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Click image to enlarge
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Bradford Island, with paddleboat, as seen from the mouth of Eagle Creek.
Image taken August 23, 2008.
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Steamboats and Sternwheelers ... a selection
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In the last half of the 1800s and first part of the 1900s, MANY steamboats, sidewheelers, and sternwheelers operated on the Columbia River, and the ones listed below are just a few examples of some of those boats which have been mentioned in researching this website. Memories of this mode of transportation only remain in books, postcards, and museums. In modern times nostaliga brings out new sternwheelers such as the "Columbia Gorge" and the "Empress of the North".
- 1836 ---
 "Beaver" ... first steamboat on the Columbia River
- 1850 --- "Columbia" ... first steamboat built in Oregon
- 1850 --- "James P. Flint" ... first steamboat on the middle Columbia
- 1853 --- "Fashion" ... resurected from the "Flint" and "Columbia"
- 1855 --- "Jennie Clark" ... first sternwheeler on the Columbia
- 1856 --- "Mary" and "Wasco" and the Cascades Massacre
- 1857 --- "Hassalo" ... on the middle Columbia, connecting with the "Mountain Buck"
- 1857 --- "Mountain Buck" ... on the lower Columbia, connecting with the "Hassalo"
- 1858 --- "Colonel Wright" ... first steamer in the upper Columbia
- 1859 --- "Carrie Ladd" ... stylish
- 1860 --- "Idaho" ... built at the Cascades
- 1864 --- "Yakima" ... built in Celilo
- 1871 --- "Dixie Thompson" ... fastest time to Astoria
- 1878 --- "Harvest Queen" ... one of 4 steamers on opening day of the Cascade Locks
- 1880 --- President Hayes and the steamers "Wide West", "Hassalo", and "Harvest Queen"
- 1887 --- "Maria" ... one of 4 steamers on opening day of the Cascade Locks
- 1888 --- "Hassalo" running the Cascade Rapids
- 1891 --- "Dallas City" ... one of 4 steamers on opening day of the Cascade Locks
- 1891 --- "Regulator" ... early sternwheeler through the Cascade Locks
- 1892 --- "Sarah Dixon" ... one of 4 steamers on opening day of the Cascade Locks
- 1892 --- "Bailey Gatzert" ... first steamer built to carry passengers
- 1894 --- "Hattie Belle"
- 1896 --- Opening of the Cascade Locks Canal, with steamers "Harvest Queen", "Maria", "Dallas City", and "Sarah Dixon"
- 1915 --- Opening of the The Dalles - Celilo Canal, with "Inland Empire" and "J.M. Teal" being the first two boats through.
- 1952 --- Riverboat race between the "Henderson" and the "Portland" for the movie Bend of the River
- 1983 --- "Columbia Gorge" ... currently resides at Cascade Locks
- 2004 --- "Empress of the North"
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Steamboats at Early Vancouver ...
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From "A History of Clarke County", published in 1885:
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"... As early as 1852-53 steamboats were wont to touch at Vancouver and among
the first of these were the "Multnomah", Capt. Hoyt, which called
twice a week for the mail on her passage to and from Astoria; and the
"Fashion" and "Belle", that ran between Portland and the
Cascades. In 1854 the "Eagle", a little iron propeller that had been
brought out on the deck of a ship round Cape Horn, was placed on the route
between Portland and Vancouver, under command of Captain Woods, with
Deputy United States Marshal Frush as "the bo'sen tight, and the
midshipmite, and the crew of the captain's gig" -- otherwise general
factortem. -- Fare five dollars !
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Prior to 1855 the steamboats calling were wont to make fast to the
river-bank, but that year Barker & Stevens brought a wharf-boat and
anchored it at the foot of Main street; while another of the same nature
was placed at the foot of B street, where Moore's landing now is, by Hart
& Camp. These floating sharves were large and flat, entirely surrounded
with a wide gunwale to which were attached proper conveniences by which
vessels could be tied, while at either end was a saloon and store with a
twelve-foot wide passage between. They gave way to permanent wharves in
the following year.
..."
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Before the Locks ...
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Before construction of locks were built past the Cascade Rapids and the Celilo Falls, passengers would have to exit one steamer, portage past the obstructions, and then board another steamer.
As written on the "AmericanWestSteamboat.com" website (2006):
"... Passengers and freight would travel the lower Columbia River to the Cascades on the Fashion, Carrie Ladd, Mountain Buck, or Julia. There they would put ashore and ride the portage railroad behind a tiny rail car, affectionately known as the Oregon Pony to the upper landing, where they would board the Idaho, Hassalo, or Wasco to The Dalles. There they would ride a horse drawn wagon for a short ride around Celilo Falls then board the Colonel Wright, Nez Perce Chief, Yakima, or Spray for a cruise to Lewiston on the Snake River. ..."
In 1880 when President Hayes visited the Columbia River he rode the steamers "Wide West", "Hassalo", and "Harvest Queen", with portages around the Cascade Rapids and Celilo Falls, to make the journey from Vancouver to Walla Walla.
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Steamboats and Sternwheelers ... a selection
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1836 --- "Beaver"
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The first steamboat to appear on the lower Columbia was the Hudson's Bay Company's side-wheeler, "Beaver", which started operating in 1836. The "Beaver" built in 1835 on the Thames, and, rigged with sails, her side-wheels not attached, she sailed to America in 163 days.
A model of the "Beaver" can be seen at the Museum at Fort Vancouver.
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Click image to enlarge
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Model, Steamship "Beaver", Fort Vancouver Museum, Vancouver, Washington.
Image taken August 2, 2011.
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Click image to enlarge
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Information sign, Steamship "Beaver", Fort Vancouver Museum, Vancouver, Washington.
Image taken August 2, 2011.
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1850 --- "Columbia"
The "Columbia" was the first steamboat built in Oregon. She was a sidewheeler, 90 feet long, 16 feet beam, and about 4 feet of depth of hold.
