Klamath (steamboat)

Last updated
Steamer Klamath hauled by rail 1909.jpg
Steamer Klamath hauled overland by rail from Lower to Upper Klamath Lake, 1910
History
NameKlamath
OwnerKlamath County Navigation Co.;Oregon & California Transportation Co.; Pelican Bay Lumber Co.
Route Lower Klamath Lake (1905-1909); Upper Klamath Lake (after 1909)
Cost$10,000 approximately
LaunchedJuly 29, 1905
Completed1905
Maiden voyageJuly 30, 1905 (trial trip)
IdentificationU.S. 202570
FateAbandoned at Pelican Bay, Upper Klamath Lake
NotesAbandoned hulk of steamer visible until late 1950s.
General characteristics
Class and typeInland shallow draft passenger/freighter
Tonnage69 gross tons
Length75 ft (22.9 m)
Beam15.2 ft 9 in (4.9 m) over hull (exclusive of guards
Draft2 ft 0 in (0.61 m)
Depth4.4 ft 0 in (1.34 m)
Deckstwo (freight and passenger)
Installed power Compound steam engine, double expansion, water tube boiler
Propulsionpropeller, 42 in (1,066.8 mm) in diameter
SpeedAbout 15 miles per hour (13 kn) maximum.
Capacity75 to 100 passengers on a regular basis; four staterooms on upper deck.
CrewTwo officially required
NotesTunnel stern design adopted for operation in shallow water; vessel was assembled from components pre-built in Portland, Oregon.

Klamath was the first and only vessel larger than a launch to operate on Lower Klamath Lake, which straddled the border between the U.S. states of Oregon and California. [1] This vessel is chiefly known for having been hauled overland by rail from Lake Ewauna to Upper Klamath Lake. It was also one of only two licensed merchant vessels ever to operate on lower Klamath Lake. During 1905 to 1909, Klamath was an essential link in a transportation line to Klamath Falls which involved rail, stage coach, and steamer travel. The late arrival of railroads to the Klamath lakes region made riverine and lake transport more important to the area. [2]

Contents

Design

Although launched in Klamath Falls, Klamath was built in Portland, Oregon. [3] In late 1904, officials of the Klamath Lakes Navigation Company, Capt. George Woodbury and Woodbury’s father-in-law, "Colonel" M.G. (Mathew Greenberry) Wilkins (1844-1921), a Civil War veteran on the Confederate side, hired a noted Portland, Oregon ship architect, J.H. Johnson to design a shallow draft propeller-driven steamboat to operate in the Klamath Lakes region. [4] This boat was to be the Klamath.

At that time, the only licensed merchant vessel operating on lower Klamath Lake was the Canby, a small (67-foot long, 48 gross tons) propeller-driven steamboat built in 1904 at Keno, Oregon. [5] [6]

The Klamath's hull would have an unusual design. The stern was built with a curved recess to allow the propeller to turn without projecting deeper into the water than the keel of the vessel. [4] [7] This was called a "tunnel stern". [4] The purpose was to allow the steamer to operate in shallow water without damaging the propeller should the boat be grounded or strike an obstacle. [4] This appears to have been the first time this design feature was used on a vessel on waters in the Pacific Northwest. [4] [7]

In operation, the tunnel stern did not always provide sufficient protection for the propeller. [7] On Saturday evening, November 10, 1906, when Klamath was returning to Klamath Falls from Laird’s Landing, the steamer struck a sunken log and every blade was broken off the propeller. [8]

When word of the accident reached the company’s office in Klamath Falls, they dispatched the gasoline launch Ewauna to tow the steamer back to the city. [8] Not long before, a similar accident had broken off two propeller blades, and the company had replaced it with its only spare. [8] No new spare propeller had been ordered, and so the steamer would have to be laid up for about ten days to await delivery of a new propeller. [8]

Construction

Work on the steamer began in Portland on March 20, 1905, with the sawing and forming of the 45 frames of the boat’s hull. [4] The frames were made of 2.5 inches (64 mm) thick Douglas fir planks. [4]

Once the steamer had been assembled, preliminarily, in Portland, it was then "knocked down" (taken apart) and shipped to Klamath Falls, by way of rail to a placed called Pokegama, Oregon, where the rail line ended, west of Keno, Oregon. [9]

At Pokegama the components were loaded onto freight wagons, and hauled overland to Keno, Oregon. [9] Keno was on the Klamath River, downstream from Lake Ewauna. Once at Keno, the steamer’s components were taken by water transport upriver to Lake Ewauna, on which the city of Klamath Falls was located, and where the boat would be assembled. [9]

The assembly of the steamer, which was supervised by John G. Sound, an experienced shipbuilder from Portland, was well underway at Klamath Falls by June 8, 1905. [10] The boiler had been installed into the boat by then. [10]

Launch and trial trip

Launch of Klamath, July 29, 1905. Launch of steamer Klamath July 1905.jpg
Launch of Klamath, July 29, 1905.

