What: The Lady B is a small steel-hulled tugboat built in 1947 and is likely the last of her kind. It served many decades on the Willamette River hauling logs to mills and is one of the most illustrative—and perhaps the most unique—resources Oregon has to convey its industrial heritage. Restore Oregon is providing Willamette Falls Heritage Foundation (WFHF), a registered 501(c)(3), technical preservation assistance as they raise funds and plan for the tug’s public display and interpretation.
Threat: Without emergency funding for temporary storage by September, the Lady B will be dismantled and permanently lost.
Needs: Within the next month, WFHF needs to secure $30,000 to move the Lady B to suitable temporary storage in West Linn. Long-term, they need to raise an additional $180,000 to secure a permanent public location, fund its historic interpretation, and pay for the tug’s nomination to the National Register of Historic Places.
How You Can Help: Grant funding is being pursued but your immediate support is crucial. If you have questions, resources, expertise, or would like to make a donation, please contact Sandy Carter, WFHF Volunteer Curator, at sandy.carter@wordscount.biz.
Photo: The Lady B was part of the Bernert Family’s operations–whose family ties to West Linn stretch back through five generations–and is currently owned by the Bernert family’s business, Wilsonville Concrete. Photo courtesy of Willamette Falls Heritage Foundation.