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"... The first steamboat built in Oregon was a namesake of the first vessel to
enter the Columbia River the Columbia. She was a little
sidewheeler built at Upper Astoria and made her trial trip on July 3,
1850. ... She left Astoria on her first
trip at noon on July 3rd, in command of Captain Frost ...
She reached Portland at 3:00 p.m. the next day, and after lying there two or
three hours proceeded to Oregon City, where she arrived about 8:00 in the
evening, a great celebration being held in her honor. At this time the
steamer Lot Whitcomb was on the stocks at Milwaukie, and was
rapidly assuming shape. ...
The Columbia continued in the trade between Portland, Oregon City,
Astoria and Vancouver, and enjoyed a good business, fare and freight
between river points being $25 per head or per ton The running time
between Portland and Astoria was twenty-four hours, the boat tying up at
night. As another profitable source of revenue she carried supplies from
Vancouver to the Cascades, with occasional trips from Astoria with
passengers from the Pacific Mail steamers, frequently carrying so many
that there was hardly standing room on board. The Columbia was a
short-lived boat, and in a few years her engines were removed and placed
in the steamer Fashion The hull was afterward swept away and lost
during a June freshet.
..."
Source:
Wright, E.W. (ed.), 1895, Lewis & Dryden's marine history of the Pacific Northwest, Lewis & Dryden Printing Co., Portland, Oregon.
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1850 --- "James P. Flint"
In (1850 or 1851) the "James P. Flint" became the first steamboat on the middle Columbia, Cascade Rapids to Celilo Falls.
(note --- need to check date on arrival and sinking)
"...
The first steamboat on the middle river, the James P. Flint,
apeared this year. She was built at the Cascades by the Bradfords
and Van Bergen, and after her completion she was hauled up over the
Cascades to run to The Dalles, where there was an established military post.
...
The following season she was taken below the Cascades, and in September was sunk opposite Multnomah
Falls, while in command of Capt. George Coffin. No lives were lost, but
the craft was abandoned until 1853, when she was taken to Vancouver and
renamed the Fashion.
..."
Source:
Wright, E.W. (ed.), 1895, Lewis & Dryden's marine history of the Pacific Northwest, Lewis & Dryden Printing Co., Portland, Oregon.
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1853 --- "Fashion"
In the early 1850s, the "Fashion", once the "James P. Flint" with engines from the "Columbia", covered the lower Columbia River from the Cowlitz to the Cascade Rapids.
"... The steamer Fashion, which had risen from the ruins of the Jas.
P. Flint, in command of Capt. J.O. Van Bergen, was covering several
routes, going to the Cowlitz Monday and Tuesday, Oregon City Wednesday and
Thursday, and the rest of the week to Vancouver and the Cascades.
..."
Source:
Wright, E.W. (ed.), 1895, Lewis & Dryden's marine history of the Pacific Northwest, Lewis & Dryden Printing Co., Portland, Oregon.
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1855 --- "Jennie Clark"
In 1855 the "Jennie Clark" became the first steam-powered sternwheeler to travel the Columbia River carrying passengers. Within a few years hundreds of sternwheelers were on the waters of the Willamette, Columbia, and Snake Rivers. The steamer's dimensions were 115 feet in length, 18 feet 6 inches in beam, and 4 feet in depth.
"...
In 1854 a "steam canoe" was no longer a curioity to the Indians in the
Northwest, and only on rare occasions did they go out to welcome the
mariners with tomahawks as in olden times. Instead they crowded aboard
whenever a vessel appeared ... : This year witnessed an
innovation in Northwestern steamboating - the building of the first
sternwheeler. Prior to this date propellers and sidewheelers were the
only steam craft which had been tried here; but Captain Ainsworth and
Jacob Kam concluded that sternwheelers were better adapted to the river
business than the other styles. ... They built the Jennie
Clark at Milwaukie, on the same spot where the Lot Whticomb was
constructed; and after her completion she was placed on the Oregon City
route with Ainsworth in command, where she continued for several years.
In 1862 she enjoyed the distinction of being the first regular seaside
boat, making a weekly trip to Clatsop Landing on the Lewis and Clarke
River. This was after the steamer had passed into the hands of the Oregon
Steam Navigation Company, and was almost her last work, as she went to the
boneyard the following year, where, after her engines had been removed
... the old hull remained until October, 1865, when it was burned
for the iron. The Jennie Clark was a primitive boat compared with
the sternwheelers which followed her. ..."
Source:
Wright, E.W. (ed.), 1895, Lewis & Dryden's marine history of the Pacific Northwest, Lewis & Dryden Printing Co., Portland, Oregon.
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1856 --- "Mary" and "Wasco" and the Cascades Massacre
"The Indians attacked on the morning of March 26th, but failed to trap the two steamers Mary and Wasco above the rapids. However, the attackers managed to wound several of the crew and to kill other settlers in the area. Some settlers fled to the safety of a blockhouse near Fort Rains, on the Middle Cascades. Others took shelter in a sturdy, two-story store at the Upper Cascades, owned by brothers Daniel and Putnam F. Bradford. Settlers below the landing fled downriver in boats. By late in the day, some 40 men, women, and children were huddled in the Bradford store. As they watched, the Indians burned a sawmill and lumberyard owned by the Bradfords, along with several houses and a warehouse under construction. The Indians threw firebrands onto the roof of the store in an effort to burn it as well, but the refuges managed to douse the flames."
Source:
"HistoryLink.org" website, 2006, written by David Wilma
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1857 --- "Hassalo"
In July 1857 the "Hassalo" joined the group of steamboats on the middle Columbia River, Cascade Rapids to Celilo Falls.
"... A new line to The Dalles was established in 1857 by the steamer
Hassalo, just completed on the middle river, and the steamer
Mountain Buck, built at Portland to connect with her.
