The Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum will host a guest speaker at its annual membership meeting April 12.
The 2 p.m. meeting will be held at the museum at 115 Lake St. S.E. in Ilwaco
Museum Executive Director Madeline Matson will present a brief update on happenings at the museum and introduce Astoria author Peter Marsh. He will speak about his book “Liberty Factory: The Untold Story of Henry Kaiser’s Shipyards.”
The 2021 book uncovers the legacy of Henry Kaiser’s World War II shipyards in Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington. These shipyards, two in Portland and one in Vancouver, employed 100,000 workers, including 30,000 women. They launched more than 700 vessels, including Liberty ships, oil tankers and escort aircraft carriers. Liberty ships were British-designed cargo vessels that could be built quickly,
Historians say their story remains largely untold, despite their significant contribution to the war effort. Kaiser was unusual in that he began his venture with no shipbuilding acumen and chose the Portland-Vancouver area, then one of the least industrialized areas of the United States, for his operations.
Marsh was born in Greenwich, at the heart of Britain’s maritime heritage, and became smitten with a love of small boats and sailing. He served as boatyard correspondent and editor for Freshwater News and played a role in developing the Hanthorn Cannery Museum in Astoria.
Copies of “Liberty Factory” will be available for purchase.
This event is free. Matson said non-members are welcome. Membership information will be provided.
The museum is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturday. Admission is free. For details, call 360-642-3446.