Boats at Northern Pacific dock, Tacoma, Washington Territory, circa 1885. The owners of the warehouse in the center of photograph were not identified. The large building to the far left is the Blackwell Hotel, considered New Tacoma's first hotel. Built by the Northern Pacific Railroad, it opened on January 1, 1874 and closed in 1884. It was razed during the summer of 1901. KING-002, TPL-1095

A group of Puyallup Indians with their longboats (canoes) on the Puget Sound around 1886. Behind them can be seen the Northern Pacific Railroad bridge. The Puyallups were primarily fishermen, hunters and gatherers. The local salmon provided their primary food source, but was also a symbol of reverence to the tribe. In the Medicine Creek Treaty of 1854, they ceded many of their territories but retained their fishing rights. Their village at this time was believed to be at the foot of North 15th. KING-014, TPL 2895.

In this circa 1886 photograph, a Native American family lounges in their long boat near the shore. In the background can be seen the Northern Pacific Railroad bridge. The canoe is loaded with supplies, probably returning or setting off for the family's hunting ground. The Puyallup tribe members were primarily hunters, gatherers and fishermen. During this time period, their village was believed to be located at the foot of North 15th. KING-015, TPL 2894.

ca. 1886. Several long boats (Indian canoes) rest on the beach at about Fifth and Pacific in Tacoma in this photograph from the mid 1880s. Long boats could transport a whole family with supplies for a season of fishing. This group of boats is probably preparing to head upstream on the Puyallup River where members of the Puyallup tribe worked in the hop fields of the Puyallup Valley. The Puyallups are part of the Puget Sound Salish original peoples. They were hunters, gatherers and fishermen, although they inhabited permanent houses along the riverbanks and along the Sound. Salmon was their main food and figured strongly in their culture. Under the Treaty of Medicine Creek, the tribe ceded much of their territories but retained fishing rights. Rutter Collection TPL-564

Longboats--Tacoma--1890-1900; Indians of North America--Tacoma--1890-1900;

ca. 1890. This portrait, taken around 1890, is of the Foss boathouse, the first boathouse in Tacoma. The 16 x 30 structure was built by Andrew Foss to house his growing family. His industrious wife, Thea, began the family business here. The Foss family had arrived from Norway in 1889. While Andrew took what work he could find, Thea used the family fortune, $5, to buy a used rowboat and Foss Tug and Launch Co. was begun. At this time in 1890, the boathouse was located on the City Waterway (where Consumers Central Heating Co. and the City's Steam Plant would build in the 1920s.) The photograph was taken about three months before the birth of Henry Foss. Standing at the top of the landing are Andrew and Thea Foss and their daughter Lillian D. Foss. John Edmond is in the first boat on the water. In the second boat are Wedell Foss and Arthur Foss, only small children but already helping their parents out. The remaining folks are customers who rented the boats for five to ten cents a day. There was no Eleventh Street bridge at this time and in the back of the boathouse on the hill can be seen the old city jail at 12th and A St. (TNT 3/25/1922, pg. 14) G14.1-001; TPL-960

Foss Launch & Tug Co. (Tacoma); Foss, Andrew; Foss, Thea; Foss, Andrew--Family; Rowboats; Boathouses--Tacoma--1890-1900;

ca. 1894. The whaleback steamer "City of Everett" under construction in Everett, Washington, circa 1894. Her revolutionary design, reminiscent of both a cigar with tipped ends and the body of a whale (when fully loaded only the curved part of the hull was above water), was created by Alexander McDougall, a captain on the Great Lakes. He managed to bring forth a vessel that could carry heavy loads but also be fast, cutting through water with little resistance. His body of work totaled 40, 24 barges and 16 steamers, all whalebacks. The "City of Everett," which was launched in 1894 but not completed until 1895, was the only whaleback steamer built in Everett. She measured 346 feet long with a 42-foot beam. Truly a workhorse, she was in service for 29 years, including such memorable trips as sailing to India for famine relief, at which time she became the first American steamer to navigate the Suez Canal and continuing on to Spain, becoming the first American steamship to circumnavigate the world. The "City of Everett" had survived collisions at sea and a fire in port but on October 11, 1923, she went down with all hands during a storm in the Gulf of Mexico. The wreck was not found until September 10, 2010, in 400 feet of water about 150 miles due west of Naples, Florida. The whaleback steamship was nearly intact and appeared to have sunk stern first. (St. Petersburg Times, "Fishermen find big one that didn't get away: a steamship resting miles off Naples," 12-12-2010; Armitage, "Alexander McDougall and the Whaleboat," 6-8-2008)