...
The Hassalo was the first sternwheeler built at the Cascades, and
was 135 feet long, 19 feet beam, and 5 feet hold. She made her initial
trip in July, 1857, and while not very speedy was a serviceable boat.
... The steamer went into the Oregon Steam Navigation
Company with the rest of the boats on the middle river at the time of the
organization, and continued running until 1865, when she was laid up.
..."
Source:
Wright, E.W. (ed.), 1895, Lewis & Dryden's marine history of the Pacific Northwest, Lewis & Dryden Printing Co., Portland, Oregon.
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1857 --- "Mountain Buck"
The "Mountain Buck" was launched in 1857 and covered the lower Columbia River to the Cascade Rapids. She met with the "Hassalo" at the Cascades for passenger journey up the Columbia River. The "Mountain Buck" was 133 feet long, 25 feet 4 inches beam, and 5 feet 6 inches hold.
"... A new line to The Dalles was established in 1857 by the steamer
Hassalo, just completed on the middle river, and the steamer
Mountain Buck, built at Portland to connect with her.
The Mountain Buck left the city July 29th on her first trip, in command
of Capt. Tom Wright. ...
She was launched June 6th and began
running on the Cascade route immediately. Her chief claim to distinction
was the fact that she was one of the few boats that were originally taken into the
Union Transportation Company or Oregon Steam Navigation Company.
In the service of this big corporation she continued on the
original route until 1864, when she was stripped of her machinery and left
in the boneyard, where she was burned in October, 1865.
..."
Source:
Wright, E.W. (ed.), 1895, Lewis & Dryden's marine history of the Pacific Northwest, Lewis & Dryden Printing Co., Portland, Oregon.
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1858 --- "Colonel Wright"
In 1858 the "Colonel Wright" became the first steamer on the upper Columbia, covering the area from Celilo Falls to the Snake River.
The "Colonel Wright" was 110 feet long, 21 feet beam, and 5 feet hold.
"... The Colonel Wright was launched October 24, 1858, at the mouth of the
Des Chutes River, and like most of the pioneers on the steamboat routes,
made a fortune for her owners before others could interfere with the
trade. .. The Colonel Wright made her first
trip in April, 1859, and, by connecting with the Oregon Steam Navigation
steamers on the middle and lower river, landed passengers in Portland
thirty hours after leaving Walla Walla, a feat which was considered
remarkable at that time. In May, 1859, the steamer made a reconnoitering
tour fifty miles up the Snake River, and in 1861 ascended the Clearwater
to within two miles of the forks, accomplishing the down-stream run of
over three hundred miles in less that twenty-four hours. Thompson and Coe
made so much money with the Wright that in the spring of 1860 they
put the Tenino on the same route, after pooling both steamers with
the Oregon Steam Navigation Company. ... She made her
last trip in the spring of 1865, in command of Capt. Thomas Stump, who
attempted to take her above the Snake River rapids to Farewell Bend. She
was eight days in making a distance of about one hundred miles, so she was
headed down stream and returned to Lewiston in less than five hours,
Captain Stump reporting his explorations as having been of no practical
value; but he had taken a steamer farther into the heart of the regions
lying to the east than any craft had ever gone before. ...
in August, 1865, she was broken up, her engines afterward
being placed in one of Joseph Kellogg's steamers. . ..."
Source:
Wright, E.W. (ed.), 1895, Lewis & Dryden's marine history of the Pacific Northwest, Lewis & Dryden Printing Co., Portland, Oregon.
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1859 --- "Carrie Ladd"
In 1859 the "Carrie Ladd" made her appearnace on the Columbia and Willamette Rivers.
Her dimensions
were 126 feet in length, 24 feet 4 inches in beam, and 4 feet 6 inches in depth.
"... The finest sternwheeler yet built made her appearance on the Columbia and
Willamette in 1859. She was named the Carrie Ladd in honor of the
Portland banker's daughter, and will always be remembered for the
important part she played in the organization of the Oregon Steam
Navigation Company. The Carrie Ladd was launched at Oregon City in
October, 1858. ... She was fitted up in first-class
style, and on her trial trip February 9, 1859, in command of Ainsworth,
made the run to Vancouver in one hour twenty-five minutes, to the Cascades
in five hours forty-four minutes, and back to Portland in four hours
thirty-eight minutes, a speed which was considered very rapid in those
days. The steamer was originally intended for the Oregon City trade, but
shortly after her completion the Union Transportation Company, the
forerunner of the mighty Oregon Steam Navigation Company, was formed, and
the Carrie Ladd secured the largest share given to any one steamer
in that pool. Having excellent power she found no difficulty in going to
the very foot of the rapids at the Cascades. When the Julia was
brought from the Sound there was a brief spell of opposition on the
Cascade route, which was soon ended by the purchase of the Julia;
and, in the lively days of steam-boating in the early sixties, the two
steamers ran there alternately, each carrying from two hundred to three
hundred passengers at a trip. In 1862, while in command of Capt. James
Strang, the Carrie Ladd struck a rock near Cape Horn and sank. The
passengers were rescued by the Mountain Buck and taken to the
Cascades. The steamer was afterward raised and resumed her trips, but the
tremendous amount of work to which she was subjected during her early
career had weakened her, and in 1864 she was converted into a barge. Her
engines were used in the Nez Perce Chief.
..."
Source:
Wright, E.W. (ed.), 1895, Lewis & Dryden's marine history of the Pacific Northwest, Lewis & Dryden Printing Co., Portland, Oregon.
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1860 --- "Idaho"
Between 1860 and 1861 the steamer "Idaho" was used on the middle Columbia, Cascade Rapids to Celilo Falls.
The "Idaho" was a sidewheeler, 147 feet long, 26 feet beam, and 6 feet 9 inches depth of hold.
"...
