transferring in 1918 to the Army Engineers and commanding the H.M. ADAMS and GEORGE H. MENDELL before becoming pilot for the Luckenbach Steamship Co in 1928."
Above quote from H.W. McCurdy Marine History of the PNW. Newell, Gordon, editor. Superior. (1966)

GEORGE H. MENDELL,
An Army Engineers vessel on which Eckhart sailed.
Original 8" x 10" photograph donated by San Juan County
mariner Corkey North, who had a relative, Ed Willis,
who served as radioman on this vessel before
retiring to San Juan County, WA.
All the boats link to home.