General Miles
Encyclopedia
General Miles was a steamship constructed in 1882 which served in various coastal areas of the states of Oregon
and Washington, as well as British Columbia and the territory of Alaska
. Originally a sailing schooner built in 1879, the General Miles was extensively reconstructed in 1890 and renamed Willapa. In 1903 the name was changed again to Bellingham. After a conversion to diesel power in 1922, the vessel was renamed Norco. The vessel is notable for, among other things, for having been first a sailing vessel from 1879 to 1882, a steamship from 1882 to 1918, a sailing barge from 1919 to 1922, and a motor vessel (diesel-powered) from 1922 to 1950.
. The vessel was a rebuilt sailing schooner
which had been originally built in 1879. The ISN had been organized in 1875 by Lewis A. Loomis, Jacob Kamm
and two others, for the purpose of developing transportation to, from, and on the Long Beach Peninsula
, located on the north side of the mouth of the Columbia River
. The company's first vessel was the General Canby, a 110 ft (33.53 m) steam tug built in 1875 at South Bend, Washington
. ISN organized steamboat routes both on Willapa Bay
, on the east side of the Long Beach Peninsula, and also on the Columbia River, on the south side of the peninsula.
By the early 1880s, demand on the Columbia river route, which ran from Astoria, Oregon
to Ilwaco, Washington
, was increasing beyond the General Canbys legal passenger capacity, which was 75 in summer and 40 in winter. For this reason, ISN had an new steamer, the General Miles, constructed in Portland, Oregon
. Completed in 1882, General Miles was a near sister ship
to the General Canby. The General Miles was capable of multiple uses, being equipped with towing bits for tugboat
work as well as being designed to accommodate 125 passengers and handle 150 tons of freight.
, which was then growing rapidly in population. ISN also employed the General Miles on occasional trips to Tillamook
and Coos Bay, Oregon
.
The first commander of General Miles was W.P. Whitcomb (b.1848), who had previously been in charge of the General Canby. His brother, George H. Whitcomb (b.1854), also served on the General Miles.
Capt. John Henry D. Gray (b.1839), who was the grandson of explorer Robert Gray
, was one of the masters of General Miller at this time, as well as being a part owner. Gray used General Miles in the development of the Grays Harbor area. Gray was in command of General Miles at the salvage of the then almost new steamer Queen of the Pacific (330 ft (100.58 m)) in 1883 when that vessel grounded on the Clatsop Spit
. Queen of the Pacific was stranded while trying to cross the Columbia Bar
on September 5, 1883. Five tugs were called out, including General Miles, Pioneer, Brenham, Astoria, and Columbia, and with great effort they were able to save the ship. ISN kept the General Miles on the Astoria-Ilwaco route until 1889, when the vessel was sold to Portland Coast and Steamship Company and transferred to Coos Bay to operate as a tug.
, renamed the vessel Willapa, and ran it on Puget Sound
Beecher left the business however after his steamer J.H. Libby burned on November 10, 1889. It is reported that Willapa took the place of J.H. Libby for a time, carrying passengers and freight between Port Townsend and the San Juan Islands
.
Willapa was returned to Portland in 1890, where, in work completed in 1891, the vessel underwent a substantial reconstruction. The hull was cut in two, and an additional section 36 ft (10.97 m) was inserted in the middle, with the resulting hull being 136 ft (41.45 m) long.
In 1894, Willapa was leased by the Hastings Steamboat Company.
was organized by a group of Seattle business and steamboatmen. At that time the Alaska trade was dominated by the Pacific Coast Steamship Company
. The first vessel purchased by Alaska Steam was the Willapa, which, following a extensive overhaul and refitting, departed on her first Alaska trip from the Schwabacher Brothers wharf on March 3, 1895, returning two weeks later on March 17. Willapa carried 79 passengers, 23 horses, and several hundred tons of cargo. A rate war then ensued with the Pacific Coast company, forcing Pacific Coast to cut its rates by more then 50%.
, when the vessel struck ground on Regatta Reef. The passengers were removed without casualty by a schooner and local canoes manned by First Nations
people. Much freight was also salvaged, but several head of horses could not be rescued and were therefore shot. Although originally considered a total loss, later Willapa was purchased from the underwriters by Canadian interests, removed from the reef, and repaired.