Steamboats--Everett; Boat & ship industry--Everett;

ca. 1905. The steamer Fairhaven is in drydock for repairs at Quartermaster Harbor, Vashon Island, circa 1905. Built in Tacoma in 1889 and launched from the yards of Cpt. John Holland, the stern-wheeler was 130 feet long with 26-foot beam. She was built at a cost of $30,000 for the Fairhaven Land Co., of which Nelson Bennett was president. The wooden stern-wheel steamer was used by more than one company including the La Conner Trading & Transportation Co. and the Island Transportation Co. She had suffered several accidents during her long tenure on local waters including sinking in ten feet of water after striking a rock near Utsalady in 1902 and smashing her bow while caught by strong gales at Coupeville in 1907. Here the Fairhaven is undergoing repairs circa 1905 at Quartermaster Harbor, a nearly five-mile-long inlet which is formed by Vashon Island on the west and Maury Island on the east. The drydock was one of the largest in the Puget Sound. It could lift several large ships at a time and was in place until 1909. The Fairhaven was beached in 1918 after a fire and ended her days as a quasi-houseboat. (Carlaw, 'The Pickrell Brothers recall the Fairhaven,' The Sea Chest, XV1 (Dec. 1982-article)

Stern wheelers; Steamboats; Boat & ship industry; Quartermaster Harbor (Wash);

ca. 1915. This 43-foot tug with 14-foot beam, the Foss #12, was constructed by Gig Harbor designer/builder Robert Crawford and entered service in 1914. She was the first Foss vessel planned and ordered exclusively for towing. #12 handled so well that she was also used as a steamer assist vessel and became the area's first motorized fireboat. With a 75 horsepower gas engine, she was capable of pumping 1,000 gallons of water per minute. #12 was hired as the City of Tacoma's fireboat in 1915, a service for which Foss was paid nearly $3,000 a year. The vessel was a favored one and was skippered by Henry and Drew Foss and later by Capt."Bill" Case. She faithfully served the company as a steady workhorse until 1966. Then on July 4, 1967, the hull was towed out into the Bay and set afire as part of the celebration of the Nation's 191st year of Independence. Foss #12 literally went out in a blaze of glory. (photograph courtesy of the William T. Case collection) (Johnson & Skalley: "Foss: A Living Legend;" Skalley: "Foss: Ninety Years of Towboating" )

Case, William T.--Associated objects; Fireboats; Foss Launch & Tug Co. (Tacoma);

ca. 1920. Foss launch identified by William L. Case as the "Tyee." The Foss family rowboat rental business, started by Thea Foss in 1889, was thriving at the turn of the century. With an eye for opportunity, Thea branched out into the business of supplying anchored and arriving ships in Tacoma with provisions. With the purchase of the family's first launch, sons Arthur and Wendell Foss were able not only to bring supplies, but also to ferry ship's personnel to land. By 1912, the company owned seven launches, the "Tyee" being one of the smallest. (photograph courtesy of the William T. Case collection) ("Foss: A Living Legend" by Bruce Johnson and Mike Skalley)

Launches--Tacoma; Foss Launch & Tug Co. (Tacoma);

Solta The small fishing boat, the "Solta," cruises through the serene waters of Puget Sound in June of 1921. The unidentified man pictured above may be her skipper. The "Solta" was built by Visko Lisicich and was the first of three boats built by him. The others were the "Planet" and the "Helen L." The "Solta" was named after the island of Solta where Mr. Lisicich was born and raised. She was believed to have been built in Dockton on Vashon Island. In addition, the "Helen L." was named after Mr. Lisicich's daughter, Helen Lisicich Kokich. TPL-452; G34.1-083 (Additional information provided by a family member)

Fishing boats;

Several rowboats from the Antlers Lodge are moored on placid Lake Cushman in June of 1921. This is the original Lake Cushman prior to its expansion in 1925. The Antlers Lodge was a hunting lodge located on the shores of Lake Cushman which had catered to wealthy patrons. They had flocked to relax at the pristine lake which was fed by the icy waters of the Skokomish River. Fishing tackle and rowboats were supplied by the Antlers Lodge so that visitors could try their luck at the trout-filled lake. By 1921 the lodge had seen its heyday pass and in 1925 it would be deliberately set ablaze as part of the planned clearing of Cushman Basin. (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 6-19-21, C-1-article on Lake Cushman)

