Acme (steamboat)

	Acme
History
Name	Acme
Owner	Bothell Transportation Co.; John L. Anderson
Operator	N.C. Peterson
Route	Lake Washington
Builder	Gustavus V. Johnson & Son.
In service	1899
Out of service	August 16, 1910
Identification	U.S. Registry #107460
Fate	Burned at mooring
General characteristics
Type	inland steamboat
Tonnage	31 gross; 21 registered tons
Length	60 ft (18.29 m)
Beam	11.5 ft (3.51 m)
Installed power	steam engine
Propulsion	propeller

Last updated July 24, 2023

The steamboat Acme operated on Lake Washington and also on the Sammamish Slough to Bothell, Washington from 1899 to 1910, when it was destroyed by fire.

Construction and design

Acme was built in Seattle in 1899 ^[1] on the Lake Washington shore.^[2] The builders were Gustavus V. Johnson (1845-1926) & Son.^[2]^[3] Gustavus V. Johnson was a Civil War veteran, who had been born in Clayton County, New York, and who had established a boat-building business on Lake Minnetonka in Minnesota.^[3]^[4] He and his son Mark ran one of the earliest boatyards on Lake Washington (established 1888).^[4] In addition to Acme, they built vessels such as L.T. Haas and City of Renton.^[2]

Acme was built of wood and was 60 ft (18.29 m) long,^[1]^[2] with a beam of 11.5 ft (3.51 m) and depth of hold of 3 ft (0.91 m).^[5] The overall size of the vessel was 31 gross and 21 registered tons.^[5] The official U.S. registry number was 107460.^[5]Acme has been described as a tug.^[1]

Operation

Acme was operated between Leschi and Madison parks and Bothell, Washington by N.C. Peterson.^[1] The vessel was used to service Leschi and Madison parks for one year, and thereafter being sold to the Bothell Transportation Company for use on the Bothell run.^[4]Acme was also under the ownership of John L. Anderson, one of the most important figures in steamboat navigation on Lake Washington.^[4] In 1906, Acme was making twice-daily trips from Madison Park to Bothell, a distance of 22 miles (35 km) from Seattle.^[6]

Loss by fire

On August 16, 1910, at about 2:00 a.m., Acme burned^[1] on Lake Washington.^[7] No one was on board at the time.^[7] Due to the lack of evidence, an investigation could not determine the cause of the fire.^[7] The total loss was $2,000.^[7]

Possible discovery of wreck

In 2002,^[8] the Submerged Cultural Resources Exploration Team (SCRET) discovered a wreck in Lake Washington of a wooden steamer 60 ft (18.29 m) long, in 210 ft (64.01 m) feet of water, which they judged to be either Acme or L. T. Haas (which was destroyed by fire in 1909).^[9] The vessel contained a small steam engine and a propeller shaft, which made the wreck unique.^[9] Normally machinery would have been salvaged from a vessel if possible.

Notes

1 2 3 4 5 Newell, Gordon R., Ships of the Inland Sea -- The Story of the Puget Sound Steamboats, Binford & Mort (2d Ed. 1960), at page 203.
1 2 3 4 Newell, Gordon R. ed., H.W. McCurdy Marine History of the Pacific Northwest, Superior Publishing, Seattle WA (1966), at pages 49 and 377.
1 2 Neill, Edward Duffield, History of Hennepin County and the City of Minneapolis, at page 245.
1 2 3 4
- Kline, Mary S., and Bayless, G.A., Ferryboats -- A Legend on Puget Sound, Bayless Books, Seattle, WA 1983 ISBN 0-914515-00-4, at pages 145-46.
1 2 3 U.S. Dept. of the Treasury, Bureau of Statistics, Annual List of Merchant Vessels of the United States (for year ending June 30, 1901)
↑ "Amidst the Hum of Buzzing Saws", The Coast, Vols. 11-12 (1906), at page 166.
1 2 3 4 Congressional Serial Set, Report of the Steamboat Inspection Service, Government Printing Office (1910), at page 516
↑ Submerged Cultural Resources Exploration Team, "Exploration Updates", Newsletter (Fall 2002)
1 2 SCRET: Lake Washington Steamers:Historical archives (accessed 12-20-2013).

Related Research Articles

Lake Washington steamboats and ferries operated from about 1875 to 1951, transporting passengers, vehicles and freight across Lake Washington, a large lake to the east of Seattle, Washington. Before modern highways and bridges were built, the only means of crossing the lake, other than the traditional canoe or rowboat, was by steamboat, and, later, by ferry. While there was no easily navigable connection to Puget Sound, the Lake Washington Ship Canal now connects Lake Washington to Lake Union, and from there Puget Sound is reached by way of the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks.

The steamboat Fortuna was a vessel that operated on Lake Washington in the first part of the 20th century.

The steamboat Defiance operated in the early 1900s as part of the Puget Sound Mosquito Fleet. In later years this vessel was called Kingston.

The steamboat Rosalie operated from 1893 to 1918 as part of the Puget Sound Mosquito Fleet, also operating out of Victoria, B.C. In 1898, Rosalie went north with many other Puget Sound steamboats to join the Klondike Gold Rush.

The steamship Verona was a small steamboat of the Puget Sound Mosquito Fleet.

<i>Hyak</i> (1909 steamboat) Wooden-hulled steamship, operated on Puget Sound

Hyak was a wooden-hulled steamship that operated on Puget Sound from 1909 to 1941. This vessel should not be confused with the sternwheeler Hyak which ran on the extreme upper reach of the Columbia River at about the same time. The name means "swift" or "fast" in the Chinook Jargon.

