The ''Colonel Wright'' was the first steamboat to operate on the Columbia River above

The Dalles The Dalles is the largest city of Wasco County, Oregon, United States. The population was 16,010 at the 2020 census, and it is the largest city on the Oregon side of the Columbia River between the Portland Metropolitan Area, and Hermist ...

in the parts of the

Oregon Country Oregon Country was a large region of the Pacific Northwest of North America that was subject to a long dispute between the United Kingdom and the United States in the early 19th century. The area, which had been created by the Treaty of 1818, c ...

that later became the U.S. states of

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idah ...

, Washington and

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and W ...

. She was the first steamboat to run on the

Snake River The Snake River is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest region in the United States. At long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, in turn, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean. The Snak ...

.Mills, Randall V., ''Sternwheelers up Columbia -- A Century of Steamboating in the Oregon Country'', at 80-81, 84-86, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE (1977 reprint of 1947 ed.) She was named after Colonel (later General) George Wright, an army commander in the

Indian Wars The American Indian Wars, also known as the American Frontier Wars, and the Indian Wars, were fought by European governments and colonists in North America, and later by the United States and Canadian governments and American and Canadian settle ...

in the Oregon Country in the 1850s. She was generally called the ''Wright'' during her operating career.

Construction and operations

The ''Colonel Wright'' was launched October 24, 1858 at the mouth of the

Deschutes River Deschutes River may refer to: * Deschutes River (Oregon) **Little Deschutes River (Oregon) The Little Deschutes River is a tributary of the Deschutes River (Oregon), Deschutes River in the central part of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is about lon ...

and began to run in early in 1859. The ''Colonel Wright'' was long, beam, and had depth of hold.Wright, E.W., ed., ''The Lewis and Dryden Marine History of the Pacific Northwest'', at 80-81, Lewis & Dryden Publishing Co., Portland, OR 1895
(accessed 2008-03-26) The launching of the ''Colonel Wright'' was an important step in the settlement of the

Inland Empire The Inland Empire (IE) is a metropolitan area and region inland of and adjacent to coastal Southern California, centering around the cities of San Bernardino and Riverside, and bordering Los Angeles County to the west. It includes the cities ...

, Idaho and eastern Oregon, and in consequence, she made a fortune for her owners before others could interfere with the trade. Her profit potential was greatly enhanced by the discovery of gold in Idaho in the spring of 1859.Timmen, Fritz, ''Blow for the Landing -- A Hundred Years of Steam Navigation On the Waters of the West'', Caxton Printers, Caldwell, ID 1973 She was built by R. R. Thompson and E. F. Coe, who had Government transport contracts on the middle and upper Columbia River. They had been carrying freight for

Fort Walla Walla Fort Walla Walla is a United States Army fort located in Walla Walla, Washington. The first Fort Walla Walla was established July 1856, by Lieutenant Colonel Edward Steptoe, 9th Infantry Regiment. A second Fort Walla Walla was occupied Septemb ...

from

Celilo Falls Celilo Falls (Wyam, meaning "echo of falling water" or "sound of water upon the rocks," in several native languages) was a tribal fishing area on the Columbia River, just east of the Cascade Mountains, on what is today the border between the U.S ...

bateau A bateau or batteau is a shallow- draft, flat-bottomed boat which was used extensively across North America, especially in the colonial period and in the fur trade. It was traditionally pointed at both ends but came in a wide variety of sizes. ...

x at a rate of $100 per ton. Colonel Jordan, the chief quartermaster, encouraged them to construct the steamer. When she was completed they reduced the rates to $80 and made three round trips a week throughout the summer, taking full loads both ways and quickly growing rich. The ''Colonel Wright'' made her first trip in April 1859. The ''Colonel Wright'' was first commanded by Capt. Leonard White, with Capt. Ephraim W. Baughman (1835–1923), pilot. Captain White was a veteran of navigation on the upper

Willamette River The Willamette River ( ) is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States. Flowing northward ...

, and later became known as one of the most intrepid of all steamboat captains. When he was first assigned to the ''Wright'', Captain White hung a square sail on the steamboat as a precaution in case of mechanical failure. When he took the ''Wright'' on her first trip up the Snake River, and when she hit a snag near the mouth of the Palouse River, she almost sank before Captain White could beach her. Bailed out and repaired, the ''Colonel Wright'' was able to continue her journey. White received a salary of $500 per month, a huge amount of money for the time, and retained the position for several years.

Top step on the giant staircase

Transportation up the Columbia River was like traversing a giant staircase, and the ''Colonel Wright'' was the first boat to run on the top step. This of course was the key to her money-making ability. The Columbia was never freely navigable in its natural state. There were many barriers of shallow water and rapids, the most important of which for navigation purposes were the

Cascades of the Columbia The Cascades Rapids (sometimes called Cascade Falls or Cascades of the Columbia) were an area of rapids along North America's Columbia River, between the U.S. states of Washington and Oregon. Through a stretch approximately wide, the river ...

in the

Columbia Gorge The Columbia River Gorge is a canyon of the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Up to deep, the canyon stretches for over as the river winds westward through the Cascade Range, forming the boundary between the stat ...

