Steamboats of Columbia River, Wenatchee Reach
Encyclopedia
Steamboat
s operated on the Wenatchee Reach of the Columbia River
from the late 1880s to 1915. The main base of operations was Wenatchee, Washington
, located at the confluence of the Wenatchee
and Columbia Rivers, 465 miles (748.3 km) from the mouth of the river. Operations were mainly between Wenatchee and Bridgeport
. Rapids below Wenatchee and above Bridgeport prevented safe navigation.
by 1893, making it became profitable for crops to be shipped down the Columbia to Wenatchee's rail link.
_coming_downstream_1910.jpg)
Prior to the construction of dams
, open navigability was never established throughout the Columbia. This was an important difference from the Mississippi
-Ohio River
system, which in the right season, and with a canal
around the Falls of the Ohio
, was navigable from New Orleans
to Pittsburgh
, an enormous distance. By contrast, no steamboat could ever ascend or descend the entire route of the Columbia, although the nature of the river was that even far inland, such as at Arrow and Kootenay Lake
s, vast areas remained navigable, but separated by rapid
s and shoal
s from the rest of the river.
The rapids and shoals separating the Wenatchee Reach from the lower Columbia were practically unnavigable, although Captain William Gray did try to establish a steamboat route up the river by taking City of Ellensburg up through Priest and Rock Islands Rapids, with the aid of a cable anchored to the bank and then wrapped around the capstan
. The boat, and one other, Thomas L. Nixon, (this one lined up over the rapids) operated above Wenatchee for a while as the only two boats on that stretch of the river.
From about 1891 to 1915, steamboats operated on the far inland Columbia river out of Wenatchee, Washington, a part of the river which this article will refer to as the Wenatchee Reach. Navigation was never continuous from the Wenatchee Reach to the downriver parts of the Columbia. See Steamboats of the Columbia River
for a discussion of the boats operating on the lower routes.
had reached Wenatchee, but there was no transportation any further up the Columbia from there. Alexander Griggs
, an experienced Mississippi River steamboat captain, arrived in Wenatchee in about 1891, and in 1893 he organized the Columbia and Okanogan Steamboat Company
to navigate the 70 mi (112.7 km) stretch from Wenatchee to the mouth of the Okanogan River
.
had blasted out some of the larger rocks in the river and removed some snags. At critical places at various rapids the Corps had installed huge ringbolts set in the rocks beside the river, so a steamboat could hook up a cable to these bolts, wrap the end around a steam-powered winch on board, and literally crank its way up the rapids. Horse drawn tow paths alongside the river were also employed.
, Chelan, and Okanogan. The first three boats were lost in rapids, Griggs and Pringle at Entiat, and Selkirk at Rock Island.
) and later burned all at once in a spectacular blaze while moored at Wenatchee on July 8, 1915. None of the vessels burned was insured, and the company's last boat, Enterprise, sank just four days later, on July 12, 1915, at Brewster's Landing.
Another boat on the route, St. Paul, not owned by C&OSN, burned the same year, leaving only Del Rio and Robert Young, and later, in 1917, Bridgeport, which continued steamboat operations on the routes above Wenatchee into the mid-1920s.
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
s operated on the Wenatchee Reach 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...
from the late 1880s to 1915. The main base of operations was Wenatchee, Washington
Wenatchee, Washington
Wenatchee is located in North Central Washington and is the largest city and county seat of Chelan County, Washington, United States. The population within the city limits in 2010 was 31,925...
, located at the confluence of the Wenatchee
Wenatchee River
The Wenatchee River is a river in the U.S. state of Washington, originating at Lake Wenatchee and flowing southeast for , emptying into the Columbia River immediately north of Wenatchee, Washington...
and Columbia Rivers, 465 miles (748.3 km) from the mouth of the river. Operations were mainly between Wenatchee and Bridgeport
Bridgeport, Washington
Bridgeport is a city in Douglas County, Washington, United States. It is part of the Wenatchee–East Wenatchee Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bridgeport's population was 2,059 at the 2000 census.Bridgeport is located near the Chief Joseph Dam.-History:...
. Rapids below Wenatchee and above Bridgeport prevented safe navigation.
Economic background
By the first decade of the 20th century wheat farming had expanded into Douglas County's "Big Bend" region of the Columbia near Bridgeport, and the valleys of the Okanogan, Methow, Chelan, and Entiat rivers were rapidly developing. The Great Northern Railrway was completed to Wenatchee and west to Puget SoundPuget 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...
by 1893, making it became profitable for crops to be shipped down the Columbia to Wenatchee's rail link.
No complete open river
Hydroelectric dams on the Columbia River
Hydroelectric dams on the Columbia River and its tributaries in North America.- Mainstem Columbia dams :-Snake River:-Pend Oreille-Clark Fork–Flathead:-Kootenai River:-See also:...