Subsequently Willapa came into the control of the Canadian-Pacific Navigation Company
, one of the dominant shipping companies on the coast of British Columbia and in the Alaskan Panhandle. This company used Willapa as a relief boat on various routes, including the service to including Clayoquot on the west coast of Vancouver Island
.
acquired Bellingham Transportation Company, but Dode and Willapa did not go to PSN operational control until the spring of 1904.
It is also reported that Canadian-Pacific sold Willapa to the Thompson Steamship Company before the vessel came into the ownership of Puget Sound Navigation Co. Thompson Steamship was a Port Angeles
concern run by the Thompson brothers, including John Rex Thompson. John Rex Thompson was a business ally of C.E. Curtis. A news report from late 1902 stated that that Willapa was to be purchased by a syndicate headed by John Rex Thompson. In May 1904, allegations were made in court of financial malfeasance and breach of trust by C.E. Curtis, causing Bellingham Bay Transportation Co., a company owned by local farmers, to become financially insolvent.
route, which included through service by local steamer from Bellingham
to Blaine
and Point Roberts
. Running against Bellingham were the Utopia and the old sidewheeler George E. Starr
, both owned by the Puget Sound Navigation Company
.
On December 6, 1903, in heavy fog, Bellingham was towing the steamer Dode
to Whatcom for repairs, the vessels still being run by the Bellingham Bay company. The fast steamer Flyer pulled away from the Seattle dock en route to Tacoma and five minutes later Bellingham collided with Flyer. Dode, under tow and unable to maneuver, also collided with Flyer. Flyer was badly, but not irreparably damaged. Bellingham sustained only light damage. No one on any vessel was injured. Shortly after this incident Bellingham was transferred to the control of the Inland Navigation Company, which was owned by businessman Charles E. Peabody and associates. For a short time after this acquisition, Bellingham was placed on the Seattle – Port Townsend route, running under Capt. Howard Penfield, a cousin of Charles Peabody. The vessel was then placed on a route between the Washington ports along the Strait of Juan de Fuca
, including Port Angeles
. Clallam Bay
, and, later, Neah Bay. Bellingham replaced the Alice Gertrude
when that vessel sank after striking a rock in Clallam Bay on January 11, 1907. At this time Capt. Charles E Kastrom (d.1917) took over command of Bellingham and remained her principal captain until his unexpected death in 1917 following a heart attack while at the helm of the steamer Waialeale
When, in 1903, the Puget Sound Navigation Company
purchased Thompson Steamship Co., Bellingham became the flagship of the PSN fleet. This ship, when rebuilt and in service as Bellingham in the early 1900s, was reported to have a “ghost whistle” which was described as a low moaning sound heard when the vessel was working through a heavy sea.
In 1908, Joshua Green
, president of the Puget Sound Navigation Company
, explored the possibility of returning Bellingham to Canadian service to run against the Canadian Pacific's steamships that were operating on the profitable Vancouver – Victoria route. For a long time it had been the law in Canada that a former Canadian vessel could be returned to Canadian service without having to pay a customs duty, and as a former Canadian vessel, Bellingham would qualify. However, nothing came of this plan when it was determined that the Canadian law had changed, and a duty of 25% of the vessel's value would be imposed if Bellingham were to be returned to Canadian service.
In 1909 Bellinghams principal owner was listed as the Straits Steamship Company
.
in West Seattle which converted the ship into an unpowered sailing barge which still retained the name Bellingham. A donkey engine with steam driven by a vertical boiler was installed, which powered two cargo hoists. The vessel was also rigged with auxiliary sails, although these appear to not have been used very much.
semi-diesel engine was installed. The upper works were also extensively reconfigured and the vessel was again equipped to run from Seattle to Ketchikan
and other ports of the Inside Passage. In this service the vessel was operated under the name Norco by the Northland Transportation Company. In the late 1920s the vessel was briefly owned by a Ketchikan concern known as Citizen's Light and Power Company, which was a part of the public utility
empire assembled by businessman Wilbur B. Foshay
(1881-1957).
celebration in Seattle, to be burned in a public ceremony in the summer of 1950 as “Neptune's” barge. The vessel was loaded up with fireworks and other inflammable materials, and towed into Elliot Bay by the tug Goliah and set on fire. Although the vessel burned for hours, it proved difficult to sink. Only when the fireboat Duwamish
filled up the vessel with water at high-pressure did the hull finally go under the water during night, off Alki Point.