The steamer Idaho ... was constructed at the Cascades in
1860 for Col. John S. Ruckel, and naturally fell into the hands of the
Oregon Steam Navigation Company, for whom she proved very profitable. She
continued on the middle river ... in 1861 she was
piloted over the Cascades by Capt. James Troup, and, after being repaired
and strengthened throughout, was sent around to Puget Sound the following
year. ...
when Capt. D.B. Jackson organized the Northwestern Steamship Company, he
bought the Idaho and put her on the Port Townsend mail route, where
she is still running and making better time than many steamers of less
than one-third her age.
..."
Source:
Wright, E.W. (ed.), 1895, Lewis & Dryden's marine history of the Pacific Northwest, Lewis & Dryden Printing Co., Portland, Oregon.
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1864 --- "Yakima"
In 1864 the steamer "Yakima" was built and launched on the upper Columbia, Celilo Falls to the Snake River. She served this route until 1875 when she struck a rock near the John Day Rapids and sunk.
She was a handsome steamer, 150 feet long, 29 feet beam, and 5 feet hold, with 26 staterooms elegantly furnished and with a freight capacity of over two hundred tons.
"... On the upper river the fleet was reinforced with the steamers Yakima
and Owyhee. The Yakima, which in her day was the champion
of the upper Columbia, was built at Celilo in 1864, making her trial trip
May 4th in command of Capt. Charles Felton. ...
Her engines were seventeen by
seventy-two inches, and they sent her along like a racehorse giving her a
record of forty-one hours and thirty-five minutes from Celilo to Lewiston,
a distance of two hundred and seventy-nine miles, against a very swift
current and with many rapids to climb. This run was made by Capt E.F. Coe
in June, 1867, and has never been excelled. Coe commanded the
Yakima the greater part of the time until 1870, when he was
succeeded by Capt. Thomas Stump, who was the last master of the steamer.
In 1875, while on her way down the river with one hundred and sixty tons
of freight, she struck a rock in the John Day's Rapids, which stove in the
bottom from the bow aft nearly past the boiler. She was immediately
headed for the Oregon shore and sank in shallow water. While this
experience was not a new one for the steamer, the mishap was of such a
serious nature that she was of but little value after she was raised.
..."
Source:
Wright, E.W. (ed.), 1895, Lewis & Dryden's marine history of the Pacific Northwest, Lewis & Dryden Printing Co., Portland, Oregon.
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1871 --- "Dixie Thompson"
The "Dixie Thompson" came onboard for the Oregon Steam Navigation Company in 1871.
"... in January, 1871, the following steamers were flying the Oregon Steam Navigation flag: sidewheelers, Oneonta, 497 tons; Idaho, 302; Josie McNear, 159; sternwheelers, Dixie Thompson, 443.44; Tenino, 329.46; Yakima, 453.96; Owyhee, 313.40; Okanogan, 278.07; Rescue, 126.14; Shoshone, 299.73; Fannie Troup, 229.48; Wenat, 87.79; and the barge Wasp. ALl of their boats had been in service for a considerable length of time with the exception of the Dixie Thompson, which was launched at Portland, January 2d, and after completion started on the Astoria run in command of Capt. Richard Hoyt ... Her first trip to Astoria was made in eight hours, which, according to the Oregonian, was the fastest time yet recorded on the route. In 1872 H.A. Snow commanded the steamer, and was succeeded the following year by Captain Babbidge, who ran her through the summer months a round trip a day. The Dixie continued in this trade as a passenger steamer until 1881, and was subsequently operated on the Cascade route in opposition to the Fleetwood, then connecting with the Gold Dust above the Cascades. The Oregon Railway & Navigation steamer carried passengers for fifty cents each, and, when that competition ended, the Dixie returned to the lower river as a freight boat, but in 1885 again plied on the Cascade route, continuing there in charge of Capt. John Wolf and A.B. Pillsbury until 1887, when Capt. Henry Kindred ran her as a towboat. Charlges Spinner, Edward Sullivan, and a number of other Oregon Railway & Navigation Company captains, handled her in the towing business until 1893, when she was sent to the boneyard to be dismantled.
..."
Source:
Wright, E.W. (ed.), 1895, Lewis & Dryden's marine history of the Pacific Northwest, Lewis & Dryden Printing Co., Portland, Oregon.
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1878 --- "Harvest Queen"
There were two "Harvest Queen's" on the Columbia in the years of the steamers. The first "Harvest Queen" was built in Celilo in 1878 and dismantled in 1899. She was one of four steamers ("Dallas City", "Harvest Queen", "Maria", and the "Sarah Dixon") to go through the Cascade Locks when it opened on November 5, 1896. The second "Harvest Queen" was built in 1900 and operated until 1927.
"... There were two Harvest Queens that were built as stern-wheelers. One was built at Celilo Falls, Oregon in 1878. She weighed 846 tons, measured 200 feet, and operated above Celilo Falls until 1881 when the Oregon Railroad & Navigation Company completed railroad tracks. She was dismantled in 1899. The second Harvest Queen was built in 1900, weighed 585 tons and measured 187 feet. She operated on the lower Columbia and was abandoned in 1927. ..."
Source:
State of Washington Libraries, Washington Rural Heritage website, 2011.
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1880 --- President Hayes and the steamers "Wide West", "Hassalo", and "Harvest Queen"
THE PRESIDENT ON THE COLUMBIA.
SIGHT-SEEING AT THE CASCADES --- RECEPTIONS AT DALLES AND WALLA WALLA.
PORTLAND, Oregon, Oct. 4. -- The President and his party to-day left Vancouver's on the steamer "Wide West", and proceeded up the Columbia River to Dalles. Along the river, the residents greeted the party in a cordial manner. At the Cascades, the President was greeted by the Mayor and Common Council of Dalles.
