Teaser (sternwheeler)
Encyclopedia
Teaser was a steamboat which ran on the Columbia River
and Puget Sound
from 1874 to 1880.
, and was intended to run on the middle Columbia river, which was the stretch of navigable river that ran between the Cascades Rapids
and Celilo Falls
. At that time, all traffic proceeding upriver had to be offloaded onto a portage railroad that went around the impassable Cascades, then run upriver by rail to the Upper Cascades to be loaded onto another steamer to be carried to The Dalles, where another portage railroad existed around Celilo Falls. The reverse had to be followed for downriver traffic.
In the 1870s, the Oregon Steam Navigation Company
had a monopoly on all traffic on the Columbia River. Teaser was launched as a boat to run in opposition to the monopoly, to make connections over the portage at the Cascades with the newly-constructed Otter
, running on the lower river. Both Teaser and Otter were too small to mount a serious challenge to the powerful Oregon Steam Navigation Co., but to prevent any competition, the monopoly bought both vessels just the same, and both vessels were sent to Puget Sound
.
and arrived at Seattle on July 8, 1875, and was placed on a route out of Snohomish
. Capt J. C. Brittain is reported to have owned Teaser when the vessel was on Puget Sound
, and used the vessel in connection with the steamers Despatch and Comet to carry the mail, for which he had a contract, to Snohomish
, La Conner, Whidbey Island
, Fidalgo Island
, Bellingham Bay
, Semiahmoo Bay
, and Lopez
, Orcas
and San Juan
islands.
The vessel was raised and converted into a sailing schooner in 1880.
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...
and 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...
from 1874 to 1880.
Columbia River service
Teaser was built in 1874 at The Dalles, OregonThe Dalles, Oregon
The Dalles is the largest city and county seat of Wasco County, Oregon, United States. The name of the city comes from the French word dalle The Dalles is the largest city and county seat of Wasco County, Oregon, United States. The name of the city comes from the French word dalle The Dalles is...
, and was intended to run on the middle Columbia river, which was the stretch of navigable river that ran between the Cascades Rapids
Cascades Rapids
The Cascades Rapids were an area of rapids along North America's Columbia River, between the U.S. states of Washington and Oregon. Through a stretch approximately wide, the river dropped about in .-Boat portage:Boat travelers were forced to either portage boats and supplies or pull boats up with...
and Celilo Falls
Celilo Falls
Celilo Falls was a tribal fishing area on the Columbia River, just east of the Cascade Mountains, on what is today the border between the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington...
. At that time, all traffic proceeding upriver had to be offloaded onto a portage railroad that went around the impassable Cascades, then run upriver by rail to the Upper Cascades to be loaded onto another steamer to be carried to The Dalles, where another portage railroad existed around Celilo Falls. The reverse had to be followed for downriver traffic.
In the 1870s, the Oregon Steam Navigation Company
Oregon Steam Navigation Company
The Oregon Steam Navigation Company was an American company incorporated in 1860 in Washington with partners J. S. Ruckle, Henry Olmstead, and J. O. Van Bergen...
had a monopoly on all traffic on the Columbia River. Teaser was launched as a boat to run in opposition to the monopoly, to make connections over the portage at the Cascades with the newly-constructed Otter
Otter (sternwheeler)
Otter was a wooden sternwheel steamboat that was used in Puget Sound and briefly on the Columbia and Stikine rivers from 1874 to 1897.- Columbia River service:...
, running on the lower river. Both Teaser and Otter were too small to mount a serious challenge to the powerful Oregon Steam Navigation Co., but to prevent any competition, the monopoly bought both vessels just the same, and both vessels were sent to 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...
.
Operations on Puget Sound
Transfer of Teaser to Puget Sound meant the vessel had to be taken through the dangerous Cascade Rapids. While this could be done in the right conditions with a skillful pilot, it was considered too risky to have any passengers or cargo onboard. Teaser was taken down through the Cascades in 1875 under the command of Capt. J.W. Brazee, with engineer James Carroll and the fireman onboard as crew. The vessel was brought around the Olympic PeninsulaOlympic Peninsula
The Olympic Peninsula is the large arm of land in western Washington state of the USA, that lies across Puget Sound from Seattle. It is bounded on the west by the Pacific Ocean, the north by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the east by Puget Sound. Cape Alava, the westernmost point in the contiguous...
and arrived at Seattle on July 8, 1875, and was placed on a route out of Snohomish
Snohomish
Snohomish can refer to:* Snohomish , a tribe of Native Americans* Snohomish, Washington, a city located in the county of the same name* Snohomish County, Washington* The Snohomish River in Washington...
. Capt J. C. Brittain is reported to have owned Teaser when the vessel was 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...
, and used the vessel in connection with the steamers Despatch and Comet to carry the mail, for which he had a contract, to Snohomish
Snohomish, Washington
Snohomish is a city in Snohomish County founded by the british, Washington, United States. The population was 9,098 at the 2010 census. The mayor of Snohomish is Karen Guzak, and the City Manager is Larry Bauman...
, La Conner, Whidbey Island
Whidbey Island
Whidbey Island is one of nine islands located in Island County, Washington, in the United States. Whidbey is located about north of Seattle, and lies between the Olympic Peninsula and the I-5 corridor of western Washington...
, Fidalgo Island
Fidalgo Island
Fidalgo Island is an island in Skagit County, Washington, located about north of Seattle. To the east, it is separated from the mainland by the Swinomish Channel, and from Whidbey Island to the south by Deception Pass...
, Bellingham Bay
Bellingham Bay
Bellingham Bay is a bay located on the northern Pacific coast of Washington state in the United States. It is separated from the Strait of Georgia on the west by the Lummi Peninsula, Portage Island, and Lummi Island. It is bordered on the east by Bellingham, Washington, to the south-east by the...
, Semiahmoo Bay
Semiahmoo Bay
Semiahmoo Bay is the southeastern section of Boundary Bay on the Pacific coast of North America. The name "Semiahmoo" is a Coast Salish word for "half moon".From the north to south, the following communities and places are located on its shore:...
, and Lopez
Lopez Island
Lopez Island is the third largest of the U.S. San Juan Islands. Lopez Island is in land area. The 2000 census population was 2,177.-History:...
, Orcas
Orcas Island
Orcas Island is the largest of the San Juan Islands, which are located in the northwestern corner of Washington state in San Juan County, Washington.-History:...
and San Juan
San Juan Island
San Juan Island is the second-largest and most populous of the San Juan Islands in northwestern Washington, United States. It has a land area of 142.59 km² and a population of 6,822 as of the 2000 census....
islands.
Sinking and conversion to sailing vessel
Teaser is reported to have sunk in an unspecified location in 1879.The vessel was raised and converted into a sailing schooner in 1880.