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
and Washington, as well as British Columbia and the territory of Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. Originally a sailing schooner built in 1879, the General Miles was extensively reconstructed in 1890 and renamed Willapa. In 1903 the name was changed again to Bellingham. After a conversion to diesel power in 1922, the vessel was renamed Norco. The vessel is notable for, among other things, for having been first a sailing vessel from 1879 to 1882, a steamship from 1882 to 1918, a sailing barge from 1919 to 1922, and a motor vessel (diesel-powered) from 1922 to 1950.
Construction
General Miles was built in 1882 for the Ilwaco Steam Navigation CompanyIlwaco Railway and Navigation Company
The Ilwaco Railway and Navigation Company operated a narrow gauge railroad ran for over forty years from the bar of the Columbia River up the Long Beach Peninsula to Nahcotta, Washington, on Willapa Bay. The line ran entirely in Pacific County, Washington, and had no connection to any outside rail...
. The vessel was a rebuilt sailing schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
which had been originally built in 1879. The ISN had been organized in 1875 by Lewis A. Loomis, Jacob Kamm
Jacob Kamm
Jacob Kamm was a prominent early transportation businessman in Oregon.-Early life:Kamm was born on December 12, 1823 in Canton of Glarus, Switzerland. His family immigrated to America when he was 8 to Illinois, St. Louis, then New Orleans. He worked as a Printer's devil beginning at age 12...
and two others, for the purpose of developing transportation to, from, and on the Long Beach Peninsula
Long Beach Peninsula
The Long Beach Peninsula is an arm of land in western Washington state. It is bounded on the west by the Pacific Ocean, the south by the Columbia River, and the east by Willapa Bay...
, located on the north side of the mouth of the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
. The company's first vessel was the General Canby, a 110 ft (33.53 m) steam tug built in 1875 at South Bend, Washington
South Bend, Washington
South Bend is a city in Pacific County, Washington, United States. It is the county seat of Pacific County. The population was 1,637 as of the 2010 census, a decrease of 9.4% from the 2000 census figures. The town is widely known for its oysters and scenery....
. ISN organized steamboat routes both on Willapa Bay
Willapa Bay
Willapa Bay is a bay located on the southwest Pacific coast of Washington state in the United States. The Long Beach Peninsula separates Willapa Bay from the greater expanse of the Pacific Ocean. With over of water surface Willapa Bay is the second largest estuary on the United States Pacific coast...
, on the east side of the Long Beach Peninsula, and also on the Columbia River, on the south side of the peninsula.
By the early 1880s, demand on the Columbia river route, which ran from Astoria, Oregon
Astoria, Oregon
Astoria is the county seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Situated near the mouth of the Columbia River, the city was named after the American investor John Jacob Astor. His American Fur Company founded Fort Astoria at the site in 1811...
to Ilwaco, Washington
Ilwaco, Washington
Ilwaco is a city in Pacific County, Washington, United States. The population was 950 at the 2000 census and decreased to 936 at the 2010 census.-History:...
, was increasing beyond the General Canbys legal passenger capacity, which was 75 in summer and 40 in winter. For this reason, ISN had an new steamer, the General Miles, constructed in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. Completed in 1882, General Miles was a near sister ship
Sister ship
A sister ship is a ship of the same class as, or of virtually identical design to, another ship. Such vessels share a near-identical hull and superstructure layout, similar displacement, and roughly comparable features and equipment...
to the General Canby. The General Miles was capable of multiple uses, being equipped with towing bits for tugboat
Tugboat
A tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...
work as well as being designed to accommodate 125 passengers and handle 150 tons of freight.
