There’s a cool shipwreck in Oregon’s Gold Beach every local needs to visit

R.D. Hume’s Rogue River Salmon Empire and Sunken Legacy

When grief struck in 1876, Robert Deniston Hume fled to Oregon’s remote Rogue River mouth. By 1877, he built Oregon’s first salmon cannery on the Rogue.

Soon after, Hume owned all tidelands along 12 miles of river, giving him total control of the salmon runs. He even built the steamship Mary D Hume in 1881.

The vessel served for 97 years until a tragic 1985 restoration attempt when lifting slings broke and sank her forever.

Today, her weathered hull still rests in the Rogue’s shallow waters, a haunting reminder of one man’s empire.

Grief Drove Salmon King to Oregon’s Remote Coast

R.D. Hume married Celia Bryant in 1869 while working on the Columbia River. They had two children, but joy turned to sadness when their daughter died as a baby.

More pain followed when their son died at age 4 in 1875, and Celia died soon after. Hume buried his family in Portland’s Lone Fir Cemetery.

His Columbia River canneries made him rich from 1872-1876, but his grief grew too heavy. The sad businessman sold everything and left the area with too many hard memories.

A Broken Man Found New Purpose at Rogue’s Mouth

After selling his Columbia River businesses, Hume went back to San Francisco for a short time. Still looking for meaning, he traveled north along the Oregon coast in late 1876.

He stopped at tiny Ellensburg (now called Gold Beach) at the Rogue River mouth. The spot fit him perfectly – far away, quiet, and distant from his past.

Hume noticed the huge salmon runs and bought fishing rights near the river mouth. This far-off spot offered both escape and a fresh start.

From Scratch, He Built Oregon’s First Rogue Cannery

In 1877, Hume started building Oregon’s first salmon cannery on the Rogue River. He built warehouses, bunkhouses, a mess hall, and other needed buildings.

Hume hired fishermen to catch salmon in this remote spot. His first year went well with a catch of 531,000 pounds of salmon.

He set up processing plants and shipping routes to get his fish to San Francisco markets, creating the base for his growing business.

The River Became His Kingdom Through Smart Business Moves

Hume took ownership of all tidelands along both sides of the lower 12 miles of river.

This gave him almost total control of salmon moving between the ocean and upstream spawning beds. In 1878, he built the first salmon hatchery at “Hatchery Gulch” near Indian Creek.

The operation collected 215,000 salmon eggs and released 100,000 baby fish in its first year. Hume led the way in fish breeding on the Rogue River, making sure his salmon supply would last.

Ships Carried His Growing Fortune to Market

Hume opened a shipyard at Ellensburg in 1879 and bought the steamer Varuna and tug Mary Hume. After the Varuna sank on the river bar in 1880, he built the steam schooner Mary D Hume in 1881.

Workers used a 141-foot white cedar tree cut 13 miles upriver as the base. He named the ship after his new wife Mary Duncan, whom he married in December 1877.

His fleet shipped salmon to San Francisco and towed boats along the coast.

Flames Forced a Fresh Start Across the River

A big fire in 1893 burned down Hume’s hatchery and several buildings on the Gold Beach side. The fire wiped out his first hatchery at Hatchery Gulch south of Indian Creek.

People can still see concrete pens from the old hatchery under the south end of today’s bridge. The fire made Hume rethink his whole operation.

He saved what buildings he could from the flames before starting over.

A Town Named Wedderburn Rose From the Ashes

Hume moved his business across the river in 1895 and created the town of Wedderburn. He picked the name to honor his family’s old castle in Scotland.

Workers floated unburned buildings from Ellensburg across to the new spot. Hume built a new hatchery, offices, a home, and even added a horse-racing track.

By 1898, the growing town got its own post office, run by one of Hume’s workers.

His Business Tentacles Reached Beyond Fishing

The salmon business was just the start for Hume. He added a general store, hotel, and bar to what he owned.

He started the Wedderburn Radium newspaper (after earlier publishing the Gold Beach Gazette). Hume built a sawmill and soon controlled most business in the remote area.

His workers often shopped at his company store, creating a closed money system. He became what he called a “pygmy monopolist” with control over the local economy.

The Salmon King’s Empire Peaked Before His Death

Hume’s salmon catch hit its highest point in 1890 with 1. 6 million pounds. By 1907, his hatchery kept about 1. 4 million baby salmon in pens.

Workers fed the fish a mix of blood, horse meat, herring, salmon, and beef to help them grow. Hume died on November 25, 1908, ending his 32-year run as the “Salmon King of Oregon.”

The 1908 catch dropped to 476,000 pounds, marking the start of the end for his salmon empire.

Mary D Hume Sailed Nearly a Century Before Retirement

The Mary D Hume served an incredible 97 years as the Pacific Coast’s longest-working commercial vessel.

During her career, she hauled freight, went Arctic whaling, worked as a cannery tender, and served as a tugboat.

She finally retired in 1977 as the oldest working commercial vessel on the West Coast. Crowley Maritime Corporation fixed her up in 1978.

She returned to Gold Beach near where she was built originally.

A Broken Sling Sank History and Hope in 1985

On November 13, 1985, workers tried to place the Mary D Hume in a support cradle for permanent museum display.

During the operation, the lifting sling broke, causing the historic vessel to sink. The ship slid into shallow water and mud at Gold Beach.

An unrelated lawsuit over who owned the vessel drained the Curry County Historical Society’s restoration funds.

The ship still sits partially underwater today, slowly falling apart in the Rogue River where Hume’s empire began over a century ago.

Visiting Mary D Hume Shipwreck, Oregon

You can see the Mary D Hume shipwreck at 29980 Harbor Way in Gold Beach from Jerry’s Rogue Jets parking area for free anytime.

The wreck sits several yards offshore in muddy water, so you’ll only view it from shore.

Low tide shows more of the hull structure. An interpretive sign explains R.D.Hume’s salmon empire history from 1876-1881 and the tragic 1985 restoration failure.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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