Klamath was launched at 9:07:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 29, 1905, into Lake Ewauna. [11] There was no formal ceremony. [11] However 300 people turned out to watch the launch from the wharves and the nearby bridge, with about 20 boats in the water as well. [10] This was about the entire population of Klamath Falls at the time. [7]

The steamer was launched stern first from the boat docks, which were near the bridge on Lake Ewauna. [9] After the launch, the boat was hauled over to a wharf for the finishing work to be completed. [11]

On Sunday, July 30, 1905, Captain Woodbury and Colonel Wilkins took the steamer out on a trial trip, making a run to Ady, Oregon [10]

Owners of the steamer

The boat was built for the Klamath County Navigation Company, which was also known as the Pioneer Line. [1] [4] The company had been incorporated in July, 1903, by filing articles of incorporation with the Oregon Secretary of State in Salem, Oregon. [12]

The capital stock of the company was stated to be $10,000. [12] The incorporators were Sherman V. Short (1856-1915), George H. Woodbury (1861-1945), and E.E. Upmeyer. [12] [13]

Woodbury was an experienced steamboat man, having worked for eight years prior to the founding of the company as the purser on the well-known Columbia river steamer T.J. Potter . [14] Short, who came from a steamboating family, was also an experienced steamboat man, who had worked as a captain for the Oregon Steam Navigation Company, and then for the Oregon Pacific Railroad, on their steamers N.S. Bentley , Wm. M. Hoag and Three Sisters. [15] E.E. Upmeyer (d.1912) was a prominent businessman of Linn County, Oregon, who had been in the state legislature during the 1907 session. [16] Short and Woodbury had been captain and purser, respectively, of the Columbia river steamer Dalles City. [7]

M.G. Wilkins, Woodberry’s father-in-law, also had an interest in the company. [9]

The company was preparing to use gasoline launches on the Klamath Lakes. [12] By January 1, 1904, the company had placed two launches in service. [17]

Specifications

Klamath at dock at Klamath Falls, circa 1907. Note stacked cordwood for fuel on the dock, and protective log boom in water in front of vessel. Steamer Klamath at dock at Klamath Falls circa 1907.jpg
Klamath at dock at Klamath Falls, circa 1907. Note stacked cordwood for fuel on the dock, and protective log boom in water in front of vessel.

According to one report, Klamath was 80 feet (24 m) long, with a beam (width) of 15 feet (4.6 m), and a draft (the minimum depth of water necessary to float the boat) of 2 [11] 2.5 feet. [1] or 3 feet 2 inches, [10] depending on the source consulted. The official dimensions, as recorded in the U.S. merchant vessel registry, were length 75 feet (23 m), beam 15.2 feet (4.6 m), and depth of hold 4 feet (1.2 m). [18] Overall size was 69 gross and 61 registered tons, which were a measure of volume, not weight. [18]

Klamath was driven by a steam engine which generated 150 horsepower, turning a single propeller 42 [4] (or 44) inches in diameter. [11] Upon launching, it was reported that the steamer would probably be able to reach a speed of 15 miles per hour (24 km/h). [11] The engine was a compound double expansion condensing type, with a high-pressure cylinder of 8-inch diameter and a low-pressure cylinder with a 16-inch diameter, with both cylinders having a 9-inch stroke. [4] The engine was designed by the same ship architect J.H. Johnston who had designed the boat. [4] The engine, which was built at the Hicks Machine Shop in Portland, Oregon, was the most up-to-date design of the time. [4]

The boiler was an Almy type water tube boiler, built by the Almy Water Tube Boiler Company, of Providence, Rhode Island. [4] It could be fired by either wood or coal. [4] The boiler was shipped from Providence on March 31, 1905, to Montague, California by rail, and then hauled overland by a wagon and team to Klamath Falls. [4]

The steamer had two decks, freight and passenger, a dining room and four staterooms. [11] It was expected, upon launching, that Klamath would be licensed to carry 75 to 100 passengers on regular trips. [11] Freight capacity was 75 tons, in this usage a measure of weight rather than volume. [1]

The official merchant vessel registry number was 202570. [18] The officially required number of crew was two. [18] The official homeport (the place where the vessel's licensing documentation was kept) was Coos Bay, Oregon. [18]

Operations on lower Klamath Lake

Klamath at Merrill Landing, on lower Klamath Lake, July 1906. Steamer Klamath at Merrill Landing July 1906.jpg
Klamath at Merrill Landing, on lower Klamath Lake, July 1906.