Early career
The company placed the General Miles in service right away running with the General Canby, so that two trips a day could be made between Astoria and Illwaco. This improved steamship service helped popularize the Long Beach Peninsula as a destination resort area for Portland, OregonPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, which was then growing rapidly in population. ISN also employed the General Miles on occasional trips to Tillamook
Tillamook, Oregon
The city of Tillamook is the county seat of Tillamook County, Oregon, United States. The city is located on the southeast end of Tillamook Bay on the Pacific Ocean. The population was 4,352 at the 2000 census...
and Coos Bay, Oregon
Coos Bay, Oregon
Coos Bay is a city located in Coos County, Oregon, United States, where the Coos River enters Coos Bay on the Pacific Ocean. The city borders the city of North Bend, and together they are often referred to as one entity called either Coos Bay-North Bend or the Bay Area...
.
The first commander of General Miles was W.P. Whitcomb (b.1848), who had previously been in charge of the General Canby. His brother, George H. Whitcomb (b.1854), also served on the General Miles.
Capt. John Henry D. Gray (b.1839), who was the grandson of explorer Robert Gray
Robert Gray
Robert Gray was an American merchant sea-captain who is known for his achievements in connection with two trading voyages to the northern Pacific coast of North America, between 1790 and 1793, which pioneered the American maritime fur trade in that region...
, was one of the masters of General Miller at this time, as well as being a part owner. Gray used General Miles in the development of the Grays Harbor area. Gray was in command of General Miles at the salvage of the then almost new steamer Queen of the Pacific (330 ft (100.58 m)) in 1883 when that vessel grounded on the Clatsop Spit
Clatsop Spit
Clatsop Spit is a giant sand spit on the Pacific coast along U.S. 101 between Astoria and the north end of Tillamook Head in Clatsop County, northwest Oregon at the mouth of the Columbia River. The Clatsop Spit was formed by Columbia River sediment brought to the coast by the river flow after the...
. Queen of the Pacific was stranded while trying to cross the Columbia Bar
Columbia Bar
The Columbia Bar is a system of bars and shoals at the mouth of the Columbia River spanning the US states of Oregon and Washington. The bar is about wide and long....
on September 5, 1883. Five tugs were called out, including General Miles, Pioneer, Brenham, Astoria, and Columbia, and with great effort they were able to save the ship. ISN kept the General Miles on the Astoria-Ilwaco route until 1889, when the vessel was sold to Portland Coast and Steamship Company and transferred to Coos Bay to operate as a tug.
Reconstruction as Willapa
Capt. Herbert F. Beecher (b.1853) purchased General Miles. Beecher, doing business as the Island Transportation CompanyIsland Transportation Company
The Island Transportation Company was a shipping company that was briefly operational in Puget Sound from 1889 to 1900.-Formation and operations:...
, renamed the vessel Willapa, and ran it on Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
Beecher left the business however after his steamer J.H. Libby burned on November 10, 1889. It is reported that Willapa took the place of J.H. Libby for a time, carrying passengers and freight between Port Townsend and the San Juan Islands
San Juan Islands
The San Juan Islands are an archipelago in the northwest corner of the contiguous United States between the US mainland and Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The San Juan Islands are part of the U.S...
.
Willapa was returned to Portland in 1890, where, in work completed in 1891, the vessel underwent a substantial reconstruction. The hull was cut in two, and an additional section 36 ft (10.97 m) was inserted in the middle, with the resulting hull being 136 ft (41.45 m) long.
In 1894, Willapa was leased by the Hastings Steamboat Company.
Alaska service
On January 21, 1895 the Alaska Steamship CompanyAlaska Steamship Company
The Alaska Steamship Company was formed on August 3, 1894. Charles Peabody, one of the six founding members, served as president of the company from its creation until 1912. While it originally set out to ship passengers and fishing products, the Alaska Steamship Company began shipping mining...
was organized by a group of Seattle business and steamboatmen. At that time the Alaska trade was dominated by the Pacific Coast Steamship Company
Pacific Coast Steamship Company
The Pacific Coast Steamship Company was an important early shipping company that operated steamships on the west coast of North America.-Organization and operations:...
