Washington (steamboat 1851)
Encyclopedia
Washington was one of the first steamboats to operate in the states of California
and Oregon
.
. The vessel was purchased in California in 1851 by pioneer steamboat captain Alexander Sinclair Murray (b.1828).
Success. Once in Oregon, Murray had Washington launched above Willamette Falls
at Canemah
and worked on the Willamette River
to the Yamhill River
. Washington 's first run up the Yamhill was on June 6, 1851. Washington was run on this route for several months, seeking cargoes from the nearby wheat farms. The main competition on the Yamhill route at this time was another early steamer, the Hoosier. Washington was advertised as running from Canemah to Champoeg
, where the boat would meet a connecting stage coach line for travellers bound for Salem, Oregon
.
Washington under Captain Murray was the first steamboat to reach Eola, Oregon
, (then known as Cincinnati), a small community on the Rickreal River about 3 miles west of Salem in Polk County
. It was hoped that Washington could go as far up the Willamette as Corvallis
, then known as Marysville, but the river proved to be too shallow for the vessel, and freight could otherwise be found for the vessel. Consequently the vessel was hauled around the falls to the lower Willamette river. Washington then ran between Portland, Oregon
, and Oregon City
, joining a small flotilla of steamboats which included Eagle, Blackhawk, Major Redding, Allan and Columbia
. With very few people living in either Portland and Oregon City, competition was fierce.
, on the Umpqua River
. Before the legal organization of the Oregon Territory
, the Hudson's Bay Company
had established an outpost at the head of navigation on the Umpqua, which later came to be called Scottsburg
. The population in this area was increasing due to incoming settlers and mining activity. William H. Troup (1828-1882), the father of steamboat captains James
and Claud Troup, went with Washington as the vessel's engineer. Washington is further reported to have operated on Coos Bay
, again with Wm. H. Troup as engineer, and for a short time on the Coquille River
.
in December 1857 which occurred just downriver from Scottsburg
.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
.
Operations in California
Washington operated in California on the Sacramento RiverSacramento River
The Sacramento River is an important watercourse of Northern and Central California in the United States. The largest river in California, it rises on the eastern slopes of the Klamath Mountains, and after a journey south of over , empties into Suisun Bay, an arm of the San Francisco Bay, and...
. The vessel was purchased in California in 1851 by pioneer steamboat captain Alexander Sinclair Murray (b.1828).
Willamette River service
Murray arranged to have Washington transported to Oregon on board the barkBarque
A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing vessel with three or more masts.- History of the term :The word barque appears to have come from the Greek word baris, a term for an Egyptian boat. This entered Latin as barca, which gave rise to the Italian barca, Spanish barco, and the French barge and...
Success. Once in Oregon, Murray had Washington launched above Willamette Falls
Willamette Falls
The Willamette Falls is a natural waterfall on the Willamette River between Oregon City and West Linn, Oregon, in the United States. It is the largest waterfall in the Pacific Northwest and the eighteenth largest in the world by water volume. Horseshoe in shape, it is wide and high with a flow...
at Canemah
Canemah, Oregon
Canemah was an early settlement in the U.S. state of Oregon located near Willamette Falls on the Willamette River. It is now a district within Oregon City.-Location:...
and worked on the Willamette River
Willamette River
The Willamette River is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States...
to the Yamhill River
Yamhill River
The Yamhill River is an tributary of the Willamette River, in the U.S. state of Oregon. Formed by the confluence of the South Yamhill River and the North Yamhill River about east of McMinnville, it drains part of the Northern Oregon Coast Range...
. Washington 's first run up the Yamhill was on June 6, 1851. Washington was run on this route for several months, seeking cargoes from the nearby wheat farms. The main competition on the Yamhill route at this time was another early steamer, the Hoosier. Washington was advertised as running from Canemah to Champoeg
Champoeg, Oregon
Champoeg is a former town in the U.S. state of Oregon. Now a ghost town, it was an important settlement in the Willamette Valley in the early 1840s. It is positioned halfway between Oregon City and Salem and the site of the first provisional government of the Oregon Country...
, where the boat would meet a connecting stage coach line for travellers bound for Salem, Oregon
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
.
Washington under Captain Murray was the first steamboat to reach Eola, Oregon
Eola, Oregon
Eola is an unincorporated community in Polk County, Oregon, United States four miles west of Salem on Oregon Route 22 at the confluence of Rickreall Creek and the Willamette River....
