A New Stern-wheeler for the Sound
A local shipbuilder launches the 'Katie Vanzandt' in North Seattle, highlighting the region's rapid growth in maritime commerce.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
A very pretty stern-wheel steamer was launched from T. W. Lake’s yard in North Seattle last Tuesday and christened the Katie Vanzandt, in honor of Dr. Vanzandt’s little daughter. This steamer is 110 feet long, 18 feet beam, and 4 feet depth of hold. She was built by T. W. Lake for Capt. J. C. Brittain, but the Whatcom Company has about perfected arrangements for her purchase. If the purchase is completed, she will ply between Seattle and Whatcom. Her cylinders are 10 inches bore, and 4 feet stroke. She is quite a trim little craft, and one that the Whatcom people may well be proud of.
“She is quite a trim little craft, and one that the Whatcom people may well be proud of.”
The boat-building industry was the heartbeat of 1880s Seattle, essential for connecting the isolated settlements of the Puget Sound. While the yard locations (like North Seattle) have long been replaced by modern urban infrastructure, the reliance on maritime connectivity remains a constant in regional history.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.