In 1903, no railroad ran to Klamath Falls, Oregon, the principle settlement in the region. [17] Klamath was intended to serve as a link in a transportation line as follows: steamer Klamath from Klamath Falls to Lairds Landing (50 miles (80 km)), stage coach to Bartles, California on the McCloud River Railroad (45 miles (72 km)); thereafter by rail to the junction with the Southern Pacific Railroad at Upton, California (53 miles (85 km)). [19] The whole trip took a day and a half. [7] Arrangements for the stage line were still being made in late August 1905, when Klamath was licensed to enter commercial service. [1]

After the launch on July 29, 1905, Klamath was expected to start its regular run, about 50 miles (80 km) each way, between Klamath Falls and Laird’s Landing, California about August 10 or 15. [1] [11]

However, Klamath did not receive its official clearance until August 23, 1905, when the steamer was inspected by U.S. steamboat inspectors E.S. Edwards and George F. Fuller, of Portland, who passed the steamer and issued it a registration certificate. [1] The Klamath Lake Navigation Company also owned two barges which it used with Klamath. [9] These barges measured 20 feet (6.1 m) wide and 62 feet (19 m) long, and were built at the same time as Klamath [10]

Klamath was expected to be able to make the 50-mile (80 km) run between Klamath Falls and Laird’s Landing in about three hours. [1]

Counting the costs of building the new steamer, the Klamath Lake Navigation Company had spent about $25,000 in capital improvements, including a dock at Klamath Falls measuring 60 by 225 feet (18 by 69 m) and a 60-by-80-foot (18 by 24 m) warehouse. [20]

Advertisement for steamer Klamath, May 1908 Steamer Klamath ad May 1908.jpg
Advertisement for steamer Klamath, May 1908

The stage line from Bartles to Laird’s Landing began operations in October, 1905. [21]

By November 1, 1905, Klamath was making three trips a week between Klamath Falls and Laird’s Landing. [22] No commercial vessel could reach Laird’s Landing in the natural state of the lake which was in large part a shallow marsh. Instead a channel had to be dredged from the central part where the water was somewhat deeper, and this was done specifically so that Klamath could reach Laird’s landing. [23] The channel ran about 2 miles (3.2 km) from Laird’s Landing in a northeasterly direction. [23]

In October 1906, Klamath broke its propeller while backing into a submerged ledge of rock about 3 miles (4.8 km) from Klamath Falls. [24] No drydock existed in Klamath Falls to facilitate the repair. [24] Instead, tons of cement were piled on the boat of the steamer, forcing the bow into the water and raising the stern into the air. [24] A raft was then pushed under the stern, which served as platform for workmen to replace the broken propeller. [24]

Notable passengers

On the evening of Thursday, November 2, 1905, a committee of the Klamath Falls Chamber of Commerce met Oregon’s Governor George Earle Chamberlain at Keno, on board Klamath. [25] The occasion for the governor’s visit was the signing of the contract with the government to commence the building of the Klamath Project. [25] Two hundred and fifty people crowded the dock to greet the governor’s arrival on the steamer. [25] Steam whistles sounded and a band played a welcoming tune. [25] Flags and bunting decorated the city. [25]

In August 1907, E.H. Harriman, the extremely wealthy railroad man, visited the Klamath lakes region. [26] Stage line routes changed frequently at that time, and rather than proceed to Laird’s Landing from the California Northeastern rail terminus, Harriman and his party met the steamer at Teeter’s Landing (about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) south of Keno [27] ) and proceeded from there on Klamath into Klamath Falls. [26] Harriman, then an older man, was worn out by the stage ride, but he was reported to have been revived somewhat by the ride on the then-modern steamer, asking questions of Col. Wilkins as to how it was brought to the lake, the demand for its services, and other inquiries about its operation. [26]

Ice problems

Klamath had problems with ice on the lower lake. On November 24, 1906, ice knocked a hole in the side of the steamer. [28] On December 20, 1906, Klamath was forced to suspend operations for the winter because of the amount of ice on the lake. [28]

Route change

Starting on May 1, 1908, Klamath was new route that was advertised as offering "ease and comforted In travel", with "only 12 miles of staging and then a delightful boat ride up the Klamath River to Klamath Falls." [29] Travellers departing Klamath Falls would leave on the steamer Klamath at 4:00 a.m. for Teeter’s Landing, from whence they would proceed by stage coach to the rail line at Dorris, California. [29]

Heavy traffic in 1908

Klamath pushing barges in Lake Ewauna, circa 1907. Steamer Klamath pushing barges circa 1907.jpg
Klamath pushing barges in Lake Ewauna, circa 1907.

Traffic was particularly heavy in August 1908. [30] Klamath was heavily loaded on every trip, and almost every other day a barge was brought in loaded with freight. [30] At that time, almost all the freight to Klamath Falls was loaded onto the steamer and the barges at Teeters and brought to the city by water. [30] With the approach of the railroad, merchants were going to be relieved from the need to stock up on supplies prior to the winter, which would disrupt supplies for several months. [30]

Last run on the lower lake

Last trip of Klamath on lower Klamath lake, May 20, 1909. Steamer Klamath May 20 1909.jpg
Last trip of Klamath on lower Klamath lake, May 20, 1909.