, (then known as Cincinnati), a small community on the Rickreal River about 3 miles west of Salem in Polk County
Polk County, Oregon
Polk County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county is named for James Knox Polk, the 11th president of the United States. In 2010, its population was 75,403. The seat of the county is Dallas....
. It was hoped that Washington could go as far up the Willamette as Corvallis
Corvallis, Oregon
Corvallis is a city located in central western Oregon, United States. It is the county seat of Benton County and the principal city of the Corvallis, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Benton County. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 54,462....
, then known as Marysville, but the river proved to be too shallow for the vessel, and freight could otherwise be found for the vessel. Consequently the vessel was hauled around the falls to the lower Willamette river. Washington then ran between Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, and Oregon City
Oregon City, Oregon
Oregon City was the first city in the United States west of the Rocky Mountains to be incorporated. It is the county seat of Clackamas County, Oregon...
, joining a small flotilla of steamboats which included Eagle, Blackhawk, Major Redding, Allan and Columbia
Columbia (sidewheeler 1850)
The Columbia was a steamboat built at Astoria, Oregon in 1850. Columbia was the first steamboat built in the Oregon Territory, and the first to establish regular service on the lower Columbia and Willamette rivers...
. With very few people living in either Portland and Oregon City, competition was fierce.
Oregon coast service
In spring 1853, Washington was taken above the falls againbut only remained a few months until summer 1853, when the vessel was purchased by Capt. Sylvester Hinsdale (1824-1870), a former seaman and a merchant at Gardiner, OregonGardiner, Oregon
Gardiner is an unincorporated community in Douglas County, Oregon, United States, across the Umpqua River from Reedsport. It is located on U.S. Route 101....
, on the Umpqua River
Umpqua River
The Umpqua River on the Pacific coast of Oregon in the United States is approximately long. One of the principal rivers of the Oregon Coast and known for bass and shad, the river drains an expansive network of valleys in the mountains west of the Cascade Range and south of the Willamette Valley,...
. Before the legal organization of the Oregon Territory
Oregon Territory
The Territory of Oregon was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 14, 1848, until February 14, 1859, when the southwestern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Oregon. Originally claimed by several countries , the region was...
, the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
had established an outpost at the head of navigation on the Umpqua, which later came to be called Scottsburg
Scottsburg, Oregon
Scottsburg is an unincorporated community in Douglas County, Oregon, United States. It is located on the Umpqua River and Oregon Route 38, and is about 20 miles from the Pacific Ocean. It was once a growing town but after a large flood in December 1861 the town declined.Scottsburg was named for...
. The population in this area was increasing due to incoming settlers and mining activity. William H. Troup (1828-1882), the father of steamboat captains James
James W. Troup (steamboat captain)
James William Troup was an American steamship captain, Canadian Pacific Railway administrator and shipping pioneer.-Family:...
and Claud Troup, went with Washington as the vessel's engineer. Washington is further reported to have operated on Coos Bay
Coos Bay
Coos Bay is an S-shaped inlet where the Coos River enters the Pacific Ocean, approximately 10 miles long and two miles wide, on the Pacific Ocean coast of southwestern Oregon in the United States. The estuary is situated south of the Salmon River. The city of Coos Bay, once named Marshfield, was...
, again with Wm. H. Troup as engineer, and for a short time on the Coquille River
Coquille River
The Coquille River is a stream long, in southwestern Oregon in the United States. It drains a mountainous area of of the Southern Oregon Coast Range into the Pacific Ocean. Its watershed is located between that of the Coos River to the north and the Rogue River to the south.-Geography:The river,...
.
Wreck
Washingtons career terminated with a boiler explosionBoiler explosion
A boiler explosion is a catastrophic failure of a boiler. As seen today, boiler explosions are of two kinds. One kind is over-pressure in the pressure parts of the steam and water sides. The second kind is explosion in the furnace. Boiler explosions of pressure parts are particularly associated...
in December 1857 which occurred just downriver from Scottsburg
Scottsburg
Scottsburg may refer to:*Scottsburg, former name of Centerville, Fresno County, California* Scottsburg, Indiana* Scottsburg, Virginia...
.
Further reading
- Faber, Jim, Steamer's Wake—Voyaging down the old marine highways of Puget Sound, British Columbia, and the Columbia River, Enetai Press, Seattle, WA 1985 ISBN 0-9615811-0-7
- Newell, Gordon R., and Williamson, Joe, Pacific Steamboats Bonanza Press, New York, NY 1958