King County (steam ferry)
Encyclopedia
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King County was a steam ferry built in 1900 which served on Lake Washington
Lake Washington
Lake Washington is a large freshwater lake adjacent to the city of Seattle. It is the largest lake in King County and the second largest in the state of Washington, after Lake Chelan. It is bordered by the cities of Seattle on the west, Bellevue and Kirkland on the east, Renton on the south and...

 until 1908.

Career

King County was the first true ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...

 to operate on Lake Washington. The ferry was built in 1900 at Madison Park
Madison Park
There are a few places named Madison Park:*Madison Square Park, in Manhattan, New York City*Madison Park , a park in Hoboken, New Jersey*Madison Park , a park in Seattle, Washington...

  The ferry was launched on March 8, 1900. A mishap occurred during the vessel's launching With a number of notable figures on board, the ferry slid down the ways but rather than floating in the water, became stuck in the mud. The steamer Cyrene
Cyrene (steamboat)
Cyrene was a steamboat that operated initially on Puget Sound and later on Lake Washington from 1891 to about 1912. Cyrene and another similar vessel Xanthus were somewhat unique in that they had clipper bows and were both originally built as yachts.-Construction and launching:Cyrene was built in...

 had to pull the new ferry free.

King County was placed on the route from Madison Park
Madison Park
There are a few places named Madison Park:*Madison Square Park, in Manhattan, New York City*Madison Park , a park in Hoboken, New Jersey*Madison Park , a park in Seattle, Washington...

 to Kirkland
Kirkland, Washington
Kirkland is a city in King County, Washington, United States. It is a suburb of Seattle on the Eastside . The population was 48,787 at the 2010 census makes it the 9th largest city in King County and the 20th largest city in the state...

. The county hired George Bartsch to act as the ferry's captain. When his services weren't necessary for the ferry, Bartsch ran a sideline with his own steamboat towing log rafts on the lake. It was said by some that he spent most of his time doing this, as business was too sparse to justify much operation of the ferry.

Poorly built, King County lasted only eight years, and 1908, the vessel was condemned as unfit for further service. The vessel is also reported to have sunk in May 1907.
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