The railroad reached Klamath Falls in May 1909. [31] Klamath made its last commercial trip on the lower lake on Thursday, May 20, 1909. [31] Shortly after 9:00 a.m. that day the steamer departed Klamath Falls bound for Teeter’s Landing (also known as Blidell and, later, Ady) with more than 100 people on board. [31] A large crowd gathered at the docks to watch Klamath depart. [31] When the steamer reached Ady, shortly before noon, the passengers disembarked and crowded on to the first train to run to Klamath Falls. [31]

Financial problems

In early September 1907, demands by creditors forced the Klamath Lakes Navigation Company into receivership. [32] W.R. "Bill" Davis agreed to pay off the company’s debts, then about $10,000, and as security he was given a second mortgage against the company’s assets and was given control of the company. [32]

On November 27, 1908, Klamath was mortgaged to the Ladd and Tilton bank, and William R. Davis, to secure the payment of a promissory note in the amount of $8,100 payable to the bank, due in one year, with annual interest of 8%, executed by the Klamath Lake Navigation Company in favor of the bank on November 12, and a similar note, executed in favor of William R. Davis, in the amount of $5,000. [33]

The company fell behind in its payments on the debt to the bank and Davis. [33] On February 7, 1912, notice was published that on March 9, 1912, under the terms of their mortgage dated November 27, 1908, Ladd and Tilton, and Davis, would conduct an auction at the dock at Shippington, to sell Klamath to satisfy the debt. [33]

Transfer to upper Klamath Lake

In 1909, the railroad reached Klamath Falls. [9] This took away most of the business for Klamath on Lower Klamath Lake. [7] [9] On July 1, 1909, it was reported that plans were being made to transfer the boat to the upper lake, and that parties from Portland had come to Klamath Falls to investigate making bids to move the steamer. [34] The plan at that time was to run Klamath on the upper lake to connect with the state line that ran from Crystal Creek to Crater Lake, allowing travelers departing Klamath Falls to reach Crater Lake 12 hours later. [34]

The steamer was therefore transferred to upper Klamath Lake. A short water passage, called the Link River, ran from upper Klamath Lake to Lake Ewauna, along which lay the waterfront of Klamath Falls. However, the Link River was impassable to a large vessel like the Klamath. [7] Transfer to the upper lake would require Klamath to be hauled overland. [7]

This was done by dredging a cut from Lake Ewauna through the tule reeds to the railroad fill, near where the Big Lakes Mill.in the 1950s. [9] A spur rail line was built out to Klamath, the boat was raised up on timbers, and two flat cars were run under the steamer. [9] Blocks were placed under the boat to secure the load, and it was hauled to the upper lake and launched there in a similar fashion. [9]

The move seems to have happened in the spring of 1910. [34] A legal dispute arose over the payment of the contractors, with the company refusing to pay. [35] The courts however ruled in favor of the contractors. [35]

Operations on upper Klamath Lake

Klamath and gasoline launch Spray at Eagle Ridge landing, on upper Klamath Lake, circa 1910. Steamer Klamath and launch Spray at Eagle Ridge Landing.jpg
Klamath and gasoline launch Spray at Eagle Ridge landing, on upper Klamath Lake, circa 1910.

By June 24, 1910, Klamath had been launched on the upper lake. [36] Klamath had been on the shipways for two weeks undergoing repair. [36] The boat had been taken to Shippington, where new tubes were to be installed in the boiler, and the vessels entire woodwork repainted and renovated. [36]

Connections to Crater Lake

To serve tourists who it was anticipated would be taking the steamer on the route to Crater Lake the next summer, a dining room was fitted up. [36] The plan for summer operations in 1910 was to have the steamer proceed from Klamath Falls with passengers to Agency Landing, where the tourists would disembark and then ride in automobiles to Crater Lake. [36] Plans were then being made for the construction of Crater Lake Lodge, from which it was reported, the steamer Klamath could be seen at midday on the lake, some 40 miles (64 km) away. [37]

Route on the lake

On July 1, 1910, Klamath made its trial run on upper Klamath Lake to Agency Landing. [35] By May 1911, under Captain Ray H. Reed, Klamath was making daily trips to the resorts of Eagle Ridge Tavern and Rocky Point, as well as Doak’s Landing, Woodbine, and Odessa departing Klamath Falls from the Shippington wharf at 9:00 a.m. and returning at 5:00 p.m. [35] [38] [39] The City Transfer bus picked up passengers for the steamer from the principal hotels in Klamath Falls, starting at 8:00 a.m. [39] The Sunday excursions included a stop for three-and-a-half hours at the Rocky Point resort. [40]

On Sundays, the fare was $1.00 for a round-trip excursion to all points on the lake. [39] Tickets were sold at the hotels in Klamath Falls and also at the Navigation Building. [39] After June 1, 1911, the Klamath was to connect at Rocky Point with the Crater Lake Auto Line for overland transport to Crater Lake and Medford. [39]

About May 1911 or earlier Klamath had been converted into an oil-burner. [35] An oil tank car was placed at the Pelican Bay Lumber Company’s railroad siding to refuel the steamboat. [35] In 1911 and 1912, Klamath supported logging and lumber operations by towing log rafts to the Pelican Bay sawmill and carrying personnel and supplies for the lumber camps. [35]

New owners plan reconstruction

In 1913, Klamath was owned by the Crater Lake Company, which, in November of that year sold the steamer to Pelican Bay Lumber Co. [35] On November 12, 1913, the new owners announced plans to modify the steamer. [41] The cabin structure was to be cut down to tug boat configuration, that is, mostly removed, with heavy towing bits placed in the center of the vessel. [41] Living quarters for the crew were to be constructed in the forward part of the boat. [41]

At Pelican Bay, a short channel had been cut from the main lake to the Pelican Bay Lumber mill to facilitate steamboat operations.