Rowboats; Lake Cushman (Wash.);

ca. 1921. The steamship "Indianapolis," one of two ships used in the Seattle to Tacoma steamship passenger service, docked at the Municipal Dock. The dock was located on the City Waterway (now the Thea Foss Waterway.) The ships would dock with their bows headed up the channel. The services of a tug would be required to turn the bow of the ships around to head back to Seattle. The Foss #12 and its captain William T. Case were assigned this duty. The "Indianapolis" was launched on May 5, 1904 as a Great Lakes steamship. Her inability to serve the large holiday crowds prompted her sale to the Puget Sound Navigation Co. in October of 1905. The vessel travelled around the Cape and began her new run in April of 1906. She served as a passenger transport from 1906-1938. She was converted in 1933 to a car ferry and scrapped in 1939. (photograph courtesy of the William T. Case collection) ("Ferryboats" by M.S. Kline and G.A. Bayless; "Puget Sound Ferries" Carolyn Neal & Thomas Kilday Janus)

Steamboats--Tacoma--1920-1930; Puget Sound Navigation Co. (Tacoma); Ferries--Tacoma--1920-1930; Marine terminals--Tacoma;

ca. 1921. This photograph taken in the early 1920's shows the arrival and tugboat assisted turn around of the steamship "Indianapolis" at the Tacoma terminal, the Municipal Dock, of the Seattle to Tacoma steamship passenger service. The Municipal Dock was on the City Waterway (now the Thea Foss Waterway) north of the Eleventh Street Bridge. The ships would arrive and dock with their bows headed up the channel. Due to the narrowness of the channel, the length of the ships and the proximity of the bridge, a tugboat was required to assist them in turning about for their return voyage to Seattle. The Foss #12, captained by William T. Case, would connect a line to the bow and turn the ships about twice a day. The steamships could then assume cruising speed and head for Seattle. (photograph courtesy of the collection of William T. Case)

Case, William T.--Associated objects; Foss Launch & Tug Co. (Tacoma); Tugboats; Steamboats--Tacoma--1920-1930; Puget Sound Navigation Co. (Tacoma); Ferries--Tacoma--1920-1930; Marine terminals--Tacoma;

ca. 1921. The "Tacoma," one of two steamboats used on the Seattle to Tacoma passenger service operated by the Puget Sound Navigation Co. The "Tacoma" can be identified by its two funnels. The Eleventh Street Bridge can be seen in the background. Due to the narrowness of the channel, the Foss #12 tug had to assist in turning the bow of the steamship about for its return trip to Seattle. Here, a line has been attached from the Foss #12 to the bow of the ship to turn it about. The "Tacoma" was launched on May 13, 1913 and it provided Puget Sound passenger service from 1913-1938. The vessel was manufactured at Robert Moran's Seattle Dry Dock & Construction Co. It could accomodate 1,000 passengers, who could travel in style from Seattle to Tacoma in 77 minutes. The passenger only line was defeated by the advent of automobiles and a combination of demand for car ferries and the opening for the Seattle Tacoma Highway in 1928. (photograph courtesy of the William T. Case collection) ("Puget Sound Ferries" by Carolyn Neal and Thomas Kilday Janus; "Ferryboats" by M.S. Kline and G.A. Bayless)

Steamboats--Tacoma--1920-1930; Puget Sound Navigation Co. (Tacoma); Ferries--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Venus in dry dock. This boat, dubbed "Venus," was owned by Dr. S.L. Blair and built by Skansie Bros. of Gig Harbor. She was one of the newer boats owned by members of the Tacoma Yacht Club. Measuring 53-feet by 11-feet, she was powered by a 36 h.p. Enterprise engine with cruising speed of 8 mph. All controls were in the pilothouse. "Venus" contained the owner's state room, quarters for several guests including a galley and dining salon. Three other boats are afloat in the background including the "Prosperity" and the "Mary Ellen." G37.1-122 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 2-19-22, G-2-article on the "Venus" and alternate picture)

Yachts--Tacoma;

The ferry "City of Tacoma," which operated between Point Defiance and Gig Harbor, underwent a major remodel in January of 1924. The ferry was taken to Western Boat Building at 2505 East 11th to have 34 feet added to her length and her carrying capacity increased to 50 automobiles. She was opened up midship and the added length was inserted just aft of her engine room. The reconstruction job was estimated at $15,000 and the ferry out of service for 30 days. Photograph ordered by Western Boat Building. (TDL 1-16-24, p. 4, TNT 1-24-24, p. 24) G66.1-115

