The Welcome Wall
A Bon Voyage to the Welcome
Share your stories about the Welcome with info@cooshitory.org and we will add them to the Welcome Wall.
I loved painting the Welcome. Such a cool story of the Mosquito Fleet!
Sybil Galer
The tragic loss of the Welcome consumed the last remnant of our Mosquito Fleet: a fleet of small passenger and freight boats that made regular voyages between communities along Coos County’s rivers.
Built in 1919 and weighing 14 tons, the Welcome had two lives, working to transport people and cargo between Allegany and Coos Bay (then Marshfield), and later being refitted to tow logs down the river.
She was beloved by the community, welcoming visitors from all over to learn her story, and even being a place for those who once traveled on her decks to reminisce. This piece of history was donated to the museum for the enjoyment of all and was transported to its finallocation with the assistance of many community partners including Sause Bros, Wahl Marine Shipyard, West Coast Contractors and so many more.
Coos History Museum’s focus now is to safely remove the boat from the property and it’s location along the public boardwalk. As a private non-profit, Coos History Museum invites members of the community and beyond to help us raise funds through the Bon Voyage Campaign to help with the cost of the removal of the wreckage.
Donations are always…
Welcome.
Just before the last run…
Lionel Youst c. December 1948Riding to Allegany with Tom Keady, we were the only passengers. It was cold and I turned up the oil stove. Then it got too hot so we went upstairs outside. Soon the stove pipe was hot, red hot. Jess Ott came back cursing to turn the stove down. After I arrived, I asked Jess what I owed him for the ride. He said, “You’da owed me plenty if you’d burned this boat down.”
He only charged me 15 cents.