On Saturday, July 22, 1911, at about 4:00 p.m., Klamath sank while moored at Agency Landing. [42] The boat was then owned by Captain Parker. [42] Part of the crew was sleeping on board when the boat sank. [42] The stern went down in about 10 feet (3.0 m) of water, while the bow remained on the bank of the lake, almost clear of the water. [42]

Ice posed a problem for the steamer on the upper lake, just as it had on the lower lake. In December 1913, Klamath suspended operations for the winter when ice on the upper lake was 4 inches (100 mm) or more thick. [35]

On June 21, 1915, it was reported that Klamath had sunk, again, at Pelican Bay Landing the previous Sunday afternoon, June 20, 1915. [43] Details were not available however in the first report. [43]

In November 1916, a barge being pushed by Klamath collided with the small sternwheeler tug Modoc, sinking the Modoc. [44] By November 16, 1916, Modoc had been raised. [44]

Abandonment

Klamath abandoned at log pond of Pelican Bay Lumber Company, March, 1948. Klamath abandoned March 1948.jpg
Klamath abandoned at log pond of Pelican Bay Lumber Company, March, 1948.

About 1925, or earlier, [2] Klamath was abandoned on the west side of Upper Klamath Lake, in the log pond of the Pelican Bay Lumber Company. [3] [7] [45] The boat was abandoned in the channel cut for the steamer to access the sawmill. [35] The remains of the steamer were still visible as late as the 1950s. [3]

Related Research Articles

<i>Washington</i> (steamboat 1851)

Washington was an early steamboat operated in the states of California and Oregon. Washington was built in California and was initially operated on the Sacramento River. In 1851, the steamer was purchased and brought on a ship to the Oregon Territory, where it was operated on the Willamette River until the summer of 1853. Washington was sold again, and then transferred to the Oregon coast, where it operated on the Umpqua River, on the Coquille River and on Coos Bay. Washington was able to operate for shorter distances over the open ocean along the Oregon coast. The steamer was wrecked by a boiler explosion in December 1857, near Scottsburg, O.T., on the Umpqua river.

<i>Sarah Dixon</i> (sternwheeler)

Sarah Dixon was a wooden sternwheel-driven steamboat operated by the Shaver Transportation Company on the Columbia and lower Willamette rivers from 1892 to 1926. Originally Sarah Dixon was built as a mixed use passenger and freight vessel, and was considered a prestige vessel for the time.

<i>Grahamona</i>

Grahamona was a sternwheel steamboat built in 1912 for the Oregon City Transportation Company, commonly known as the Yellow Stack Line. Grahamona was specially designed to serve on the shallow waters of the upper Willamette River. It was one of the largest steamboats ever to operate on the upper Willamette. In 1920, Grahamona was sold and the name was changed to Northwestern. In 1939, the vessel was sold again, and transferred to Alaska for service on the Kuskokwim River.

<i>Jennie Clark</i> American steamboat

Jennie Clark, also seen spelled Jenny Clark, was the first sternwheel-driven steamboat to operate on the rivers of the Pacific Northwest, including British Columbia. This vessel was commonly known as the Jennie when it was in service. The design of the Jennie Clark set a pattern for all future sternwheel steamboats built in the Pacific Northwest and in British Columbia.

<i>Black Hawk</i> (steamboat)

Black Hawk was one of three small iron-propeller driven steamboats manufactured in Philadelphia in about 1850 and shipped to the west coast of United States to be placed in river service. The other boats were Eagle and Major Redding. These boats were some of the earliest steamers to operate on the Willamette and Columbia rivers. They could carry about 12 passengers and perhaps a ton of cargo. The boats had to be small to make the run to Oregon City, which passed through the Clackamas rapids a short distance downriver from the town.

<i>Wallamet</i> (1853 sidewheeler)

Wallamet was a sidewheel-driven steamboat that operated on the Willamette and Columbia rivers in Oregon and later on the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers in California. Built in a Mississippi river style that was not suited to the conditions of these rivers, and suffering from construction defects, Wallamet was not a financially successful vessel. The name of this vessel is often seen spelled as Willamette.

<i>Three Sisters</i> (sternwheeler)

Three Sisters was a sternwheel-driven steamboat that operated on the Willamette River from 1886 to 1896. The steamer was built as an extreme shallow-draft vessel, to permit it to reach points on the upper Willamette river such as Corvallis, Harrisburg and Eugene, Oregon during summer months when water levels in the river were generally low. The vessel was also known for having been washed up on a county road in Oregon during a flood in 1890.

<i>Mazama</i> (steamboat)

Mazama was a small steamboat driven by twin propellers that operated on upper Klamath Lake starting in 1909. Mazama was, reportedly, the only craft ever to navigate the Wood River, a tributary of upper Klamath Lake. For a few years, until the construction of a rail line, Mazama was an important link in transportation system linking Fort Klamath to Klamath Falls.

