Grays River Builder-July 1, 1943
Grays River, Washington

Skamokawa Pioneer Passes

Frank M. Sweet, Astoria port commissioner and habormaster, died at mid-
afternoon Friday, from uremis poisoning after an illness of five days.  
He was 56.

Sweet was taken ill aboard one of the Astoria Marine Construction 
company's minesweepers about 4 p.m. last Monday, as the boat was en 
route from Astoria to Portland.  He was removed from the ship at 
Westport and returned here.  Later that day, about 11 p.m., about 14 
others on the boat were stricken with food poisoning, and it was 
assumed for a time that Sweet's illness was of the same nature.  But it 
was later developed that Sweet did not partake of the same evening 
mean, and the food poisoning was ruled out as cause of his illness.

The well-known Astorian had been serving as naval inspector at the 
Astoria Marine and the Kruse and Banks yards, the latter at North Bend, 
Ore.  He was the only civilian authority assigned in the northwest.

A native of Skamokawa, Wash., and son of a sailing ship master, Sweet 
was harbormaster at Astoria more than 15 years.  He served on the state 
pilot commission from 1915 to 1938, except during one four-year period.  
For many years he had operated the Astoria Stevdoring company here.

The Sweet family home was located on a flat south of Skamokawa and near 
the main channel of the Columbia, the flat having since been washed 
away.  His father was a retired sea captain who had operated a store in 
the north shore community.  After his father's death, his mother, Mrs. 
Julia Sweet tended the light at the entrance of the Skamokawa channel.  
Mrs. Sweet still lives there with two sisters, Misses Nora and Mary 
Iverson.

Sweet gained his title as captain through his work as habormaster, not 
as a master of ships.  He took an active part in handling ships built 
here during the first war and has, for more than two decades, been 
closely associated with the maritime life of the lower Columbia.

One of his more recent offices was that of Lloyd's agent at Astoria, 
and in that capacity he investigated several of the important wrecks of 
the district including the Italian motorship Feltre and Russian steamer 
Vaslav Vorosky.

For more than a year he has been senior navy inspector for the navy at 
Astoria and Coos Bay plants-inspecting construction and the testing of 
minesweepers and other small craft built in this area.

Funeral services for the deceased were held at the First Methodist 
church in Astoria at 11 a.m. Monday, under direction of Ginn's Funeral 
Home and with the Rev. R. A. Fedja officiating.

Surviving are the widow, Mrs. Ruth Sweet; the mother, Mrs. Julia Sweet, 
and two aunts at Skamokawa; another aunt, Mrs. Nellie Barners of 
Svenson, and his brother, Ben Sweet, a maritime engineer residing near 
Seattle.  The brother arrived here by train, and funeral arrangements 
were made for last Monday because of the necessity for his immediate 
return to vital defense work in Seattle.  

Sweet's body was taken to Portland for cremation.  The ashes were then 
lowered in a concrete block into the Columbia river near the bar, which 
Sweet played so prominent a part in improving over many years.


Columbia River Bar
July 29, 1889-June 1943
(As transcribed by the Wahkiakum County Historical Society Museum)