Boats--Tacoma; Ferries--Tacoma--1920-1930; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Foss Launch crew involved in the raising of the sunken 80-ton steamer, "Rubaiyat," which had foundered on September 29, 1923. The 65-foot vessel had left Municipal Dock at 6 p.m. on her way to Seattle. She was heavily loaded with hundreds of cases of canned goods and capsized in Commencement Bay. Four persons died including one woman. The "Rubaiyat" sank within 30 seconds of capsizing and lay in 35 fathoms of water. Foss Launch immediately came to the rescue, putting five boats in the water, and reached the area at the same time as the lifeboat launched by the steamer "Fulton." Previous attempts in 1923 to raise the "Rubaiyat" had failed and the vessel was thought unsalvagable. The men pictured above on March 12, 1924, were successful in raising the ship from Commencement Bay's bottom: (L-R) Walter McCray, diver; H.F. (Fred) Berg of Foss Launch & Tug; Otto Kraus; William McDaniels; George Westerman, engineer; and O.F. Currey. McCray and Berg had obtained title to the hull since the sinking. G50.1-138 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 9-30-23, p. 1-article); TDL 3-13-24, p. 10)

Foss Launch & Tug Co. (Tacoma)--employees; Foss Launch & Tug Co. (Tacoma); Tugboats--Tacoma--1920-1930; McCray, Walter; Berg, H.F.; Kraus, Otto; McDaniels, William; Westerman, George; Currey, O.F.;

Powerful winch used by Foss Launch & Tug Co. to raise the sunken steamer, "Rubaiyat," in March of 1924. The ship had sunk the previous year as she headed for Seattle. Four people aboard the vessel drowned. The tug, "Andrew Foss," is in the background. The winch, from the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway, had a six-foot in diameter drum with a two-inch steel cable. The winch enabled the hull, not seen since the September 30th sinking, to be visible . Four tugs towed the "Rubaiyat" toward the shore on March 12, 1924, and allowed her to rest just south of the Sperry Dock in about 60 feet of water. G50.1-147 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 9-30-23, p. 1-article on capsizing; TDL 3-13-24, p. 10)

Foss Launch & Tug Co. (Tacoma); Tugboats--Tacoma--1920-1930; Hoisting machinery;

The tug, "Andrew Foss," flagship of the Foss Launch & Tug Company fleet, was undergoing painting and general repair for the summer season on April 27, 1924, along with the 57-foot purse seiner "Mercury of Tacoma." Both ships were on the ways at Western Boat Building. Henry Foss, son of Andrew and Thea Foss, is believed to be standing on the left below the tug's stern along with an unidentified man. Photograph ordered by Foss Launch & Tug Co. TPL-3681; G50.1-149 (TNT 4-26-24, p. 11-article only)

Tugboats--Tacoma--1920-1930; Foss Launch & Tug Co. (Tacoma); Fishing boats--Tacoma--1920-1930;

The passenger vessel "Chickawana" is dockside while passengers wait to depart on May 24, 1924. She was used to transport people from Dash Point to Tacoma and back again while mustering a speed of 10.5 mph. 75 passengers could fit on board and enjoy the fresh air and marine views. The passengers on this date consisted of the nine salesmen of the Younglove Grocery Co. (standing in left foreground on float) and store and factory employees of the firm. The salesmen were being honored with a cruise to Delano Beach where a chicken picnic lunch, games, buffet dinner and dancing in the lodge took place. The wholesale store and factory were closed all day so that all employees could attend this special event. The "Chickawana" traveled home in moonlight to cap a fun-filled day. G50.1-070 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 5-25-24, 8-E)

Passengers; Boats; Younglove Grocery Co. (Tacoma)--Employees;

Standard Oil Co. service barge. The service station barge was in handy proximity to the Tacoma Yacht Club on this July day in 1924. Sailboat is close by. G49.1-013

Barges--Tacoma; Standard Oil Co. of California (Tacoma); Sailboats--Tacoma;

Rowboat on display. This is believed to be a product of the Babare Mfg. Co., 3517 E. 11th St., as viewed on July 11, 1924. The Babare Bros. had moved their shipbuilding facilities to a site on along the Hylebos Waterway about 1920. G37.1-114

Rowboats--Tacoma; Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Engine room of the Steilacoom ferry as pictured on July 21, 1924. The 110-feet long ferry, dubbed "City of Steilacoom," was completed at the Skansie yards in Gig Harbor. She was designed to replace a ferry operating between Long Branch and Steilacoom and took her maiden voyage on April 13, 1924. The ferry was propelled by a Fairbanks-Morse semi-diesel type engine putting out 200 horsepower. Her engine room had auxiliary pumps, lighting plant and hot water heating plant. G66.1-094 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 4-13-24, A-11-article)

