The Laurel, originally built in 1920 as the West Jessup by the Ames Shipbuilding Company, was a cargo steamer based on design number 1080 of the Emergency Fleet Corporation. After sailing several voyages across the Pacific, the Laurel became a lumber freighter for the Quaker Line, a subsidiary of the States Line.

In 1929, with 32 souls on board, Laurel beached on Peacock Spit, Washington, just at the mouth of the Columbia River near Astoria, Oregon.

In this documentary, we're visiting the Columbia River Maritime Museum, the Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum, and the Cape May Maritime Museum.