.gif)
Klahowya (sternwheeler)
Encyclopedia
Klahowya was a sternwheel steamer that operated in British Columbia
on the Columbia River
from 1910 to 1915. The name "Klahowya" is the standard greeting in the Chinook Jargon
.
_leaving_golden,_bc_ca_1911.jpg)
Klahowya was built at Golden, BC
.Klahowya 's engines came from Isabella McCormack
which had been converted into a houseboat. Klahowya was built by Capt. Frank P. Armstrong (another source gives George Rury as the builder), with the capacity to carry 100 passengers. Armstrong built Klahowya in an unusual way. When the Columbia River was frozen, Armstrong built the vessel on a set of shipways constructed directly on the ice. When the boat was finished, Armstrong cut around the outline of the vessel in the ice, and the boat settled into the water.
Two sources state Klahowya was built for the Columbia River Lumber Company, while another source states Klahowya was intended for the increasing tourist trade in the Golden region. Multiple use steamboats were common, and use for lumbering would not have been necessarily inconsistent with tourist applications.
_on_columbia_river_ca_1911.jpg)
Klahowya operated on the Columbia River from Golden to Columbia Lake
. The period of reported operations was brief, from 1910 to 1915.
It is possible that Canada's participation in World War I
starting in 1914 helped shorten Klahowyas career. A number of steamboats in other areas of inland British Columbia had been built to cater to tourism, which was badly affected by war. Mobilization of men also depressed local businesses such as lumbering, which depended upon their labor. Captain Armstrong himself went overseas during World War I
to supervise steamboat operations in war zones in the Middle East.
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
on the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
from 1910 to 1915. The name "Klahowya" is the standard greeting in the Chinook Jargon
Chinook Jargon
Chinook Jargon originated as a pidgin trade language of the Pacific Northwest, and spread during the 19th century from the lower Columbia River, first to other areas in modern Oregon and Washington, then British Columbia and as far as Alaska, sometimes taking on characteristics of a creole language...
.
Design and construction
Golden, British Columbia
Golden is a town in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located west of Calgary, Alberta and east of Vancouver.-History:Much of the town's history is tied into the Canadian Pacific Railway and the logging industry...
.Klahowya 's engines came from Isabella McCormack
Isabella McCormack (sternwheeler)
Isabella McCormack was a sternwheel steamboat that operated in British Columbia on the Columbia River from 1908 to 1910...
which had been converted into a houseboat. Klahowya was built by Capt. Frank P. Armstrong (another source gives George Rury as the builder), with the capacity to carry 100 passengers. Armstrong built Klahowya in an unusual way. When the Columbia River was frozen, Armstrong built the vessel on a set of shipways constructed directly on the ice. When the boat was finished, Armstrong cut around the outline of the vessel in the ice, and the boat settled into the water.
Two sources state Klahowya was built for the Columbia River Lumber Company, while another source states Klahowya was intended for the increasing tourist trade in the Golden region. Multiple use steamboats were common, and use for lumbering would not have been necessarily inconsistent with tourist applications.
Operations
Columbia Lake
Columbia Lake is the primary lake at the headwaters of the Columbia River, in British Columbia, Canada. It is fed by several small tributaries. The village of Canal Flats is located at the south end of the lake....
. The period of reported operations was brief, from 1910 to 1915.
It is possible that Canada's participation in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
starting in 1914 helped shorten Klahowyas career. A number of steamboats in other areas of inland British Columbia had been built to cater to tourism, which was badly affected by war. Mobilization of men also depressed local businesses such as lumbering, which depended upon their labor. Captain Armstrong himself went overseas during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
to supervise steamboat operations in war zones in the Middle East.
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
- Timmen, Fritz, Blow for the Landing, Caxton Printers, Caldwell, ID 1972 ISBN 0-87004-221-1