Victor was a steam-powered tugboat built in 1893 in Tacoma, Washington. This vessel should not be confused with the similarly named Victor II, also active in Puget Sound.

Burton was a steamboat built in 1905 in Tacoma, Washington and which was in service on Puget Sound until 1924.

Lady of the Lake was a wooden steamboat that operated on Puget Sound from 1897 to 1903. Following a fire in 1903, the vessel was rebuilt as the tug Ruth.

Moe Brothers was a shipping firm that operated in Puget Sound and also a logging firm that operated in Kitsap County. The company was based in Poulsbo, Washington.

West Seattle was a side-wheel driven steam-powered ferry built in 1907.

Leschi was a steam ferry that operated on Lake Washington from 1913 to 1950, and afterwards on Puget Sound until 1967. From 1969 to 1986 the vessel was a floating cannery in Alaska.

City of Mukilteo was a steam ferry built in 1927 which served on Puget Sound until April 1932, when the ferry was destroyed by fire.

King County was a steam ferry built in 1900 which served on Lake Washington until 1908.

C.C. Calkins was a small steamboat built in 1890 which served on Lake Washington.

Kirkland was a sidewheel steamboat that ran on Lake Washington from 1888 to 1898.

Kulshan was a steamship which operated on Puget Sound from 1910 until 1929. When built, Kulshan was one of a newer type of inland steamships constructed entirely of steel, and was then considered one of the finest vessels ever to operate on Puget Sound.

Atlanta was a steamboat built in 1908 at Houghton, Washington which served on Lake Washington and Puget Sound until 1938, when it was converted into a diesel-powered houseboat.

Speeder was a motor launch built in 1908 which served on Puget Sound and in the San Juan Islands. From 1908 to 1922 this vessel was named Bainbridge.

Falcon was a 26 registered ton gasoline-powered launch built in Bellingham, Washington in 1909. She operated in Puget Sound and nearby regions, and also on Lake Washington during the first part of the 1900s. The wreck of this vessel has been discovered in Lake Washington not far from Kirkland and is in good condition under 190 feet (58 m) of water. This vessel should not be confused with the steam tug Falcon built in Tacoma, Washington in 1902.

References

Kline, Mary S., and Bayless, G.A., Ferryboats -- A Legend on Puget Sound, Bayless Books, Seattle, WA 1983 ISBN 0-914515-00-4
Newell, Gordon R. ed., H.W. McCurdy Marine History of the Pacific Northwest, Superior Publishing, Seattle WA (1966)
Newell, Gordon R., Ships of the Inland Sea -- The Story of the Puget Sound Steamboats, Binford & Mort (2d Ed. 1960)

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[Inland-1] 1 2 3 4 5 Newell, Gordon R., Ships of the Inland Sea -- The Story of the Puget Sound Steamboats, Binford & Mort (2d Ed. 1960), at page 203.

[McCurdy-2] 1 2 3 4 Newell, Gordon R. ed., H.W. McCurdy Marine History of the Pacific Northwest, Superior Publishing, Seattle WA (1966), at pages 49 and 377.

[Neill-3] 1 2 Neill, Edward Duffield, History of Hennepin County and the City of Minneapolis, at page 245.

[Kline-4] 1 2 3 4
Kline, Mary S., and Bayless, G.A., Ferryboats -- A Legend on Puget Sound, Bayless Books, Seattle, WA 1983 ISBN 0-914515-00-4, at pages 145-46.

[mwkQ] Kline, Mary S., and Bayless, G.A., Ferryboats -- A Legend on Puget Sound, Bayless Books, Seattle, WA 1983 ISBN 0-914515-00-4, at pages 145-46.

[1901registry-5] 1 2 3 U.S. Dept. of the Treasury, Bureau of Statistics, Annual List of Merchant Vessels of the United States (for year ending June 30, 1901)

[Coastmag-6] "Amidst the Hum of Buzzing Saws", The Coast, Vols. 11-12 (1906), at page 166.

[1910report-7] 1 2 3 4 Congressional Serial Set, Report of the Steamboat Inspection Service, Government Printing Office (1910), at page 516

[SCRETnl-8] Submerged Cultural Resources Exploration Team, "Exploration Updates", Newsletter (Fall 2002)

[SCRET-9] 1 2 SCRET: Lake Washington Steamers:Historical archives (accessed 12-20-2013).

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v t e Lake Washington steamboats and ferries
Landings	Leschi Park Madison Park Houghton
Particular vessels	Acme Aquilo Atlanta C.C. Calkins Chehalis Cyrene Elfin Elsinore Falcon Fortuna Issaquah Katherine King County MV Kirkland (ex-Tourist II) Kirkland Lady of the Lake Hattie Hansen L.T. Haas Leschi Otter Triton Urania
Locks and canals	Hiram M. Chittenden Locks Lake Washington Ship Canal
Geographic features	Lake Washington Lake Union Black River Duwamish River Cedar River Lake Sammamish
Builders and shipyards	Lake Washington Shipyard
Steamboats in other areas	Puget Sound Lake Washington Columbia River Oregon Coast Willamette River Yaquina Bay and river Coquille River Cowlitz River Grays Harbor Chehalis River Hoquiam River Willapa Bay Columbia River (Wenatchee Reach) Lake Crescent Arrow Lakes Upper Fraser River Skeena River