JOHN DAY'S RIVER, Oct. 5. -- The meeing of the President and the committee of officers and citizens from Dalles, at the Upper Cascades was informal and no speeches were made. The party was soon on board the "Hassalo", which was brought down by the Dalles committee, who had decorated the steamer with colors and flowers. At the Lower and Upper Cascades the large crowds which had collected were greeted by the President with his accustomed cordiality. Major Powell, in charge of the Cascade Canal work, and a party at the Upper Cascades, invited the President and his party to visit the works. The "Hassalo" steamed over and landed the entire party. ...
The passage up the Dalles was without incident. The wharf-boat at Dalles and the cliffs immediately back of the place were crowded as the "Hassalo" reached her landing, and cheer after cheer were given ...
the train moving off, amid deafening applause. A stop was made in the centre of the town ... Seven miles above Dalles the train halted and the party walked down to the "Narrows", where the waters of the Columbia rushed in through a two-hundred-foot channel between walls of solid rock, and attempts to cast rocks across were unsuccessfully made, the President, however, making the best throw by several feet. It has been determined to return to Portland on Thursday night.
UMATILLA, Oregon, Oct. 5. -- At 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon the Presidential party left the cars at the John Day River and took passage on the steam-boat "Harvest Queen". The officers had elaborately decorated the boat with banners and draperies of bunting and festoons of sage-brush. The night ride up the river was delightful. Under the leadership of Mrs. Hayes the party formed a choir; and spent two hours or more in a concert. At 11 o'clock the "Harvest Queen" was tied up until morning. She arrived here at 6:45 a.m., when a committee from Walla Walla, with Judge Mix at its head, was in waiting with a special train. The pier here was crowded, and as the President appeared on the bow of the boat he was loudly cheered. ...
Source:
New York Times, October 6, 1880
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1887 --- "Maria"
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The "Maria" was built in Portland in 1887 and abandoned in 1923.
She was one of four steamers ("Dallas City", "Harvest Queen", "Maria", and the "Sarah Dixon") to go through the Cascade Locks when it opened on November 5, 1896.
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1888 --- "Hassalo" running the Cascade Rapids
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On May 26, 1888, Capt. James W. Troup took the sternwheeler "Hassalo" through the Cascades of the Columbia, covering the six miles of whitewater in just seven minutes. While other captains had come through the Cascades, and even bested Troup's time, as had Captain McNulty in the "R.R. Thompson" a few years before, the famous run of the "Hassalo" was witnessed by 3,000 people and made the subject of a well-known photograph.
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1891 --- "Dallas City"
The "Dallas City" was built in Portland in 1891 and then rebuilt in 1909.
She was one of four steamers ("Dallas City", "Harvest Queen", "Maria", and the "Sarah Dixon") to go through the Cascade Locks when it opened on November 5, 1896. A picture of the "Dallas City" can be seen at the Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center museum, Stevenson, Washington.
"...
in 1891 The Dalles, Portland & Astoria Navigation Company was organized and launched two fine sternwheel steamers. The Regulator for the middle river was set afloat at The Dalles and was one hundred and fifty-two feet long, twenty-eight feet beam, and six feet hold, with engines sixteen by seventy-two inches. ... The Dalles City, on the Portland end of the line, was built at that place, and is one hundred and forty-two feet long, twenty-six feet five inches beam, and six feet hold, with engines fourteen by sixty inches. ... The steamers have been very successful, as, under the change of management of the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company's water lines, all of their steamers were withdrwns from the middle river.
..."
Source:
Wright, E.W. (ed.), 1895, Lewis & Dryden's marine history of the Pacific Northwest, Lewis & Dryden Printing Co., Portland, Oregon.
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Penny Postcard: Cascade Locks, with steamers, including the "Dallas City", ca.1910.
Penny Postcard, ca.1910, "Columbia River Steamers in Cascade Locks".
Caption on back reads: "Columbia river is one of the largest rivers in the west side of America. Its estimated length is 1400 miles. The river is broken by falls and rapids into many separate portions, and the ingress and egress are embraced by a surf eaten bar, still it is open to steamboat navigation from its mouth to the Cascade. About 160 miles along the river are located some of the largest salmon canneries in the world."
Card #90.
In the private collection of Lyn Topinka.
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Penny Postcard: Cape Horn and Cape Horn Landing, Washington, and the steamer "Dallas City", ca.1920.
Penny Postcard, ca.1920, "Passing Cape Horn, Columbia River". Caption along the bottom reads "'Dallas City', one of the many steamers out of Portland". Published by Chas. S. Lipschuetz Company, Portland, Oregon. Card has postmark of August 1921.
Card #248.
In the private collection of Lyn Topinka.
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Warren Salmon Cannery, Warrendale, Oregon, with two steamships, the "Dalles City" and the "Tahoma".
Image shows two steamships, the "Dalles City" and the "Tahoma" docking at the Warren Cannery docks.
Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center, Stevenson, Washington.
Image taken July 15, 2011.
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1891 --- "Regulator"
The "Regulator", built in 1891 and rebuilt with a larger and heavier hull in 1899, navigated the "middle river" between the Cascade Rapids and The Dalles, Oregon.
In 1906 while under repair at St. Johns, Oregon, the "Regulator" caught fire and exploded, killing two.
A mural depicting the "Regulator" can be seen in North Bonneville, Washington.
"...
in 1891 The Dalles, Portland & Astoria Navigation Company was organized and launched two fine sternwheel steamers. The Regulator for the middle river was set afloat at The Dalles and was one hundred and fifty-two feet long, twenty-eight feet beam, and six feet hold, with engines sixteen by seventy-two inches. ... The Dalles City, on the Portland end of the line, was built at that place, and is one hundred and forty-two feet long, twenty-six feet five inches beam, and six feet hold, with engines fourteen by sixty inches. ... The steamers have been very successful, as, under the change of management of the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company's water lines, all of their steamers were withdrwns from the middle river.
