Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, Fort Clatsop is pleased to announce the next installment of the In Their Footsteps speaker series.  This program is A Tale of Two Shipwrecks by Jerry Ostermiller on Sunday, April 17, 2016 at 1:00 p.m. A Tale of Two Shipwrecks introduces a 1989 discovery of a mysterious shipwreck near Sand Island at the mouth of the Columbia River.  Underwater archaeology in extreme environments is inherently difficult.  The Columbia River Maritime Museum and the National Park Service’s Cultural Resource Dive Team initially identified this ship as the Hudson’s Bay Company Supply Vessel Isabella. Over the next 18 years, Jerry Ostermiller conducted annual monitoring dives for the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office which produced new information requiring further study, leading to a different shipwreck identity.  This shipwreck has become a national case study and was featured in a National Geographic Society TV production illustrating the value of new “CSI-type” technologies.

In Their Footsteps is a monthly Sunday forum is sponsored by the Lewis & Clark National Park Association and the park.  These programs are held in the Netul River Room of Fort Clatsop’s visitor center and are free of charge. For more information, call the park at (503) 861-2471.