Concordia (steamboat)

''Concordia'' was a steamboat that ran on Puget Sound from 1930 to 1976. Although later converted to diesel power, ''Concordia'' was the last inland commercial steamboat ever built on either Puget Sound or the Columbia river.

Career

''Concordia'' was built in 1930 at Tacoma, Washington.Newell, ''Ships of the Inland Sea''.

''Concordia'', popularly called the ''Conkie'', was the last steamboat built on either Puget Sound or the Columbia, and was one of only four steamboats constructed on Puget Sound after 1920. (None were built on the Columbia River). The others built on Puget Sound were ''Virginia V'', ''Sightseer'' (ex-''Vashona''), and ''Arcadia''.Newell, ed., ''McCurdy Marine History'', at page 304 and 509.Kline, Mary S., ''Steamboat Virginia V'', at 34.

''Concordia'' was built by the Vashon Navigation Company to replace the larger ''Vashona''. The volume of business on the company's major route, from Tacoma to Quartermaster Harbor, had fallen off, and would not support the larger vessel. Originally Concordia was to be , but John Manson, the company president, discovered that if the vessel were less than 65, the maritime regulations would permit the vessel to be operated with one less crewman. Four feet of hull were then omitted from the final design on the stern end, which gave the completed vessel a truncated or lopped-off appearance.Findlay and Paterson, ''Mosquito Fleet of South Puget Sound'', at page 94. '' Vashona'' was then sold to the Anderson Steamboat Company.

Operations

''Concordia'' was placed on the Tacoma-Quartermaster Harbor route. One of ''Concordias commanders on the Tacoma-Quartermaster Harbor run was the well-known and popular Thomas W. "Billy" Phillips (1877-1949).Carey, ''The Sound of Steamers'', at page 87.

On August 2, 1936, the ''Tacoma Times. This was part of a regular practice of the Tacoma Times of sponsoring events for their carriers.Tacoma Public Library digital collections, Image series Series: T112-1 notes, citing ''Tacoma Times'', 8/3/1936 p.14.
(accessed 06-05-11).

In 1937 the vessel was refitted with a 90-horsepower diesel engine. In 1942, ''Concordia'' passed into the hands of Joe Boies and Irving Frank, doing business as Harbor Island Ferries. They then placed ''Concordia'' in service transporting shipyard workers across Elliott Bay from downtown Seattle.

In 1958 ''Concordia'' was operated by Horluck Transportation Company as part of their commuter and tourist fleet operating out of Bremerton and Port Orchard, Washington.Newell and Williamson, ''Pacific Steamboats'', at 192.

Deposition

In 1976, the ''Concordia'' was acquired by Andre Nowaczyk and brought to Lake Union from Poulsbo. Nowaczyk and his wife Beverly restored and maintained the ''Concordia'' and moored on Lake Union at the foot of Stone Way Ave N until 2020. In October of 2020 "Concordia" was renovated by South Puget Sound natives Al Pollan and Bart Brynestad and moored in front of Anthony's Seafood in Gig Harbor, Washington, nearby its original route between Tacoma and South Vashon.

Notes

References

* Carey, Roland, ''The Sound of Steamers'', Alderbrook Publishing, Seattle, WA 1965 (no ISBN number)
* Findlay, Jean Cammon, and Paterson, Robin, ''Mosquito Fleet of South Puget Sound'', Arcadia Publishing (2008)
* Kline, Mary S., ''Steamboat Virginia V'', Documentary Book Publishers, 1985, Bellevue, WA
* Newell, Gordon R., ed., ''H.W. McCurdy Marine History of the Pacific Northwest'', Superior Publishing Co., Seattle, WA (1966)
* Newell, Gordon R., and Williamson, Joe ''Pacific Steamboats'', Superior Publishing (1958).

Tacoma Public Library digital collections, Image series Series: T112-1 notes, citing ''Tacoma Times'', 8/3/1936 p.14.
(accessed 06-05-11)

{{Mosquito Fleet

1930 ships
Steamboats of Washington (state)
Propeller-driven steamboats of Washington (state)
History of Pierce County, Washington
Vashon, Washington