..."
Source:
Wright, E.W. (ed.), 1895, Lewis & Dryden's marine history of the Pacific Northwest, Lewis & Dryden Printing Co., Portland, Oregon.
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Mural depicting the "Regulator", North Bonneville, Washington.
The basalts of Cape Horn are in the background.
Image taken January 3, 2012.
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Mural depicting the "Regulator", North Bonneville, Washington.
The basalts of Cape Horn are in the background.
Image taken January 3, 2012.
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1892 --- "Sarah Dixon"
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The "Sarah Dixon" was built in 1892 and rebuilt in 1906.
She was one of four steamers ("Dallas City", "Harvest Queen", "Maria", and the "Sarah Dixon") to go through the Cascade Locks when it opened on November 5, 1896.
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1892 --- "Bailey Gatzert"
While built in 1890, it wasn't until 1892 that the steamer "Bailey Gatzert" arrived on the Columbia River. The "Bailey Gatzert" was the first steamer built to carry passengers, as previous steamers going up and down the Columbia River Gorge area were primarily built for carrying freight. During the 1905 Lewis and Clark Exposition, the "Bailey Gatzert" made twice-daily runs from Portland to Cascade Locks. A model of the "Bailey Gatzert", plus her name board, whistle, and pilot wheel can be seen at the Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center museum in Stevenson, Washington.
"... While many wood-fueled steamers operated on the Columbia River between the 1850s and the early 20th century, the "Bailey Gatzert" was one of the most famous. It was known for its speed, elegance, and long service on passenger routes between Portland and Astoria, the lower Cascades, and The Dalles. While earlier steamers had transported cargo between Portland and the upper Columbia River Basin, that traffic was dominated by railroads in the 1880s. In 1890, John Holland’s shipyard in Seattle built the "Bailey Gatzert" for the Seattle Steam and Navigation Company (SSNC). In 1891, Captain U.B. Scott’s Columbia Transportation Company merged with the SSNC, creating the Columbia River and Puget Sound Navigation Company. Scott was the president of the company, which was later known as the White Collar Line.
The "Bailey Gatzert", named after a Seattle mayor, was moved to the Columbia River in 1892, where it operated for many years. The steamer was one of the fastest on the river at a time when captains would race to pass each other on daily routes. The Bailey Gatzert March, a piano melody written by Decker and Velguth to commemorate the boat, was featured during the 1905 Lewis and Clark Exposition and Oriental Fair in Portland. During the fair, the steamer ferried tourists twice a day on roundtrips to the Cascade Canal and Locks. The "Bailey Gatzert" was rebuilt in 1907, and in 1917 it returned to Seattle to operate as a car and passenger ferry. In 1926, it became a floating machine shop on Seattle’s Lake Union. ..."
Source:
The Oregon History Project website, 2009
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Penny Postcard: Cape Horn, Washington, with passing steamer, the "Bailey Gatzert", ca.1910.
Penny Postcard, ca.1910, "Palisades on the Columbia River.".
Published by the J.K. Gill Co., Card #3952.
Made in Germany.
In the private collection of Lyn Topinka.
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Penny Postcard: Steamer "Bailey Gatzert" entering the Cascade Locks, ca.1910.
Penny Postcard, ca.1910, "Steamer Bailey Gatzert entering the Locks of the Cascades".
Back: "On the Road of a Thousand Wonders".
Published by M. Rieder, Los Angeles, Card #3941.
Made in Germany.
In the private collection of Lyn Topinka.
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Exhibit, Name board of the "Bailey Gatzert", sternwheeler on the Columbia.
Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center, Stevenson, Washington.
Image taken July 15, 2011.
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Exhibit, Model of the "Bailey Gatzert", sternwheeler on the Columbia.
The "Bailey Gatzert's" pilot wheel can be seen in the background.
Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center, Stevenson, Washington.
Image taken July 15, 2011.
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Exhibit, Poster of the "Bailey Gatzert", sternwheeler on the Columbia.
Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center, Stevenson, Washington.
Image taken July 15, 2011.
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1894 --- "Hattie Belle"
"... The Hattie Belle, length one hundred and ten feet, beam twenty-four feet, and depth of hold four feet five inches, was constructed at Portland by Capt. M.A. Hackett, who operated her as a towboat until 1894, when she was secured by the Hosfords, who used her on the Cascade route in connection with the Ione, which was frequently on the bottom of the river. ..."
Source:
Wright, E.W. (ed.), 1895, Lewis & Dryden's marine history of the Pacific Northwest, Lewis & Dryden Printing Co., Portland, Oregon.
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Penny Postcard: Rooster Rock, Oregon, Image ca.1896, Card ca.1905.
Penny Postcard, Image ca.1896, Card ca.1905. "Rooster Rock, Columbia River, Oregon."
Oregon Historical Society original image is titled "Hattie Belle at Rooster Rock, by Benjamin Gifford, ca.1896."
Published by B.B. Rich, Official Stationer. Card is in the same style as offical cards from the 1905 Lewis and Clark Centennial.
In the private collection of Lyn Topinka.
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1896 --- Opening of the Cascade Locks Canal ...
In 1878 construction of the 8-foot-deep Cascade Locks Navigation Canal began. It was completed on November 5, 1896, providing a way around the infamous Cascade Rapids, a section of the Columbia which had restricted navigation up the Columbia since the time of Lewis and Clark. Forty-two years later, early in 1938, the Cascade Locks canal was submerged under the rising waters of the Bonneville Reservoir, behind the Bonneville Dam. According to "HistoryLink.org" website (2012), the online Encyclopedia of Washington State History ... "On November 5, 1896, Portland residents boarded the steamer Sarah Dixon and passed through the locks. A small cannon boomed salutes."
