Posted in Oregon History March 04, 2019 by

The History Behind These Gargantuan Oregon Salmon Is Beyond Fascinating

Anglers in Oregon who love salmon are in luck – they can be pulled from rivers all over the state, year-round. In the spring, you’ll find Chinook salmon in the Columbia, Willamette, and Rogue. In the summer, the Columbia is the place to fish, and in the fall you’ll want to head to Astoria. During winter months, the best salmon fishing is found in Oregons coastal rivers.

Today’s angler might be thrilled to pull a 30-40 pound Chinook from the river, but at the turn of the 20th century they were so huge that some were over 100 pounds.

At the dawn of the 20th century, the Columbia River was full of huge Chinook salmon - some weighing 100 pounds or more.
Wikimedia
As the salmon made their way down the Columba River, they were scooped up in huge nets.
Library of Congress
Native Americans and sports fishermen alike looked forward to the salmon migration.
Library of Congress
Photos like this one, taken in 1906, were common. The salmon regularly weighed in at 80-100 pounds - more than twice the size of this little boy. They were called "June hogs" due to their size and the time of year they were typically caught.
Brück & Sohn Kunstverlag Meißen/Wikimedia
The gigantic salmon were so plentiful that it seemed they could be harvested forever.
Library of Congress
Unfortunately, that was not the case. In the early 1940s, several dams were built that hampered the salmon's spawning ability, and the fish that did make it were only about half the size. Combined with overfishing, loss of habitat, river pollution, and other factors, the days of the ginormous Chinook were over.
Library of Congress
In 1874, the first salmon cannery opened in Astoria. By 1876, 17 salmon canneries were operating there.
Library of Congress
This photo from the 1940s shows workers preparing salmon for canning.
Library of Congress
While the salmon in the 1940s were smaller than those caught just 30 years earlier, they were still plentiful and large enough to harvest.
Library of Congress
Bumble Bee purchased several of the canneries, and in the 1960s, Bumble Bee's production in Astoria was the largest seafood canning operation in the world.
Library of Congress
From the days of the June Hogs to the early 1980s, Astoria was the place for salmon. Bumble Bee moved its operations to California in 1980.
Library of Congress

If you love learning about Oregon’s history, you might want to look at these 12 photos of Oregon’s logging history, and read about these 10 insane things that happened in Oregon that you won’t find in history books.

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