Otter (sternwheeler)
Encyclopedia
Otter was a wooden sternwheel steamboat that was used in Puget Sound
and briefly on the Columbia
and Stikine
rivers from 1874 to 1897.
in 1874 by Fred Congdon. Congdon reused the machinery that had previously been installed in the Mary Belle, which he had dismantled and traded to G.W. Hume for use as a wharf. Congdon made the trial trip of the Otter on March 28, 1874. He intended to run the Otter on the lower Columbia River, in connection with business allies who had built the Teaser
to run on the middle Columbia, above the Cascades Rapids
.
Although both Otter and Teaser were both too small to be very competitive, this plan still was perceived by the Oregon Steam Navigation Company
to be threat to the monopoly
which they were seeking to maintain on Columbia River
transportation, and so they purchased both Otter and Teaser, and arranged to have them sent to Puget Sound in 1875
and Messenger. In 1877 the Starrs accepted a monthly payment of $500 to refrain from competing with Zephyr and Messenger, and the vessel was as a result reassigned to the run between Olympia, Washington
and Tacoma. in 1881, the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company, under Henry Villard
bought out the Starr Line and all their steamers including Otter.
Otter is reported to have been worked for one season on the Stikine River
in British Columbia
.]. Otter was used as a trading steamer until February 1890, when the vessel was involved in a collision in Puget Sound off Des Moines
with the sternwheeler Hassalo.
Otter sustained substantial damage but was successfully beached with no lives lost. Otter was owned at the time of the collision by Captain T. Cook of Tacoma. Repairs were made however, and Otter was returned to service until 1897, when it was abandoned on the Puyallup River
.
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...
and briefly on the Columbia
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...
and Stikine
Stikine River
The Stikine River is a river, historically also the Stickeen River, approximately 610 km long, in northwestern British Columbia in Canada and southeastern Alaska in the United States...
rivers from 1874 to 1897.
Columbia River service
Otter was built in Portland, OregonPortland, 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...
in 1874 by Fred Congdon. Congdon reused the machinery that had previously been installed in the Mary Belle, which he had dismantled and traded to G.W. Hume for use as a wharf. Congdon made the trial trip of the Otter on March 28, 1874. He intended to run the Otter on the lower Columbia River, in connection with business allies who had built the Teaser
Teaser (sternwheeler)
Teaser was a steamboat which ran on the Columbia River and Puget Sound from 1874 to 1880.-Columbia River service:Teaser was built in 1874 at The Dalles, Oregon, and was intended to run on the middle Columbia river, which was the stretch of navigable river that ran between the Cascades Rapids and...
to run on the middle Columbia, above the Cascades Rapids
Cascades Rapids
The Cascades Rapids were an area of rapids along North America's Columbia River, between the U.S. states of Washington and Oregon. Through a stretch approximately wide, the river dropped about in .-Boat portage:Boat travelers were forced to either portage boats and supplies or pull boats up with...
.
Although both Otter and Teaser were both too small to be very competitive, this plan still was perceived by the Oregon Steam Navigation Company
Oregon Steam Navigation Company
The Oregon Steam Navigation Company was an American company incorporated in 1860 in Washington with partners J. S. Ruckle, Henry Olmstead, and J. O. Van Bergen...
to be threat to the monopoly
Monopoly
A monopoly exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity...
which they were seeking to maintain on 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...
transportation, and so they purchased both Otter and Teaser, and arranged to have them sent to Puget Sound in 1875
Transfer to Puget Sound
On Puget Sound, Otter was first used to tow barges for the Renton Coal Company, and was later run by the Starr brothers in the upper sound in opposition to the steamers ZephyrZephyr (steamboat)
-Career:Zephyr was built in 1871 for the famous steamboat captain Tom Wright. In 1872, the Merchants Transportation Company of Olympia was formed, with Zephyr becoming the company's first steamboat...
and Messenger. In 1877 the Starrs accepted a monthly payment of $500 to refrain from competing with Zephyr and Messenger, and the vessel was as a result reassigned to the run between Olympia, Washington
Olympia, Washington
Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census...
and Tacoma. in 1881, the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company, under Henry Villard
Henry Villard
Henry Villard was an American journalist and financier who was an early president of the Northern Pacific Railway....
bought out the Starr Line and all their steamers including Otter.
Otter is reported to have been worked for one season on the Stikine River
Stikine River
The Stikine River is a river, historically also the Stickeen River, approximately 610 km long, in northwestern British Columbia in Canada and southeastern Alaska in the United States...
in British Columbia
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...
.]. Otter was used as a trading steamer until February 1890, when the vessel was involved in a collision in Puget Sound off Des Moines
Des Moines, Washington
Des Moines is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 29,673 at the 2010 census. Property within the city has been the subject of land buyouts because of noise from aircraft landing or taking off from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport two miles to the north of...
with the sternwheeler Hassalo.
Otter sustained substantial damage but was successfully beached with no lives lost. Otter was owned at the time of the collision by Captain T. Cook of Tacoma. Repairs were made however, and Otter was returned to service until 1897, when it was abandoned on the Puyallup River
Puyallup River
The Puyallup River is a river in the U.S. state of Washington. About long, it is formed by glaciers on the west side of Mount Rainier. It flows generally northwest, emptying into Commencement Bay, part of Puget Sound...
.