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Georgiana (steamboat)
Encyclopedia
The Georgiana was a propeller-driven steamboat that operated on the Columbia River from 1914 to 1940. Georgiana was built of wood, and specially designed for the Harkins Transportation Company
, a steamboat line in which the wealthy Henry L. Pittock
was a shareholder.
and all other inland waterways of the Pacific Northwest. Her name honored three women, Georgiana Pittock, wife of Henry L., and her granddaughters, Georgiana Leadbetter and Georgiana Gantenbein. L.O.(Lyle Owen) Hosford was the first captain of the Georgiana, and his sister Cora christened the vessel at her launching on June 20, 1914.
The Georgiana was small (242 tons, 145' long and 22.5' beam) compared to some of the other much larger boats that ran on the river in those days, such as the aging T.J. Potter and the magnificent (and recently rebuilt) Bailey Gatzert
. Those larger boats had reached the end of their time, as river travel fell off. Georgiana was considered a "day boat" on which passengers were encouraged to carry their own lunch. Still she was popular with passengers and her fare of one dollar for the Portland
to Astoria
was cheaper than the railway.
Georgiana was considered speedy, and in 1920, made the 110 mile Portland-Astoria run in five hours and forty-five minutes, with five landings. Her principal competitor in the very early 1920s was a similarly designed steam propeller Astorian (ex Nisqually), built in 1911 to serve the Tacoma-Olympia route, and brought around to the Columbia River in 1918. The big paddle-wheelers had all disappeared by then, but the smaller Georgiana and Astorian up the service to the small towns along the Columbia that had no road or rail access, like Cathlamet
, Pillar Rock, Eureka, Skamokawa, and Brookfield, often racing each other on the same schedule from Portland to Astoria and back.
In 1921, Astorian broke her shaft at full speed, sustaining serious damage which took her out of service until she was returned to Puget Sound. This left Georgiana and the other Harkins Transportation Company boats (Undine, Lurline, and Madeline (ex Joseph Kellogg) as the only major operator of steamboats on the Columbia River, although Iralda, a lighter steam propeller, was placed on the Astoria run in 1921 in an effort to compete with Georgiana. From 1918 to 1932, Georgianas captain was John L. Starr, who logged over 650,000 miles on board.
and organizing popular weekend excursions from Portland up the Columbia to the construction site of the Bonneville Dam
. Tickets were one dollar a head, and the trip was so popular that the next summer, 1936, Staehli was able to buy the old sternwheeler Northwestern which he likewise filled to capacity weekend. In 1937, Staehli bought Georgiana (Harkins Transportation had gone bankrupt in that year
. The Second World War ended the excursion business, and Georgiana ended up abandoned near Post Office Bar on Sauvie Island
and her hull sank into the sand.
Harkins Transportation Company
Harkins Transportation Company was founded in 1914 by L.P. Hosford, Henry L. Pittock, and A.J. Lewthwaite. The line was named after the tugboat Jessie Harkins, which had been built by Jacob Kamm and named after Hosford's niece. The line ran steamboats on the lower Columbia from 1914 to 1937, when...
, a steamboat line in which the wealthy Henry L. Pittock
Henry Pittock
Henry Lewis Pittock was an Oregon pioneer, newspaper editor, publisher, and wood and paper magnate. He was active in Republican politics and Portland, Oregon civic affairs, a Freemason and an avid outdoorsman and adventurer...
was a shareholder.
Construction and Launching
She was built at Joseph Supple's yard in Portland, Oregon just as railroads and highways would end the days of steamboats on the Columbia riverColumbia 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...
and all other inland waterways of the Pacific Northwest. Her name honored three women, Georgiana Pittock, wife of Henry L., and her granddaughters, Georgiana Leadbetter and Georgiana Gantenbein. L.O.(Lyle Owen) Hosford was the first captain of the Georgiana, and his sister Cora christened the vessel at her launching on June 20, 1914.
The Georgiana was small (242 tons, 145' long and 22.5' beam) compared to some of the other much larger boats that ran on the river in those days, such as the aging T.J. Potter and the magnificent (and recently rebuilt) Bailey Gatzert
Bailey Gatzert (sternwheeler)
The Bailey Gatzert was a famous sternwheel steamboat that ran on the Columbia River and Puget Sound from the 1890s to the 1920s. She was named after Bailey Gatzert, an early businessman and mayor of Seattle...
. Those larger boats had reached the end of their time, as river travel fell off. Georgiana was considered a "day boat" on which passengers were encouraged to carry their own lunch. Still she was popular with passengers and her fare of one dollar for the Portland
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...
to Astoria
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...
was cheaper than the railway.
Operations on Columbia River
Cathlamet, Washington
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 565 people, 246 households, and 138 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,426.2 people per square mile . There were 278 housing units at an average density of 701.7 per square mile...
, Pillar Rock, Eureka, Skamokawa, and Brookfield, often racing each other on the same schedule from Portland to Astoria and back.
Late revival of business
In 1935, a Portland businessman, Ralph J. Staehli, organized a small revival of the steamboat business, buying the old sternwheeler Cascades of the Columbia from Shaver Transportation CompanyShaver Transportation Company
The Shaver Transportation Company is an inland water freight transportation company based in Portland, Oregon, United States. The company was founded in 1880, and played a major role in the development of freight transport in the Portland area and along the Columbia., Harry L...
and organizing popular weekend excursions from Portland up the Columbia to the construction site of the Bonneville Dam
Bonneville Dam
Bonneville Lock and Dam consists of several run-of-the-river dam structures that together complete a span of the Columbia River between the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington at River Mile 146.1. The dam is located east of Portland, Oregon, in the Columbia River Gorge. The primary functions of...
. Tickets were one dollar a head, and the trip was so popular that the next summer, 1936, Staehli was able to buy the old sternwheeler Northwestern which he likewise filled to capacity weekend. In 1937, Staehli bought Georgiana (Harkins Transportation had gone bankrupt in that year
Last route and abandonment
When Bonneville Dam was complete, and the tamed river filled into a lake, Staehli took Georgiana off the lower river, renamed her Lake Bonneville, and placed on excursions from Portland to The Dalles on the lake through the new lock at the Bonneville DamBonneville Dam
Bonneville Lock and Dam consists of several run-of-the-river dam structures that together complete a span of the Columbia River between the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington at River Mile 146.1. The dam is located east of Portland, Oregon, in the Columbia River Gorge. The primary functions of...
. The Second World War ended the excursion business, and Georgiana ended up abandoned near Post Office Bar on Sauvie Island
Sauvie Island
Sauvie Island, in the U.S. state of Oregon, originally Wapato Island or Wappatoo Island, is the largest island along the Columbia River, at 26,000 acres , and the largest river island in the United States...
and her hull sank into the sand.