Issaquah (steam ferry)
Encyclopedia
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Issaquah was a steam ferry built in 1914 that operated on Lake Washington
and in San Francisco Bay
.
on Lake Washington
at Houghton, Washington
. On launching, Issaquah slid down the shipway and then became stuck in the mud, and had to be towed off. The vessel is reported to have been acquired by Anderson Steamboat Company at a cost $33,571 in May, 1914.
Captain Anderson was a prominent boatbuilder and steamboat operator on Lake Washington, and the Issaquah was the most elaborate vessel he had ever built. Issaquah was the first ferry
built by a private owner in the Puget Sound
region. Issaquah was also one of the first ferries in the region designed and constructed to transport automobiles. The upper deck included a hardwood dance floor which was used when the ferry was taken out on moonlight excursions.
to Mercer Island and then to Newport
. In 1891 the eastern terminus of this route connected to a road that ran to Lake Sammamish
, Fall City
, Preston, Issaquah
, North Bend
, and Snoqualmie, Washington
. It is doubtful whether Issaquah ever carried the full licensed complement of automobiles when on Lake Washington
.
in 1916 caused the level of the water in Lake Washington to be lowered by 9 feet (2.74 m).
As a result of these difficulties, Anderson was forced to leave the private ferry business. On September 30, 1917, Issaquah ceased operations on Lake Washington. After being operated during the month of November 1917 by the Seattle Port Commission
, the vessel was sold in early 1918 to the Rodeo-Vallejo Ferry System, operating in northern San Francisco Bay.
The ferry departed from Houghton on May 30, 1918, having first been boarded up and loaded with cord wood for use as fuel. Issaquah steamed out to Neah Bay, where more wood was taken on and the ferry was taken in tow to San Francisco Bay. Two men stayed on Issaquah during the tow, keeping steam up and running the vessel's sidewheels, as the tug was insufficiently powerful to accomplish the task alone. The ferry arrived in good condition and began service on the Carquinez Strait
on July 4, 1918.
The ferry remained in service under the name Issaquah in the Vallejo-Martinez area until after World War II. After the Carquinez Bridge
was completed in 1927, the ferry was shifted to the Mare Island
routes from Vallejo
, Martinez
, and Benicia
. In 1948 the ferry was purchased by D. J. Arques, owner of a Sausalito
shipyard, for $1,000.
|}
Issaquah was a steam ferry built in 1914 that operated 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...
and in San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
.
Design and construction
Issaquah was built in 1914 by Capt. John L. Anderson at his shipyardLake Washington Shipyard
Lake Washington Shipyards was a shipyard in Houghton, Washington on the shore of Lake Washington. Today the shipyards are the site of the lakeside Carillon Point business park...
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...
at Houghton, Washington
Houghton, Washington
Houghton is one of the lakeside neighborhoods of the city of Kirkland, Washington. Consisting mostly of upscale, single-family homes, Houghton overlooks Lake Washington and is one of the wealthier districts of the Eastside suburbs of Seattle. The village was named for Willard Houghton, a local...
. On launching, Issaquah slid down the shipway and then became stuck in the mud, and had to be towed off. The vessel is reported to have been acquired by Anderson Steamboat Company at a cost $33,571 in May, 1914.
Captain Anderson was a prominent boatbuilder and steamboat operator on Lake Washington, and the Issaquah was the most elaborate vessel he had ever built. Issaquah was the first 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...
built by a private owner in the 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...
region. Issaquah was also one of the first ferries in the region designed and constructed to transport automobiles. The upper deck included a hardwood dance floor which was used when the ferry was taken out on moonlight excursions.
Lake Washington service
Issaquah was placed on the route running from LeschiLeschi Park (Seattle)
Leschi Park is an 18.5 acre park in the Leschi neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, named after Chief Leschi of the Nisqually tribe. The majority of the park is a grassy hillside that lies west of Lakeside Avenue S...
to Mercer Island and then to Newport
Newport, Washington
Newport is a city in, and the county seat of, Pend Oreille County, Washington. The population was 2,126 at the 2010 census.-History:Newport was given its name in 1890 because it was selected as a landing site for the first steamboat on the Pend Oreille River. Newport was officially incorporated on...
. In 1891 the eastern terminus of this route connected to a road that ran to Lake Sammamish
Lake Sammamish
Lake Sammamish is a freshwater lake east of Seattle in King County, Washington, United States. The lake is long and wide, with a maximum depth of and a surface area of . It lies east of Lake Washington and west of the Sammamish Plateau, and stretches from Issaquah in the south to Redmond in...
