The Troubled History of the Steamer Wasco
After years of failure on the Columbia River, a scrappy steamer finds a new life—and a new look—in Ballard.
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.
Capt. Ellis, who recently purchased the steamer Wasco, plans to spend $5,000 putting the boat into first-class shape for passenger service on the Puget Sound. The vessel is currently on Lake's ways in Ballard, where she is undergoing a complete overhaul, including a new keel, renewed timber, and upgraded cabins. Built in Hood River in 1887 by a syndicate of farmers, the Wasco had a disastrous career. She was originally intended for a stern-wheeler but was poorly modified, lacked beam, and was never profitable. After a series of failed ventures, deaths of her owners, and a long auction battle, she has finally made her way to the Sound to serve the route between Seattle, Port Orchard, and Port Washington.
“The boat was never successful and seldom made a trip on time.”
The boatyard in Ballard mentioned in this story represents the birth of a long-standing maritime culture in that neighborhood. While the Wasco was an 1880s relic, its story of multiple failed owners and constant 'upgrading' highlights the long-term, high-stakes nature of commercial transit investments in the region.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.