Museums 101: Fishing and Glass Net Floats (Photo Diary)

by Ojibwa for Shutterbugs

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Monday, Feb. 12, 2018 Monday, Feb. 12, 2018 at 8:30:04am PST

The North Lincoln County Historical Museum in Lincoln City, Oregon has two floors of displays relating to local history. Fishing has been an important part of the local economy along the Central Oregon Coast and the museum has a display fishing and of glass net floats.

In 1896, a cannery was built on the north bank of the Siletz River. Many of the workers in the cannery were Chinese from Astoria. The Chinese workers were housed in separate buildings at the cannery.

The river was full of fish and the fishermen would use nets 200 feet or more in length which would be spread across the river. Fastened to the bottom of the net would be a leadline of small lead weights which would hold the net down. Up until the 1920s, the Siletz River had an abundance of fish.

At the mouth of the D River—often considered the shortest river in the world—the fish would pour in at certain times. Using a gaff-hook mounted on a short pole and a lantern to see the fish fins sticking out of the water, a person could take 50-100 fish a night. Wagons would then come by to pick up the fish for the cannery.

Glass Net Floats

According to the Museum display:

“In the late 1800s, around 1883, glass fishing floats were used on nets to fish for cod, salmon, and sturgeon on both the East and West coasts of the United States. Some were used on streams for the purpose of supporting fishing nets. There are no examples of these early floats included in this exhibit, as they are so rare most collectors have never seen them in person.”

Glass net floats were produced by several different companies including the Corning Glass Works, Cincotta Brothers Hardware and Supplies of San Francisco, S.H. Davis & Co., Never-Sink Glass Corporation, Owens-Illinois (Duraglas), and Crystallite Products Corporation.