, followed by a navigable run to the east known as the "middle Columbia" which terminated at

. A long portage there began around a series of rapids, generally known by the name of the most important one, which was

. The portage route ended at

Celilo, Oregon Celilo Village, Oregon is an unincorporated Native American community on the Columbia River in northeastern Wasco County in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is near Lake Celilo, the former site of Celilo Falls; it is just south of the communi ...

where the "upper Columbia" began. Steamboats could run from Celilo to

Wallula Wallula () is a census-designated place (CDP) in Walla Walla County, Washington, United States. The population was 179 at the 2010 census. History The Lewis and Clark Expedition reached this area April 27, 1806, on their return journey from the P ...

where a stage line, and later a railroad ran to Walla Walla, then the principal settlement in the Inland Empire. It was this, the upper step of the river, on which the ''Colonel Wright'' enjoyed a monopoly for a short time as the sole steamboat on the river. Downriver transport could be quite fast for the day. A traveler bound from Walla Walla would take the stage to Wallula, board the ''Colonel Wright'' or another steamer, then head downriver to Celilo. After a bumpy ride over the portage, the traveler would arrive at

where an overnight stay would be necessary at one of the hotels. The next morning the traveler would board a steamboat on the middle river, perhaps the ''Oneonta'', for a morning run down to the Upper Cascades. There again the traveler disembarked, usually on the favored north side, and rode on the portage railway to the landing at the Lower Cascades. There, a steamer, possibly the ''Wilson G. Hunt'', then ran downriver to

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

, which the traveler reached some thirty hours after leaving Walla Walla, a feat which was considered remarkable at that time. The genius of the Oregon Steam Navigation Company was to control all the boats on all the steps of the staircase, and the

portage Portage or portaging (Canada: ; ) is the practice of carrying water craft or cargo over land, either around an obstacle in a river, or between two bodies of water. A path where items are regularly carried between bodies of water is also called a ...

s too, thus achieving a monopoly on transport in the days before there were roads or railways capable of mounting any competition. The ''Wright'' was simply superb at making money, earning as much as $2,500 a trip in passenger fares alone.

Inland exploration

In May 1859, ''Colonel Wright'' made a scouting trip fifty miles up the

, which joins the Columbia not far to the north of Wallula. ''Colonel Wright'' was the first steamboat to reach

Lewiston, Idaho Lewiston is a city and the county seat of Nez Perce County, Idaho, United States, in the state's north central region. It is the second-largest city in the northern Idaho region, behind Coeur d'Alene, and ninth-largest in the state. Lewiston i ...

, 140 miles upriver from Wallula. In 1861 she ascended the Clearwater River to within two miles of the forks, accomplishing the downstream run of over 300 miles to Wallula in less than 24 hours. Thompson and Coe made so much money with the ''Wright'' that in the spring of 1860 they built a larger and more powerful steamer, the ''Tenino'' on the same route, afterward pooling both steamers with the Oregon Steam Navigation Company.

Dance hall transport

In the spring of 1862, the ''Colonel Wright'' was engaged in the transport of a somewhat unusual kind, and had reached the wharf at Fort Walla Walla, near Wallula and the mouth of the

Walla Walla River The Walla Walla River is a tributary of the Columbia River, joining the Columbia just above Wallula Gap in southeastern Washington in the United States. The river flows through Umatilla County, Oregon, and Walla Walla County, Washington. Its drai ...

, on a trip to Lewiston, where she waited for a few days for the ice to clear upriver. In the words of Fritz Timmen, she was

Captain White relieved of command

About 1863, after ''Wright'' came under control of the Oregon Steam Navigation Company, the firm's president, Capt. John C. Ainsworth, concluded that Captain White's remuneration was excessive for a steamboat master. Captain White did not agree, refused to take a pay cut, and hence was succeeded by Capt. Thomas Stump, from the Sacramento River, at a salary of $300 per month. Coe, Felton, and J. H. D. Gray also had charge of the steamer at different times.

Captain Stump takes the ''Wright'' far up the Snake River

''Wright'' made her last trip in the spring of 1865, in command of Capt. Thomas Stump, with Capt. William Gray as pilot, who attempted to take her above the Snake River rapids to

Farewell Bend Farewell or fare well is a parting phrase. The terms may also refer to: Places * Farewell, Missouri, a community in the United States * Farewell and Chorley, a location in the United Kingdom near Lichfield, site of the former Farewell Priory Fil ...

. She was eight days in making a distance of about 100 miles, then headed down stream and returned to Lewiston in less than five hours. Captain Stump reported his explorations as having been of no practical value; but he had taken a steamer farther into the heart of the regions lying to the east than any craft had ever gone before.

Dismantled in 1865

In August 1865, the ''Colonel Wrights hull, worn out from the upriver trips, was dismantled.

Notes

External links

Swantes, Carlos A., ''Upriver by Steamer to Idaho --Reflections on the Evolution of a Water Highway'', 14 Columbia Magazine, No. 1, Washington Historical Society (Spring 2000)
An excellent description of the first voyage of the ''Colonel Wright'' up the Snake River and later use of the river for steam navigation. {{DEFAULTSORT:Colonel Wright (Sternwheeler) Steamboats of the Columbia River Passenger ships of the United States Steamboats of Washington (state) Steamboats of Oregon Steamboats of Idaho Steamboats of the Snake River Oregon Steam Navigation Company