<i>Hooligan</i> (sternwheeler)

Hooligan was a sternwheel-driven steamboat that operated on Upper Klamath Lake and the Wood River in the U.S. state of Oregon, mostly in the towing of barges and log rafts. Built in 1909, Hooligan was sold in 1914, rebuilt as an excursion boat, and renamed Annie Laurie. The last attested powered operation of this vessel was in 1916. It appears to have later been used as an unpowered barge by the California Oregon Power Company, a predecessor to Pacific Power and Light.

<i>Winema</i> (sternwheeler)

Winema was the largest steamboat ever to operate on Upper Klamath Lake in the U.S. state of Oregon. The steamer ran from 1905 to 1919, when it was hauled out of the water permanently. Winema was sunk by a sudden squall in August 1907. The vessel was raised, rebuilt and returned to service. The steamer remained out of the water for a number of years in the 1920, until it caught fire in 1925 or 1927 and was destroyed.

<i>Unio</i> (sternwheeler)

Unio was a small sternwheel-driven steamboat which operated on the Willamette and Yamhill rivers from 1861 to 1869. This vessel is primarily remembered for its having been named Unio when built in 1861, in the first year of the American Civil War, and then having the name completed, to Union, by a new, staunchly pro-Union owner, James D. Miller. Union appears to have sunk in 1869, been salvaged, and then dismantled, with the machinery going to a new steamer then being built for service on the Umpqua River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">People's Transportation Company</span>

The People's Transportation Company operated steamboats on the Willamette River and its tributaries, the Yamhill and Tualatin rivers, in the State of Oregon from 1862 to 1871. For a brief time this company operated steamers on the Columbia River, and for about two months in 1864, the company operated a small steamer on the Clackamas River.

<i>Dayton</i> (sternwheeler)

Dayton was a steamboat which operated on the Willamette and Columbia rivers from 1868 to 1881. Dayton operated on the Willamette from 1868 to 1876, mostly upriver from Willamette Falls, including a route on the Yamhill River to Dayton, Oregon, after which the steamer was named. From 1876 to 1881, Dayton was employed on a run from Portland to Monticello, W.T., which was located on the site of what is now Longview, Washington.

<i>Senator</i> (sternwheeler)

Senator was a stern-wheel-driven steamboat which operated on the Willamette River in the state of Oregon from 1863 to 1875. Senator is chiefly remembered for its having been destroyed in a fatal boiler explosion in 1875 while making a landing at the Portland, Oregon waterfront in 1875.

<i>Albany</i> (1868 sternwheeler)

Albany was a stern-wheel driven steamboat that operated on the Willamette River from 1868 to 1875. This vessel should not be confused with the later sternwheeler Albany, which ran, also on the Willamette River, from 1896 to 1906, when it was rebuilt and renamed Georgie Burton.

<i>Orient</i> (sternwheeler)

Orient was a light-draft sternwheel-driven steamboat built in 1875 for the Willamette River Transportation Company, a concern owned by pioneer businessman Ben Holladay. Shortly after its completion, it was acquired by the Oregon Steam Navigation Company. Orient was a near-twin vessel of a steamer built at the same time, the Occident.

<i>Gazelle</i> (motor vessel)

Gazelle was a gasoline powered launch that operated on the Willamette and Columbia river from 1905 to 1911. For short periods of time Gazelle was operated on the Oregon Coast, on Yaquina Bay and also as an off-shore fishing vessel, in the Coos Bay area.

<i>La Center</i> (sternwheeler)

La Center was a small stern-wheel steamboat that operated from 1912 to 1931, mostly on the Lewis and Lake rivers in southwest Washington, on a route to and from Portland, Oregon along the lower Columbia and lower Willamette rivers.

<i>Undine</i> (Columbia River sternwheeler) American passenger steamboat

Undine was a sternwheel-driven steamboat that operated from 1887 to 1935 on the Columbia and lower Willamette rivers. From 1935 to 1940 the same vessel was operated under the name The Dalles.

<i>Telegraph</i> (sternwheeler 1903)

Telegraph was a sternwheel-driven steamboat built in 1903 in Everett, Washington. Except for the summer of 1905, from 1903 to 1912, Telegraph served in Puget Sound, running mainly on the route from Seattle to Everett, and also from Seattle to Tacoma and Olympia, Washington.

