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If there's one thing Tillamook is known for, it's for what was once there, just a little south of town.
The municipal airport (Port Of Tillamook Bay, to be precise) is, as some large airfields that seem too large for the small towns they serve turn out to be, is a legacy of the USA's air defense during World War II. Tillamook Naval Air Station, commissioned in 1942 and decommissioned in 1948 once had two huge hangars, Hangars A and B. Constructed of wood and built in a hurry, they were made to house blimps, and was the home of Squadron ZP-33, with a complement of 8 so-called "K-class" ships. They were, and Hangar B remains, one of the largest wooden buildings in the world.
In 1992, Hangar A was destroyed in a fire. Hangar B remains and is home to the Tillamook Air Museum, which seems to still be going great guns, somewhat contradicting the news down the last decade which suggested that the Air Museum, featuring WWII aircraft, was destined to remove to Madras.
Still, anything is possible one supposes: while Hangar B is an architectural wonder, wooden structures require constant attention ... and anything that large has got to be a maintenance armful.
Still, it's impressive even if you don't go, which we couldn't, this time. But at the corner of Long Prairie Road and US 101, about 5 or so minutes south of Tillamook, it's easily visible from the highway ... one full mile distant.
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