West Seattle (steam ferry)
Encyclopedia
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West Seattle was a side-wheel driven steam-powered ferry
built in 1907.
at the Heath yard for the West Seattle Land and Improvement Company. The vessel was intended to augment the company's ferry service, then being handled by the smaller ferry City of Seattle
across Elliott Bay
from Seattle to West Seattle, where the company was engaged in real estate development.
. 1907 was the peak year for ferry transport on the Seattle-West Seattle run, with 103,000 passengers carried in July alone. After that, rising competition from the expanding network of street car lines over time proved too much for the West Seattle ferries, and City of Seattle was taken off the route in 1911. West Seattle was kept on the run, and in June 1913, the money-losing ferry was sold to the Port of Seattle
.
The Port of Seattle operated the ferry until September 22, 1919, when the Port donated the ferry to King County
. King County was unable to make a profit from the vessel. King County attempted to be used on the Seattle – Tacoma route, but there was insufficient interest. In 1920, King County replaced West Seattle on the Elliot Bay route with the small Lake Washington steamer Aquilo
. King County then leased West Seattle to the Kitsap County Transportation Company
, which operated the ferry occasionally as a relief vessel on the ferry route to Vashon Island
. Otherwise it kept West Seattle laid up at Houghton
, on Lake Washington
.
Kitsap County Transportation Co. subleased West Seattle to Pierce County
from May to September 1921. Pierce County used the ferry on the Tacoma – Gig Harbor
run, for which it charged 50 cents for automobiles, a fee which has been called “nominal”.
West Seattle was later converted to a barge, and was used to store fish nets. The hull was still in use as an oil storage barge as late as 1951, and possibly 1960.
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West Seattle was a side-wheel driven steam-powered 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 in 1907.
Design and construction
West Seattle was built in 1907 at Tacoma, WashingtonTacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
at the Heath yard for the West Seattle Land and Improvement Company. The vessel was intended to augment the company's ferry service, then being handled by the smaller ferry City of Seattle
City of Seattle (steam ferry)
The City of Seattle was a side-wheel driven steam-powered ferry built in 1888. This vessel was the first ferry to operate on Puget Sound. City of Seattle was also used in the San Francisco Bay area starting in 1913. The ferry was known as YFB54 when owned by the U.S...
across Elliott Bay
Elliott Bay
Elliott Bay is the body of water on which Seattle, Washington, is located. A line drawn from Alki Point in the south to West Point in the north serves to mark the generally accepted division between the bay and the open sound...
from Seattle to West Seattle, where the company was engaged in real estate development.
Career
The West Seattle, which was built at Tacoma and entered regular service on June 27, 1907 on the Seattle – West Seattle route. City of Seattle was then shifted to run to the Luna amusement park then located at Duwamish HeadDuwamish Head
Duwamish Head is the northernmost point in West Seattle, Washington, jutting into Elliott Bay. The Duwamish called it "Low Point" or "Base of the Point" . A large boulder covered with petroglyphs once lay on the beach....
. 1907 was the peak year for ferry transport on the Seattle-West Seattle run, with 103,000 passengers carried in July alone. After that, rising competition from the expanding network of street car lines over time proved too much for the West Seattle ferries, and City of Seattle was taken off the route in 1911. West Seattle was kept on the run, and in June 1913, the money-losing ferry was sold to the Port of Seattle
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 Port of Seattle operated the ferry until September 22, 1919, when the Port donated the ferry to King County
King County, Washington
King County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population in the 2010 census was 1,931,249. King is the most populous county in Washington, and the 14th most populous in the United States....
. King County was unable to make a profit from the vessel. King County attempted to be used on the Seattle – Tacoma route, but there was insufficient interest. In 1920, King County replaced West Seattle on the Elliot Bay route with the small Lake Washington steamer Aquilo
Aquilo (steamboat)
The steamboat Aquilo operated on Lake Washington and Puget Sound in the first part of the 20th Century.-Construction:Aquilo was built by Captain John Anderson as part of his fleet of steamboats on Lake Washington, operating under the name of the Anderson Steamboat Company. “Aquilo” was the Roman...
. King County then leased West Seattle to the Kitsap County Transportation Company
Kitsap County Transportation Company
The Kitsap County Transportation Company was an important steamboat and ferry company that operated on Puget Sound. The company was originally founded in 1898 as the Hansen Transportation Company.-Hansen Transportation:...
, which operated the ferry occasionally as a relief vessel on the ferry route to Vashon Island
Vashon Island
Vashon is a census-designated place in King County, Washington, United States. It covers an island alternately called Vashon Island or Vashon-Maury Island, the largest island in Puget Sound south of Admiralty Inlet. The population was 10,624 at the 2010 census. At , it is about 60 percent larger...
. Otherwise it kept West Seattle laid up at Houghton
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 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...
.
Kitsap County Transportation Co. subleased West Seattle to Pierce County
Pierce County, Washington
right|thumb|[[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]] - Seat of Pierce CountyPierce County is the second most populous county in the U.S. state of Washington. Formed out of Thurston County on December 22, 1852, by the legislature of Oregon Territory...
from May to September 1921. Pierce County used the ferry on the Tacoma – Gig Harbor
Gig Harbor, Washington
Gig Harbor is the name of both a bay on Puget Sound and a city on its shore in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 7,126 at the 2010 census....
run, for which it charged 50 cents for automobiles, a fee which has been called “nominal”.
West Seattle was later converted to a barge, and was used to store fish nets. The hull was still in use as an oil storage barge as late as 1951, and possibly 1960.
External links
- West Seattle ferry terminal, showing West Seattle docked, with yachts moored in background. Apparently used for a postcard. Otto T. Frasch photographer, image #332.
- West Seattle moored at Dockton, Washington, August 14, 1946. The ferry is apparently out of use, but upper works still intact and machinery possibly still installed, as smokestack still in place. Oliver S. Van Olinda photographer, University of Washington digital image #VAN206.
- West Seattle departing West Seattle ferry dock. Photograph shows Smith TowerSmith TowerSmith Tower is a skyscraper in Pioneer Square in Seattle, Washington. Completed in 1914, the 38 storey, tower is the oldest skyscraper in the city and was the tallest office building west of the Mississippi River until the Kansas City Power & Light Building was built in 1931...
, apparently completed, which allows dating of image to some time between 1914 and 1920. Calvin F. Todd photographer, University of Washington digital image CFT0110. - West Seattle at the Seattle ferry terminal, circa 1908. This stereograph shows two people in a rowboat or canoe close to the vessel. The ferry appears to have very few passengers on board. Duwamish HeadDuwamish HeadDuwamish Head is the northernmost point in West Seattle, Washington, jutting into Elliott Bay. The Duwamish called it "Low Point" or "Base of the Point" . A large boulder covered with petroglyphs once lay on the beach....
and West Seattle can be seen in background. Unknown photographer, University of Washington digital image, Museum of History & Industry Photograph Collection, image 1974.5868.437
See also
- City of Seattle (steam ferry)City of Seattle (steam ferry)The City of Seattle was a side-wheel driven steam-powered ferry built in 1888. This vessel was the first ferry to operate on Puget Sound. City of Seattle was also used in the San Francisco Bay area starting in 1913. The ferry was known as YFB54 when owned by the U.S...
- Ferries in Washington StateFerries in Washington StateWashington is home to a number of public and private ferry systems, most notably the state-run Washington State Ferries.-History:Due to Washington's unique topography, featuring large, deep bodies of water with many peninsulas and islands, ferries are a natural means of connecting communities in...