References

Printed sources

On-line resources

On-line newspaper collections

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Klamath Lake Has Boat — Water to Carry Passengers Fifty Miles — Efforts Are Being Made to Open Southwestern Oregon to the World", Morning Oregonian , Portland, OR, vol. 45, no. 13, 951, p. 6 col. 2, Aug 25, 1905
  2. 1 2 Farnell, James E. (1980), Klamath Basin Rivers Navigability Study (PDF), Salem, OR: State of Oregon, Dept. of State Lands., pp. 5–7
  3. 1 2 3 Newell, Gordon R., ed. (1966). H.W. McCurdy Marine History of the Pacific Northwest. Seattle, WA: Superior Pub. Co. pp. 114, 368.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Helfrich, Devere (1965), Helfrich, Devere (ed.), "Klamath …" (PDF), Klamath Echos (partial reprint of Johnston, H.J. (1951), Siskiyou County Historical Society Yearbook, Vol 2 (1): pgs. 9–10), Klamath County Historical Society, 1 (2): 45
  5. U.S. Dept. of the Treasury, Statistics Bureau (1908). Annual List of Merchant Vessels (for FY ending June 30, 1907). Vol. 39. Washington, DC: GPO. p. 177. hdl:2027/njp.32101068130895.
  6. Reeder, U.E. (1965), Helfrich, D. (ed.), "As Told to Me", Klamath Echos (interview recorded Mar 3, 1948), Klamath Falls, OR: KCHS, 1 (2): 18–19
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Timmen, Fritz (1973). Blow for the Landing -- A Hundred Years of Steam Navigation on the Waters of the West. Caldwell, ID: Caxton Printers. pp. 94–96. ISBN   0-87004-221-1. LCCN   73150815.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Helfrich, D. (1965), Helfrich, D. (ed.), "Klamath ...", Klamath Echos (reprint of Klamath Republican , Nov 15, 1906), KCHS, 1 (2): 47
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Telford, Ray (1965), Helfrich, D. (ed.), "As told to me", Klamath Echos (interviews recorded Nov 16, 1951, Apr 10, 1953; and Nov 16, 1957), KCHS, 1 (2): 25–26
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Helfrich, D. (1965), Helfrich, D. (ed.), "Klamath ...", Klamath Echos (reprint of Klamath Republican, Jun 8, 1905), KCHS, 1 (2): 45
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Dateline: Klamath Falls, Or., Aug.1 (Aug 1, 1905), "California Cuts Out Portland — Big Klamath Country's Trade Goes to San Francisco", Daily Capital Journal , Salem, OR: Hofer Bros., vol. 15, no. 179, p. 2 col. 5{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. 1 2 3 4 "Additional Local … The Klamath Lake Navigation Company …", Lake County Examiner , Lakeview, OR: A.Y. Beach, vol. 24, no. 29, p. 4 col. 2, Jul 23, 1903
  13. Dateline: Salem, Or., July 11 (Jul 12, 1903), "New Corporations Chartered", The Sunday Oregonian, Portland, OR: ., vol. 22, no. 28, p. 7 col. 2{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  14. "Old Resident of City Dies — G.H. Woodbury, 88, Had Varied Career", The Oregonian , Portland, OR, vol. 84, no. 26, 285, p. 7 col. 2, Jan 20, 1945
  15. "S.V. Short Passes — End Comes to Life of Veteran Riverman at Age of 59", Morning Oregonian, Portland, OR, vol. 55, no. 17, 033, p. 11 col. 1, Jun 28, 1915
  16. "College Gets Bequest", Morning Oregonian, Portland, OR, vol. 52, no. 16, 172, p. 6 col. 2, Sep 24, 1912
  17. 1 2 "The Broad Counties …Enriched by Irrigation", Morning Oregonian, Portland, OR, vol. 43, no. 13, 435, Part Three, p.42, col.1, Jan 1, 1904
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 U.S. Dept. of the Treasury, Statistics Bureau (1907). Annual List of Merchant Vessels (FY ending June 30, 1906). Vol. 38. Washington, DC: GPO. p. 252. hdl:2027/uc1.b3330070.
  19. Good, Rachel Applegate (1965), Helfrich, D. (ed.), "Early Transportation", Klamath Echos (partial reprint of History of Klamath County, Oregon, chapter 13, pgs 73-75), Klamath Falls, OR: KCHS, 1 (2)
  20. C.S. "Sam" Jackson (ed.), "Klamath Falls Continues to Forge Ahead", Oregon Daily Journal, Portland, OR: Journal Publish. Co., vol. 4, no. 198, p. 4 col. 3
  21. C.S. "Sam" Jackson, ed. (Oct 28, 1905), "New Stage Line from California to Klamath", Oregon Daily Journal, Portland, OR: Journal Publish. Co., vol. 4, no. 203, p. 9 col. 5