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"Four steamers waiting their turn at the opening of Cascade Locks November 5, 1896. The steamers are identified as the 1 sternwheeler "Maria" which was built at Portland in 1887 and abandoned in 1923; 2 sternwheeler "Dalles City" which was built at Portland in 1891 and rebuilt in 1909; 3 sternwheeler "Harvest Queen" built at Celilo in 1878 and dismantled in 1899; and 4 sternwheeler "Sarah Dixon" which was built in 1892 and rebuilt in 1906. The original photograph is from the collection of Captain Werner Eckhart."
[note: image not shown on this website]
Source:
Ben Maxwell image collection, Salem Public Library Historic Photograph Collections, Salem Public Library, Salem, Oregon
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1915 --- Opening of the The Dalles - Celilo Canal
The 8-mile-long The Dalles - Celilo Canal, located three miles north of The Dalles, was completed in 1915, creating a steamboat waterway around the Fivemile Rapids ("Long Narrows"), Tenmile Rapids ("Short Narrows"), and Celilo Falls. It provided a clear journey to Lewiston, Idaho. According to the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center photo archives, the first two boats to pass through The Dalles - Celilo Canal were the "Inland Empire" and the "J.M. Teal".
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1952 --- Steamboat race between the "Henderson" and the "Portland"
The last steamboat race on the Columbia River was between the "Henderson" and the "Portland". The two steamboats raced between Portland, Oregon, and Rooster Rock as part of the promotion for the 1952 motion picture Bend of the River, staring James Stewart. The "Henderson" won the race but blew a gasket doing it. In the film the steamer "River Queen" is played by the "Henderson".
The sternwheeler "Portland" is now docked on the Willamette River at the Portland, Oregon waterfront, and is home to the "Oregon Maritime Museum".
"...
The last steamboat race on the Columbia was held in 1952, between Henderson and the new steel-hulled Portland, both towboats. This was actually more of an exhibition than a race. The famous actor James Stewart and other members of the cast of the recently-filmed movie Bend of the River were on-board the Henderson. The race was witnessed by Capt. Homer T. Shaver, who stated that as both were running fast for their design, as towboats, the speeds were not much compared to what he'd seen as a young man on the river.
..."
Source:
Gordon R. Newell, (ed.), 1966, H.W. McCurdy Marine History of the Pacific Northwest, Superior Publishing, Seattle.
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Sternwheeler "Henderson", as the "River Queen", passing Cape Horn, Washington.
"Bend of the River", 1952.
Image captured July 20, 2011.
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Sternwheeler "Portland", now the home to the Oregon Maritime Museum.
Willamette River, Portland, Oregon.
Image taken February 14, 2009.
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1983 --- "Columbia Gorge"
Today the sternwheeler "Columbia Gorge" resides at the Cascade Locks, providing today's visitors with a glimpse into the past.
The "Columbia Gorge" was built by the Nichols Boat Works of Hood River, Oregon and launched on the Columbia River in 1983. Currently it is owned by the Port of Cascade Locks. Tours on the Columbia River include sightseeing from Cascade Locks and Stevenson to the Bonneville Dam.
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Looking upstream from Cascade Locks.
Looking upstream from Cascade Locks, at the sternwheeler "Columbia Gorge".
Image taken June 15, 2003.
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Sternwheeler "Columbia Gorge".
Image taken August 23, 2008.
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Sternwheeler "Columbia Gorge".
Image taken August 23, 2008.
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2004 --- "Empress of the North"
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Mount Hood, Oregon, and the Empress of the North, from Hayden Island.
View from under the Interstate 5 bridge.
Image taken March 29, 2004.
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"The Golden Age of Postcards" ...
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The early 1900s was the "Golden Age of Postcards". The "Penny Postcard" became a popular way to send greetings to friends and family. Today the "Penny Postcard" has become a snapshot of history.
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Penny Postcard: Cape Horn, Washington, with passing steamer, the "Bailey Gatzert", ca.1910.
Penny Postcard, ca.1910, "Palisades on the Columbia River.".
Published by the J.K. Gill Co., Card #3952.
Made in Germany.
In the private collection of Lyn Topinka.
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Penny Postcard: Cascade Locks, with steamers, including the "Dallas City", ca.1910.
Penny Postcard, ca.1910, "Columbia River Steamers in Cascade Locks".
Caption on back reads: "Columbia river is one of the largest rivers in the west side of America. Its estimated length is 1400 miles. The river is broken by falls and rapids into many separate portions, and the ingress and egress are embraced by a surf eaten bar, still it is open to steamboat navigation from its mouth to the Cascade. About 160 miles along the river are located some of the largest salmon canneries in the world."
Card #90.
In the private collection of Lyn Topinka.
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Penny Postcard: Cape Horn and Cape Horn Landing, Washington, and the steamer "Dallas City", ca.1920.
Penny Postcard, ca.1920, "Passing Cape Horn, Columbia River". Caption along the bottom reads "'Dallas City', one of the many steamers out of Portland". Published by Chas. S. Lipschuetz Company, Portland, Oregon. Card has postmark of August 1921.
Card #248.
In the private collection of Lyn Topinka.
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Penny Postcard: Rooster Rock, Oregon, with the "Hattie Belle", Image ca.1896, Card ca.1905.
Penny Postcard, Image ca.1896, Card ca.1905. "Rooster Rock, Columbia River, Oregon."
Oregon Historical Society original image is titled "Hattie Belle at Rooster Rock, by Benjamin Gifford, ca.1896."
Card published by B.B. Rich, Official Stationer. Card is in the same style as offical cards from the 1905 Lewis and Clark Centennial.
In the private collection of Lyn Topinka.
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From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...
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Clark, October 30, 1805 ...
