The Upper Willamette Transportation Line was a line of four inland steamboats that operated from the fall of 1859 to the summer of 1860 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 ...

in the

state of Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

, United States.

Operations

As of November 1, 1859, businessman Theodore Wygant (1831-1905) was the agent in

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

for the steamers ''Elk'', ''Onward'', ''Surprise'', and ''Relief''. Wygant formed these steamers into the Upper Willamette Transportation Company, and starting November 19, 1859, advertised, stage of water permitting, steamers of the line would depart for Corvallis twice a week, and, for Eugene City, once a week. This arrangement was advertised until June 30, 1860. In 1860, the steamers of the line were competing against two powerful companies on the Willamette River, the

Oregon Steam Navigation Company The Oregon Steam Navigation Company (O.S.N.) was an American company incorporated in 1860 in Washington with partners J. S. Ruckle, Henry Olmstead, and J. O. Van Bergen. It was incorporated in Washington because of a lack of corporate laws in ...

and the

People's Transportation Company The People's Transportation Company operated steamboats on the Willamette River and its tributaries, the Yamhill River, Yamhill and Tualatin River, Tualatin rivers, in the State of Oregon from 1862 to 1871. For a brief time this company operated ...

Steamers of the line

All vessels of the line were wooden-hulled sternwheelers, built in the 1850s at

Canemah, Oregon Canemah was an early settlement in the U.S. state of Oregon located near the Willamette River. Canemah was annexed to Oregon City in 1928. Location The district of Canemah is located on the east side of the Willamette River. At that time, Oreg ...

. * ''Elk'', built 1857, destroyed by boiler explosion at Davidson’s Landing, near present day

Dundee, Oregon Dundee is a city in Yamhill County, Oregon, United States. The population was 3,238 at the 2020 census. History Dundee was named after Dundee, Scotland, the birthplace of William Reid. Reid came to Oregon in 1874 to establish the Oregonian R ...

, on November 17, 1860. * ''Onward'', built 1858 for Archibald "Archie" Jamieson (d.1861), later came under control of the

, then transferred to the

in 1864, dismantled 1865 at Canemah. Engines to '' Fannie Patton''. (Not to be confused with later ''Onward'' built 1867.) * ''Relief'', built 1858 at Oregon City for Cassidy & Co. Dismantled 1865 at Canemah. * ''Surprise'', built 1857, laid up 1864.

Notes

References

Books

* * * *

Newspaper collections

* {{Willamette River Steamboats Steamboats of the Willamette River Defunct transportation companies of the United States Transport companies established in 1859 Transport companies disestablished in 1860 1859 establishments in Oregon 1860 disestablishments in Oregon Defunct companies based in Oregon American companies established in 1859 American companies disestablished in 1860 Transportation companies based in Oregon