  22. "To Tap the Klamath Basin — McCloud Road Not to be Extended to Klamath Falls at Once", Morning Oregonian, Portland, OR, vol. 45, no. 14, 009, p. 6 col. 1, Nov 1, 1905
  23. 1 2 Yaden, U.E. (1965), Helfrich, D. (ed.), "As Told to Me …", Klamath Echos (interview recorded Mar 3, 1948), KCHS, 1 (2): 20–21
  24. 1 2 3 4 Dateline: Klamath Falls, Or. Oct 13 (Oct 14, 1906), C.S. "Sam" Jackson (ed.), "Unique Drydock Is Used to Repair Boat", Oregon Daily Journal (special to The Journal), Portland, OR: Journal Publish. Co., p. 15
  25. 1 2 3 4 5 Dateline: Klamath Falls, Or Nov. 4 (Nov 5, 1905), C.S. "Sam" Jackson (ed.), "Klamath Falls Celebrating", Oregon Daily Journal , Portland, OR: Journal Publish. Co., vol. 2, no. 34, p. 2 col. 3
  26. 1 2 3 Helfrich, D. (1965), Helfrich, D. (ed.), "Klamath ...", Klamath Echos (reprint of Klamath Republican, Aug 22, 1907), KCHS, 1 (2): 48
  27. Helfrich, D. (1965), Helfrich, D. (ed.), "Lower Klamath Lake Landings", Klamath Echos (reprint of Klamath Republican, Jun 8, 1905), KCHS, 1 (2): 65–67
  28. 1 2 Helfrich, D. (1965), Helfrich, D. (ed.), "Klamath ...", Klamath Echos (quoting from Klamath Republican , Nov 29, Dec 6, and Dec 20, 1906; Dec 17, 1907), KCHS, 1 (2): 47–48, 51
  29. 1 2 Smith, W.G., ed. (May 28, 1908), "Commencing May 1st: Ease and Comfort In Travel", The Evening Herald (Advertisement), Klamath Falls, OR: Herald Pub. Co., vol. 2, no. 563, p. 4 col. 1
  30. 1 2 3 4 Smith, W.G., ed. (Aug 13, 1908), "No Slump in Freight", The Evening Herald, Klamath Falls, OR: Herald Pub. Co., vol. 3, no. 628, p. 1 col. 6
  31. 1 2 3 4 5 Helfrich, D. (1965), Helfrich, D. (ed.), "Klamath ...", Klamath Echos (reprint of Klamath Republican, May 27, 1909), KCHS, 1 (2): 51
  32. 1 2 Helfrich, D. (1965), Helfrich, D. (ed.), "Klamath ...", Klamath Echos (reprints of Klamath Republican, Sep 5 and Sep 12, 1907), KCHS, 1 (2): 49–50
  33. 1 2 3 Smith, W.G., ed. (Feb 7, 1912), "Notice of Sale of Mortgaged Property", The Evening Herald, Klamath Falls, OR: Herald Pub. Co., vol. 6, no. 1, 675, p. 4 col. 5
  34. 1 2 3 Helfrich, D. (1965), Helfrich, D. (ed.), "Klamath ...", Klamath Echos (reprint of Klamath Republican, Jul 1, 1909), KCHS, 1 (2): 51
  35. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Helfrich, D. (1965), Helfrich, D. (ed.), "Klamath ...", Klamath Echos, KCHS, 1 (2): 52–53
  36. 1 2 3 4 5 Dateline: Klamath Falls (Jun 24, 1910), "Tourists to Crater Lake", St. Johns Review, St. Johns, Oregon: A.W. Markle, vol. 6, no. 33, p. 8 col. 3
  37. "Crater Lake Being Made Ideal Resort for Summer Tourists", The Sunday Oregonian , Portland, OR: ., vol. 30, no. 24, Section 5, p.2, col.6, Jun 11, 1911
  38. Shippington Correspondence, Smith, W.G. (ed.), "Steamer Klamath Is Making Daily Trips", The Evening Herald, Klamath Falls, OR: Herald Pub. Co., vol. 5, no. 1, 448, p. 2
  39. 1 2 3 4 5 Klamath Lake Navig. Co. (May 26, 1911), Smith, W.G. (ed.), "Upper Klamath Lake … The Fast Steamer Klamath", The Evening Herald (advertisement), Klamath Falls, OR: Herald Pub. Co., vol. 5, no. 1, 449, p. 4 col. 2
  40. Smith, W.G., ed. (May 30, 1911), "Many Improvements Are Noted at the Fine Resorts on Upper Lake", The Evening Herald, Klamath Falls, OR: Herald Pub. Co., vol. 5, no. 1.451, p. 1 col. 1
  41. 1 2 3 Herald Special Services; Dateline: Shippington Nov. 12 (Nov 12, 1913), Smith, W.G. (ed.), "Will Alter the Steamer Klamath — Cabin Arrangement Will be Completely Changed In Order to Facilitate Work of Towing", The Evening Herald, Klamath Falls, OR: Herald Pub. Co., vol. 8, no. 2, 213, p. 4 col. 2{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  42. 1 2 3 4 Dateline: Klamath Falls, Or. Jul 24 (Jul 25, 1911), "Lake Steamer Sinks", Morning Oregonian, Portland, OR, vol. 51, no. 15, 807, p. 6 col. 4
  43. 1 2 Smith, W.G., ed. (Jun 21, 1915), "Upper Lake Notes … the steamer Klamath sank …", The Evening Herald, Klamath Falls, OR: Herald Pub. Co., vol. 9, no. 2, 712, p. 2 col. 3
  44. 1 2 Smith, W.G., ed. (Nov 18, 1916), "Steamer Modoc Out of Water", The Evening Herald, Klamath Falls, OR: Herald Pub. Co., vol. 11, no. 3, 156, p. 1 col. 3
  45. Marshall, Don (1984). Oregon Shipwrecks. Portland, OR: Binford and Mort Publishing. ISBN   0-8323-0430-1. LCCN   84071477.