. The first vessel purchased by Alaska Steam was the Willapa, which, following a extensive overhaul and refitting, departed on her first Alaska trip from the Schwabacher Brothers wharf on March 3, 1895, returning two weeks later on March 17. Willapa carried 79 passengers, 23 horses, and several hundred tons of cargo. A rate war then ensued with the Pacific Coast company, forcing Pacific Coast to cut its rates by more then 50%.
British Columbia service
On March 19, 1897 at 2:30 a.m., bound for Mary Island, Alaska, Willapa was proceeding in a heavy snow storm in Seaforth Channel, a part of the Inside PassageInside Passage
The Inside Passage is a coastal route for oceangoing vessels along a network of passages which weave through the islands on the Pacific coast of North America. The route extends from southeastern Alaska, in the United States, through western British Columbia, in Canada, to northwestern Washington...
, when the vessel struck ground on Regatta Reef. The passengers were removed without casualty by a schooner and local canoes manned by First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
people. Much freight was also salvaged, but several head of horses could not be rescued and were therefore shot. Although originally considered a total loss, later Willapa was purchased from the underwriters by Canadian interests, removed from the reef, and repaired.
Subsequently Willapa came into the control of the Canadian-Pacific Navigation Company
Canadian-Pacific Navigation Company
The Canadian-Pacific Navigation Company was an important early steamship company that operated steamships on the coast of British Columbia and the Inside Passage of southeast Alaska. The company was founded in 1883 by John Irving , a prominent steamboat man, businessman, and politician of early...
, one of the dominant shipping companies on the coast of British Columbia and in the Alaskan Panhandle. This company used Willapa as a relief boat on various routes, including the service to including Clayoquot on the west coast of Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
.
Return to American ownership
In November 1902, Capt. C.E. Curtis in association with the Bellingham Bay Transportation Company, acquired Willapa from the Canadian-Pacific Navigation Company, and renamed the ship Bellingham. During 1903, the rapidly growing Puget Sound Navigation Co.Puget Sound Navigation Company
The Puget Sound Navigation Company was founded by Joshua Green in 1913. It operated a fleet of steamboats and ferries on Puget Sound in Washington and the Georgia Strait in British Columbia...
acquired Bellingham Transportation Company, but Dode and Willapa did not go to PSN operational control until the spring of 1904.
It is also reported that Canadian-Pacific sold Willapa to the Thompson Steamship Company before the vessel came into the ownership of Puget Sound Navigation Co. Thompson Steamship was a Port Angeles
Port Angeles, Washington
Port Angeles is a city in and the county seat of Clallam County, Washington, United States. The population was 19,038 at the 2010 census. The area's harbor was dubbed Puerto de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles by Spanish explorer Francisco de Eliza in 1791, but by the mid-19th century the name had...
concern run by the Thompson brothers, including John Rex Thompson. John Rex Thompson was a business ally of C.E. Curtis. A news report from late 1902 stated that that Willapa was to be purchased by a syndicate headed by John Rex Thompson. In May 1904, allegations were made in court of financial malfeasance and breach of trust by C.E. Curtis, causing Bellingham Bay Transportation Co., a company owned by local farmers, to become financially insolvent.
Puget Sound service as Bellingham
On return to Puget Sound, Bellingham was placed on the Seattle – BellinghamBellingham, Washington
Bellingham is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington. It is the twelfth-largest city in the state. Situated on Bellingham Bay, Bellingham is protected by Lummi Island, Portage Island, and the Lummi Peninsula, and opens onto the Strait of Georgia...
route, which included through service by local steamer from Bellingham
Bellingham
- Places :Australia:* Bellingham, Tasmania, coastal hamlet in Northern TasmaniaEngland:* Bellingham, London, neighbourhood and electoral ward in the London Borough of Lewisham* Bellingham, Northumberland, villageUnited States:* Bellingham, Washington...
to Blaine
Blaine, Washington
Blaine is a city in Whatcom County, Washington, United States. The city's northern boundary is the Canadian border. Blaine is the shared home of the Peace Arch international monument...
and Point Roberts
Point Roberts, Washington
Point Roberts is an unincorporated community in Whatcom County, Washington, United States. It has a post office, with the ZIP code of 98281, whose ZIP Code Tabulation Area had a population of 1,314 at the 2010 census.A geopolitical oddity, Point Roberts is a part of the United States that is not...
