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''Pert'' was a sidewheel steamboat that operated in
In 1891, Capt. Frank P. Armstrong started operating ''Pert'' as part of his steamboat line, the Upper Columbia Navigation & Tramway Co. (UCN&T) to operate on the headwaters of the Columbia River above Golden, an area which is known as the
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include ...
on the Columbia River from 1887 to 1905, often transporting large loads of timber. ''Pert'' was also known as ''Alert'' and ''City of Windermere'' at times.
Design and construction
''Pert'' was built atGolden, British Columbia
Golden is a town in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, west of Calgary, Alberta, and east of Vancouver.
History
In 1807, David Thompsonrenowned fur trader, surveyor, and map-makerwas tasked by the North West Company to open a trading rout ...
, by Fred Wells, who named the vessel ''Alert''. The vessel seems to have been originally built as a 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. ...
, that is, an unpowered river vessel propelled by oars or by poling along the river. An engine and sidewheels were installed in 1890.
Operations
In 1891, Capt. Frank P. Armstrong started operating ''Pert'' as part of his steamboat line, the Upper Columbia Navigation & Tramway Co. (UCN&T) to operate on the headwaters of the Columbia River above Golden, an area which is known as the Columbia Valley
The Columbia Valley is the name used for a region in the Rocky Mountain Trench near the headwaters of the Columbia River between the town of Golden and the Canal Flats. The main hub of the valley is the town of Invermere. Other towns include ...
. From 1892 to 1898, Armstrong ran ''Pert'' on Columbia Lake
Columbia Lake is the primary lake at the headwaters of the Columbia River, in British Columbia, Canada. It is fed by several small tributaries. The village of Canal Flats is located at the south end of the lake.
Columbia Lake is a fresh water l ...
.
Use on Columbia Lake
The river flowing out of Columbia Lake was often too shallow for a steamboat, and so UCN&T built a mule or horse-drawn tramway extending to the northern end of Columbia Lake. Cargoes bound south to the valley of the upperKootenay River
The Kootenay or Kootenai river is a major river in the Northwest Plateau, in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, and northern Montana and Idaho in the United States. It is one of the uppermost major tributaries of the Columbia River, the ...
would be loaded on the tramway, and pulled to the wharf on the lake, then loaded on ''Pert''. The steamboat would then paddle south across the lake to the portage at Canal Flats
Canal Flats is a village municipality in the East Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. This Columbia Valley community lies between the southern end of Columbia Lake and the northwest shore of the Kootenay River. The locality, on Highw ...
. The cargo would then be unloaded and portaged over to the Kootenay River. When ''Pert'' was running on the river, a canal and lock connected Columbia Lake with the Kootenay River. The canal was not much used; only three steamboat transits were ever made.
Sale
In 1898 Armstrong sold ''Pert'' to Capt. Alex Blakely, who rebuilt the vessel into apropeller
A propeller (colloquially often called a screw if on a ship or an airscrew if on an aircraft) is a device with a rotating hub and radiating blades that are set at a pitch to form a helical spiral which, when rotated, exerts linear thrust upon ...
-driven towboat
A pusher, pusher craft, pusher boat, pusher tug, or towboat, is a boat designed for pushing barges or car floats. In the United States, the industries that use these vessels refer to them as towboats. These vessels are characterized by a squar ...
with a new name, ''City of Windermere''. In 1903, Blakely sold it to Capt. E.N. Russell, who changed the vessel's name back to ''Pert'' and ran her on Windermere Lake and the upper Columbia River from 1903 to 1905.
Abandonment
''Pert'' was abandoned in 1905 on Windermere Lake.Notes
Further reading
* Faber, Jim, ''Steamer's Wake—Voyaging down the old marine highways of Puget Sound, British Columbia, and the Columbia River'', Enetai Press, Seattle, WA 1985 * Timmen, Fritz, ''Blow for the Landing'', Caxton Printers, Caldwell, ID 1972 {{DEFAULTSORT:Pert (Sidewheeler) Paddle steamers of British Columbia Steamboats of the Columbia River Columbia Valley