A cool morning, a moderate rain all the last night, after eating a partial brackfast of venison we Set out [from their camp near Drano Lake and the Little White Salmon River]
passed Several places where the rocks projected into the river & have the appearance of haveing Seperated from the mountains and fallen promiscuisly into the river, Small nitches are formed in the banks below those projecting rocks which is comon in this part of the river, Saw 4 Cascades caused by Small Streams falling from the mountains on the Lard. Side,
[The possiblities in a two-mile area are - upstream to downstream -
Starvation Creek and Falls,
the seasonal Cabin Creek and Falls,
Warren Creek and Falls,
Wonder Creek and Lancaster Falls,
Lindsey Creek and Falls, and
Summit Creek and Falls.]
a remarkable circumstance in this part of the river is, the Stumps of pine trees [Submerged Forest]
[The Submerged Forest existed along the reach from above Dog Mountain/Viento Creek on the upstream edge and Wind Mountain/Shellrock Mountain on the downstream edge.]
are in maney places are at Some distance in the river, and gives every appearance of the rivers being damed up below from Some cause which I am not at this time acquainted with [Bonneville Landslide],
the Current of the river is also verry jentle not exceeding 1½ mile pr. hour and about ¾ of a mile in width. Some rain, we landed above the mouth of a Small river on the Stard. Side [Wind River] and Dined ... :
here the river widens to about one mile large Sand bar in the middle, a Great [rock] both in and out of the water, large <round> Stones, or rocks are also permiscuisly Scattered about in the river,
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The bottoms above the mouth of this little river [Wind River] <which we Call> is rich covered with grass & firn & is about ¾ of a mile wide rich and rises gradually, below the river (which is 60 yards wide above its mouth) the Countery rises with Steep assent. we call this little river <fr Ash> New Timbered river from a Speces of Ash <that wood> which grows on its banks of a verry large and different from any we had before Seen, and a timber resembling the beech in bark <& groth> but different in its leaf which is Smaller and the tree smaller. passed maney large rocks in the river and a large creek on the Stard. Side in the mouth of which is an Island [Rock Creek near Stevenson, Washington], passed on the right of 3 Islands <on> near the Stard. Side, and landed on an Island close under the Stard. Side at the head of the great Shute [head of the Cascades Rapids], and a little below a village of 8 large houses on a Deep bend on the Stard. Side, and opposit 2 Small Islands imediately in the head of the Shute, which Islands are covered with Pine, maney large rocks also, in the head of the Shute. Ponds back of the houses, and Countrey low for a Short distance. The day proved Cloudy dark and disagreeable with Some rain all day which kept us wet. The Countary a high mountain on each Side thickly Covered with timber, Such as Spruc, Pine, Cedar, Oake Cotton &c. &c. I took two men and walked down three miles to examine the Shute and river below proceeded along an old Indian path, passd. an old village at 1 mile ...
I found by examonation that we must make a portage of the greater perpotion of our Stores 2½ miles, and the Canoes we Could haul over the rocks, I returned at Dark
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a wet disagreeable evening, the only wood we could get to burn on this little Island on which we have encamped [near Ashes Lake, the island is now under the waters of the Bonneville Reservoir. Ashes Lake was near the head of the Cascade Rapids. Across from Ashes Lake is Cascade Locks, Oregon.] is the newly discovered Ash, which makes a tolerable fire. we made fifteen miles to daye
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Clark, November 2, 1805 ...
Examined the rapid below us [from their camp at Fort Rains, looking at the Cascade Rapids] more pertcelarly the danger appearing too great to Hazzard our Canoes loaded, dispatched all the men who could not Swim with loads to the end of the portage below, I also walked to the end of the portage with the carriers where I delayed untill everry articles was brought over and canoes arrived Safe. here we brackfast and took a Meridn. altitude 59° 45' 45" about the time we were Setting out 7 Squars came over loaded with Dried fish, and bear grass neetly bundled up, Soon after 4 Indian men came down over the rapid in a large canoe.
passed a rapid at 2 miles & 1 at 4 miles opposite the lower point of a high Island on the Lard Side [Bradford Island], and a little below 4 Houses on the Stard. Bank, a Small Creek on the Lard Side [Tanner Creek] opposit Straw berry Island [Hamilton Island], which heads below the last rapid, opposit the lower point of this Island [Hamilton Island] passed three Islands covered with tall timber [today there are two, Ives and Pierce] opposit the Beatin rock [Beacon Rock]
Those Islands are nearest the Starboard Side, imediately below on the Stard. Side passed a village of nine houses [Skamania and Skamania Landing], which is Situated between 2 Small Creeks [Woodward Creek and Duncan Creek], and are of the Same construction of those above; here the river widens to near a mile, and the bottoms are more extensive and thickly timbered, as also the high mountains on each Side, with Pine, Spruce pine, Cotton wood, a Species of ash, and alder. at 17 miles passed a rock near the middle of the river [Phoca Rock], about 100 feet high and 80 feet Diamuter,
proceed on down a Smoth gentle Stream of about 2 miles wide, in which the tide has its effect as high as the Beaten rock [Beacon Rock] or the Last rapids at Strawberry Island [Hamilton Island],- Saw great numbers of waterfowl of Different kinds, Such as Swan, Geese, white & grey brants, ducks of various kinds, Guls, & Pleaver [today just below Beacon Rock is Franz National Wildlife Refuge]. ...
we encamped under a high projecting rock on the Lard. Side [Rooster Rock, with Crown Point rising above it], here the mountains leave the river on each Side
[leaving the Columbia River Gorge, Steigerwald Land NWR is on the north and the Sandy River delta is on the south],
which from the great Shute to this place is high and rugid [Columbia River Gorge]; thickly Covered with timber principalley of the Pine Species. The bottoms below appear extensive and thickly Covered with wood. river here about 2½ miles wide. Seven Indians in a Canoe on their way down to trade with the nativs below, encamp with us, those we left at the portage passed us this evening and proceeded on down The ebb tide rose here about 9 Inches, the flood tide must rise here much higher- we made 29 miles to day from the Great Shute [Cascade Locks]-
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