, Fall City
Fall City, Washington
Fall City is a census-designated place in King County, Washington, United States. Located 26 miles east of Seattle, the community lies along the Snoqualmie River. The population was 1,993 at the 2010 census...
, Preston, Issaquah
Issaquah, Washington
Issaquah is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 30,434 at the 2010 census.Based on per capita income, Issaquah ranks 25th of 522 areas in the State of Washington to be ranked....
, North Bend
North Bend, Washington
North Bend is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The town was made famous by David Lynch's television series Twin Peaks Since the Weyerhaeuser sawmill closed, North Bend has become an upscale bedroom community for the Eastside of Seattle, Washington, with property values more than...
, and Snoqualmie, Washington
Snoqualmie, Washington
Snoqualmie is a city next to Snoqualmie Falls in King County, Washington. The city is home to the Northwest Railway Museum. The population was of 10,670 at the 2010 census...
. It is doubtful whether Issaquah ever carried the full licensed complement of automobiles when 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...
.
California service
In 1917, the private ferry owners on Lake Washington, which meant Captain Anderson as a practical matter, were undercut by competition from King County. Another problem was that all of the company's docking facilities had to be reconstructed after the opening of the Lake Washington Ship CanalLake Washington Ship Canal
The Lake Washington Ship Canal, which runs through the City of Seattle, Washington, connects the fresh water body of Lake Washington with the salt water inland sea of Puget Sound. The Ship Canal includes a series of locks, modeled after the Panama Canal, to accommodate the different water levels...
in 1916 caused the level of the water in Lake Washington to be lowered by 9 feet (2.74 m).
As a result of these difficulties, Anderson was forced to leave the private ferry business. On September 30, 1917, Issaquah ceased operations on Lake Washington. After being operated during the month of November 1917 by the Seattle Port Commission
Port of Seattle
The Port of Seattle is a port district that runs Seattle's seaport and airport. Its creation was approved by the voters of King County, Washington, on September 5, 1911, authorized by the Port District Act. It is run by a five-member commission. The commissioners' terms run four years...
, the vessel was sold in early 1918 to the Rodeo-Vallejo Ferry System, operating in northern San Francisco Bay.
The ferry departed from Houghton on May 30, 1918, having first been boarded up and loaded with cord wood for use as fuel. Issaquah steamed out to Neah Bay, where more wood was taken on and the ferry was taken in tow to San Francisco Bay. Two men stayed on Issaquah during the tow, keeping steam up and running the vessel's sidewheels, as the tug was insufficiently powerful to accomplish the task alone. The ferry arrived in good condition and began service on the Carquinez Strait
Carquinez Strait
The Carquinez Strait is a narrow tidal strait in northern California. It is part of the tidal estuary of the Sacramento and the San Joaquin rivers as they drain into the San Francisco Bay...
on July 4, 1918.
The ferry remained in service under the name Issaquah in the Vallejo-Martinez area until after World War II. After the Carquinez Bridge
Carquinez Bridge
The Carquinez Bridge refers to parallel bridges spanning the Carquinez Strait, forming part of Interstate 80 between Crockett and Vallejo, California. The name originally referred to a single cantilever bridge built in 1927, helping to form a direct route between San Francisco and Sacramento. A...
was completed in 1927, the ferry was shifted to the Mare Island
Mare Island
Mare Island is a peninsula in the United States alongside the city of Vallejo, California, about northeast of San Francisco. The Napa River forms its eastern side as it enters the Carquinez Strait juncture with the east side of San Pablo Bay. Mare Island is considered a peninsula because no full...
routes from Vallejo
Vallejo, California
Vallejo is the largest city in Solano County, California, United States. The population was 115,942 at the 2010 census. It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area on the northeastern shore of San Pablo Bay...
, Martinez
Martinez, California
Martinez is a city and the county seat of Contra Costa County, California, United States. The population was 35,824 at the 2010 census. The downtown is notable for its large number of preserved old buildings...
, and Benicia
Benicia, California
Benicia is a waterside city in Solano County, California, United States. It was the first city in California to be founded by Anglo-Americans, and served as the state capital for nearly thirteen months from 1853 to 1854. The population was 26,997 at the 2010 census. The city is located in the San...
. In 1948 the ferry was purchased by D. J. Arques, owner of a Sausalito
Sausalito, California
Sausalito is a San Francisco Bay Area city, in Marin County, California, United States. Sausalito is south-southeast of San Rafael, at an elevation of 13 feet . The population was 7,061 as of the 2010 census. The community is situated near the northern end of the Golden Gate Bridge, and prior to...
shipyard, for $1,000.