, open navigability was never established throughout the Columbia. This was an important difference from the Mississippi
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
-Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
system, which in the right season, and with a canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
around the Falls of the Ohio
Falls of the Ohio National Wildlife Conservation Area
The Falls of the Ohio National Wildlife Conservation Area is a national, bi-state area on the Ohio River near Louisville, Kentucky in the United States, administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Federal status was awarded in 1981.- Overview :...
, was navigable from New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
to Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, an enormous distance. By contrast, no steamboat could ever ascend or descend the entire route of the Columbia, although the nature of the river was that even far inland, such as at Arrow and Kootenay Lake
Kootenay Lake
Kootenay Lake is a lake located in British Columbia, Canada and is part of theKootenay River. The lake has been raised by the Corra Linn Dam and has a dike system at the southern end, which, along with industry in the 1950s-70s, has changed the ecosystem in and around the water...
s, vast areas remained navigable, but separated by rapid
Rapid
A rapid is a section of a river where the river bed has a relatively steep gradient causing an increase in water velocity and turbulence. A rapid is a hydrological feature between a run and a cascade. A rapid is characterised by the river becoming shallower and having some rocks exposed above the...
s and shoal
Shoal
Shoal, shoals or shoaling may mean:* Shoal, a sandbank or reef creating shallow water, especially where it forms a hazard to shipping* Shoal draught , of a boat with shallow draught which can pass over some shoals: see Draft...
s from the rest of the river.
The rapids and shoals separating the Wenatchee Reach from the lower Columbia were practically unnavigable, although Captain William Gray did try to establish a steamboat route up the river by taking City of Ellensburg up through Priest and Rock Islands Rapids, with the aid of a cable anchored to the bank and then wrapped around the capstan
Capstan (nautical)
A capstan is a vertical-axled rotating machine developed for use on sailing ships to apply force to ropes, cables, and hawsers. The principle is similar to that of the windlass, which has a horizontal axle.- History :...
. The boat, and one other, Thomas L. Nixon, (this one lined up over the rapids) operated above Wenatchee for a while as the only two boats on that stretch of the river.
Steamboat operations on Wenatchee Reach
Steamboats of the Columbia River
Many steamboats operated on the Columbia River and its tributaries, in the Pacific Northwest region of North America, from about 1850 to 1981. Major tributaries of the Columbia that formed steamboat routes included the Willamette and Snake rivers...
for a discussion of the boats operating on the lower routes.
Establishment of operations
By the 1890s the railroadRail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
had reached Wenatchee, but there was no transportation any further up the Columbia from there. Alexander Griggs
Alexander Griggs
Alexander Griggs was an American steamboat captain. He is acknowledged as the founder of the city of Grand Forks, North Dakota and is called "The Father of Grand Forks."...
, an experienced Mississippi River steamboat captain, arrived in Wenatchee in about 1891, and in 1893 he organized the Columbia and Okanogan Steamboat Company
Okanogan Steamboat Company
The Okanogan Steamboat Company was a shipping company that ran steamboats on the Columbia River above Wenatchee from the late 19th century to 1915. Steamboats owned by the company included Pringle, Chelan, and North Star.-Photographs:**...
to navigate the 70 mi (112.7 km) stretch from Wenatchee to the mouth of the Okanogan River
Okanogan River
The Okanogan River is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately 115 mi long, in southern British Columbia and north central Washington...
.
Navigation difficulties
The Corps of EngineersUnited States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
had blasted out some of the larger rocks in the river and removed some snags. At critical places at various rapids the Corps had installed huge ringbolts set in the rocks beside the river, so a steamboat could hook up a cable to these bolts, wrap the end around a steam-powered winch on board, and literally crank its way up the rapids. Horse drawn tow paths alongside the river were also employed.
Boats on the route
Eventually Captain Griggs put eight or nine boats on the route, including Alexander Griggs, W.H. Pringle, Selkirk, Gerone,Columbia, Oro, Camano, North StarNorth Star (sternwheeler 1902)
North Star was a sternwheel steamboat that operated in eastern Washington from 1902 to 1904. This vessel should not be confused with the other vessels, some of similar design, also named North Star.-Construction:...
, Chelan, and Okanogan. The first three boats were lost in rapids, Griggs and Pringle at Entiat, and Selkirk at Rock Island.
Decline and end of steamboat service
The last four boats were laid up about 1910 for lack of business, (and competition from the Great Northern Railway branch that had been laid north to OrovilleOroville, Washington
Oroville is a town in Okanogan County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,686 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Oroville is located at ....
) and later burned all at once in a spectacular blaze while moored at Wenatchee on July 8, 1915. None of the vessels burned was insured, and the company's last boat, Enterprise, sank just four days later, on July 12, 1915, at Brewster's Landing.
Another boat on the route, St. Paul, not owned by C&OSN, burned the same year, leaving only Del Rio and Robert Young, and later, in 1917, Bridgeport, which continued steamboat operations on the routes above Wenatchee into the mid-1920s.