. Running against Bellingham were the Utopia and the old sidewheeler George E. Starr
George E. Starr (steamboat)
The steamboat George E. Starr operated in late 19th century as part of the Puget Sound Mosquito Fleet and also operated out of Victoria, B.C. Geo. E. Starr also served for a time in California and on the Columbia River.-Construction:Geo. E...
, both owned by the Puget Sound Navigation Company
Puget Sound Navigation Company
The Puget Sound Navigation Company was founded by Joshua Green in 1913. It operated a fleet of steamboats and ferries on Puget Sound in Washington and the Georgia Strait in British Columbia...
.
On December 6, 1903, in heavy fog, Bellingham was towing the steamer Dode
Dode (steamboat)
Dode was a steamboat that ran on Hood Canal and Puget Sound from 1898 to 1900.- Construction:Dode was originally the schooner William J. Bryant. Prior to construction as the Dode, the Bryant had been one of a flotilla of Gold Rush ships sent to Alaska...
to Whatcom for repairs, the vessels still being run by the Bellingham Bay company. The fast steamer Flyer pulled away from the Seattle dock en route to Tacoma and five minutes later Bellingham collided with Flyer. Dode, under tow and unable to maneuver, also collided with Flyer. Flyer was badly, but not irreparably damaged. Bellingham sustained only light damage. No one on any vessel was injured. Shortly after this incident Bellingham was transferred to the control of the Inland Navigation Company, which was owned by businessman Charles E. Peabody and associates. For a short time after this acquisition, Bellingham was placed on the Seattle – Port Townsend route, running under Capt. Howard Penfield, a cousin of Charles Peabody. The vessel was then placed on a route between the Washington ports along the Strait of Juan de Fuca
Strait of Juan de Fuca
The Strait of Juan de Fuca is a large body of water about long that is the Salish Sea outlet to the Pacific Ocean...
, including Port Angeles
Port Angeles, Washington
Port Angeles is a city in and the county seat of Clallam County, Washington, United States. The population was 19,038 at the 2010 census. The area's harbor was dubbed Puerto de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles by Spanish explorer Francisco de Eliza in 1791, but by the mid-19th century the name had...
. Clallam Bay
Clallam Bay, Washington
Clallam Bay is an unincorporated community in Clallam County, Washington, United States, at the confluence of the Clallam River and Clallam Bay. Known for its natural beauty and hunting, Clallam Bay is partially reliant on tourism. Clallam Bay is considered the twin city of nearby...
, and, later, Neah Bay. Bellingham replaced the Alice Gertrude
Alice Gertrude
Alice Gertrude was a wooden steamship which operated on the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound from 1898 to January 1907, when the vessel was wrecked at Clallam Bay.- Career:...
when that vessel sank after striking a rock in Clallam Bay on January 11, 1907. At this time Capt. Charles E Kastrom (d.1917) took over command of Bellingham and remained her principal captain until his unexpected death in 1917 following a heart attack while at the helm of the steamer Waialeale
When, in 1903, the Puget Sound Navigation Company
Puget Sound Navigation Company
The Puget Sound Navigation Company was founded by Joshua Green in 1913. It operated a fleet of steamboats and ferries on Puget Sound in Washington and the Georgia Strait in British Columbia...
purchased Thompson Steamship Co., Bellingham became the flagship of the PSN fleet. This ship, when rebuilt and in service as Bellingham in the early 1900s, was reported to have a “ghost whistle” which was described as a low moaning sound heard when the vessel was working through a heavy sea.
In 1908, Joshua Green
Joshua Green (seaman and banker)
Joshua Green was an American sternwheeler captain, businessman, and banker. He rose from being a seaman to being the dominant figure of the Puget Sound Mosquito Fleet, then sold out his interests and became a banker...
, president of the Puget Sound Navigation Company
Puget Sound Navigation Company
The Puget Sound Navigation Company was founded by Joshua Green in 1913. It operated a fleet of steamboats and ferries on Puget Sound in Washington and the Georgia Strait in British Columbia...