Boat engines; Ferries;

Photographer Marvin Boland's notes indicate that this is the "waiting room" for the Steilacoom ferry as pictured on July 21, 1924. Long wooden benches are positioned below windows and there appears to be a drinking fountain against one wall. Staircase leads below. G66.1-093

Ferries; Waiting rooms; Benches;

Aboard the "City of Steilacoom" ferry. This is believed to be the car holding area of the new ferry as pictured above on July 21, 1924. She had a 30-car capacity. The "City of Steilacoom" was designed to replace the present ferry operating between Long Branch and Steilacoom. She was 110-feet long with a 34-foot beam and could travel at 14 mph. G66.1-095 (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 4-13-24, A-11-article)

Ferries;

Fishing boat "Shenandoah." The fishing boat, "Shenandoah," was tied up at a dock in Gig Harbor in April of 1925. She was believed to be a product of the Skansie Yards. TPL-695; G72.1-124

Fishing boats--Gig Harbor--1920-1930; Boat & ship industry--Gig Harbor;

The ferry, "Gig Harbor," and other vessels moored at the finishing docks of Western Boat Building on the Wapato Waterway next to the Western Lumber Mfg. Co., on April 16, 1925. Western Lumber and Western Boat Building shared the same address of 2505 E. 11th St. The "Gig Harbor" was launched from Western Boat facilities on Friday evening, April 10th. It is a 30-car craft, the same size as the original "City of Tacoma" now operating. Like the "City of Tacoma," the "Gig Harbor" can be lengthened to a 50-car craft if necessary. Photograph ordered by Western Boat Building. G66.1-098 (TDL 4-10-25, p. 7-article on launching; TNT 4-21-25, p. 1)

Ferries--Tacoma--1920-1930; Western Lumber Manufacturing Co. (Tacoma); Western Boat Building Co. (Tacoma); Boat & ship industry--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Members of Tacoma's Drama League spend a lazy August day in 1925, paddling an Indian dug-out at the Olympus Manor on Hood Canal. A float plane rests on the water behind them. The Olympus Manor was begun in 1918 by local art instructor, world traveler and friend of the famous Orre N. Nobles. It was located on Hood Canal two miles northeast of Union. By the 1920's, the 16 room retreat was frequented by the local summer art colony and scores of the famous. It was decorated with Nobles' invaluable collection of Tibetan and Oriental art, furniture and artifacts. The two story retreat was destroyed by fire in 1952. No one was hurt, but the building and its priceless collection was destroyed and never rebuilt. (Shelton-Mason County Journal 7/31/1952; 8/7/1952) (photograph from the Erna Tilley Collection)

Olympus Manor (Hood Canal); Tacoma Drama League (Tacoma); Canoes; Nobles, Orre--Homes & haunts;

The launch Elsie C ll , under the command of Captain Herman C. Clausen, ran aground in heavy morning fog at Point Defiance on Thursday, September 3, 1925. Captain Clausen had missed the ferry slip and then narrowly missed striking big rocks as he brought the Point Defiance-Sunrise Beach ferry ashore between the slip and the park pavilion. The ferry was stuck fast and could not be floated until high tide that evening. The 15 passengers sailing from Sunrise Beach to Tacoma were able to exit the vessel onto the beach via a gangplank; no injuries were reported.

Ferries--Tacoma--1920-1930; Marine accidents--Tacoma; Point Defiance Park (Tacoma);

The steamboat "Tacoma" was severely damaged when she was rammed by the car ferry "Kitsap" in late October of 1926. The resulting impact tore a hole in the side of the "Tacoma" at the water line. Although the accident occurred when the ships were maneuvering through thick fog, it greatly increased the discord between the Puget Sound Navigation Company, which operated the "Tacoma," and the Kitsap County Transport Company (also known as the White Collar Line because of the wide white metal band, or collar, around the smoke stacks of the company's ships). The two companies had been in a bitter rate war for years. (Photograph courtesy of the William T. Case collection) ("Puget Sound Ferries" by Carolyn Neal & Thomas Kilday Janus)

Steamboats--Tacoma--1920-1930; Puget Sound Navigation Co. (Tacoma); Steamboat accidents; Marine accidents--Tacoma--1920-1930; Ferries--Tacoma--1920-1930;