, explored the possibility of returning Bellingham to Canadian service to run against the Canadian Pacific's steamships that were operating on the profitable Vancouver – Victoria route. For a long time it had been the law in Canada that a former Canadian vessel could be returned to Canadian service without having to pay a customs duty, and as a former Canadian vessel, Bellingham would qualify. However, nothing came of this plan when it was determined that the Canadian law had changed, and a duty of 25% of the vessel's value would be imposed if Bellingham were to be returned to Canadian service.
In 1909 Bellinghams principal owner was listed as the Straits Steamship Company
Straits Steamship Company
The Straits Steamship Company was a shipping firm that operated steamships on Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca-Formation:The company was formed on July 1, 1894 by Capt. James Morgan, L. B. Hastings, W.S. Mann, and A.L...
.
Conversion to sailing barge
By 1918, the boilers on Bellingham were considered too worn out for the vessel to be of any further service as a powered ship. The fittings and machinery was therefore removed and scrapped by the firm of Neider & Marcus. In March 1919 Bellingham was sold to H.C. Strong who was doing business as the Sunny Point Packing Company. The powerless vessel was taken to the King and Winge shipyardKing and Winge Shipbuilding Company
The King and Winge Shipbuilding Company was an important maritime concern in the early 1900s on Puget Sound. The shipyard was located at West Seattle. The owners were Thomas J. King and Albert M Winge. King was born in Boston and learned to build ships under the famous Donald McKay. He came to...
in West Seattle which converted the ship into an unpowered sailing barge which still retained the name Bellingham. A donkey engine with steam driven by a vertical boiler was installed, which powered two cargo hoists. The vessel was also rigged with auxiliary sails, although these appear to not have been used very much.
Conversion to motor vessel
In 1922 Bellinghams owners determined that the vessel could be put to better uses. The vessel was taken to the Lake Union Drydock and Machine Works in Seattle where a 200 hp Fairbanks-MorseFairbanks-Morse
Fairbanks Morse and Company was a manufacturing company in the late 19th and early 20th century. Originally a weighing scale manufacturer, it later diversified into pumps, engines, windmills, locomotives and industrial supplies until it was merged in 1958...
semi-diesel engine was installed. The upper works were also extensively reconfigured and the vessel was again equipped to run from Seattle to Ketchikan
Ketchikan, Alaska
Ketchikan is a city in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska, United States, the southeasternmost sizable city in that state. With an estimated population of 7,368 in 2010 within the city limits, it is the fifth most populous city in the state....
and other ports of the Inside Passage. In this service the vessel was operated under the name Norco by the Northland Transportation Company. In the late 1920s the vessel was briefly owned by a Ketchikan concern known as Citizen's Light and Power Company, which was a part of the public utility
Public utility
A public utility is an organization that maintains the infrastructure for a public service . Public utilities are subject to forms of public control and regulation ranging from local community-based groups to state-wide government monopolies...
empire assembled by businessman Wilbur B. Foshay
Wilbur Foshay
Wilbur B. Foshay was an American businessman, who built a fortune buying utilities throughout the Midwest in the early 20th century. Foshay built the Foshay Tower in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which opened in August 1929. In 1932 he was convicted of conducting a "pyramid scheme" with shares of his...
(1881-1957).
Destruction at Seafair
From 1941 to 1946 the vessel was owned by Ketchikan Cold Storage, and then was purchased by Otis Shively. The vessel then was presented to the Puget Sound Maritime Historical Society to be used in the annual SeafairSeafair
Seafair is a summer festival in Seattle, Washington, USA that encompasses a wide variety of small neighborhood events leading up to several major city-wide celebrations...
celebration in Seattle, to be burned in a public ceremony in the summer of 1950 as “Neptune's” barge. The vessel was loaded up with fireworks and other inflammable materials, and towed into Elliot Bay by the tug Goliah and set on fire. Although the vessel burned for hours, it proved difficult to sink. Only when the fireboat Duwamish
Duwamish (fireboat)
The Duwamish reigned as one of the most powerful fireboats in the United States several times over her 75-year working life.She is the second oldest vessel designed to fight fires in the USA, after the Edward M Cotter, in Buffalo, New York....
filled up the vessel with water at high-pressure did the hull finally go under the water during night, off Alki Point.