Steamer's Wake [J0453]

1985 HCDJ (9.25 X 11.25) in nice clean condition. First came the paddlewheel steamers. drawn West by gold strikes along the Sacramento, Columbia, and Fraser rivers. On Puget Sound by the turn of the century they were joined by slim, single-screw steamers built without blueprints and commanded by Scandinavian skipper-owners ready to race at the drop of a fare. Together, the boat builders, steamer entrepreneurs, and riders created one of the world's most enjoyable transportation systems, plying marine highways which have survived to this day. Steamer's Wake follows this fabled fleet up the Columbia and Fraser rivers and along the Puget Sound littoral, an amiable journey covering almost a century, ending the the 1940's when the last of the steamers headed for the scrap yard. Illustrated by 260 photographs from U.S. and Canadian maritime museums, it provides a soft-focus look at how the steamer created a unique protectionist ethos; a shared conviction that Puget Sound must remain a moat, one that has routed every attempt of powerful lobbies to replace with bridges the ferries that today are following the steamer's wake of yesterday. The vintage photos provide other unmatched wide-angle views, capturing such historic scenes as the gold seekers departing for the Klondike and the arrival by steamer of four presidents, and such entertaining trivia as the lure of Fleet Week and beach picnics, boat races and ship launchings (including a low budget ferryboat Boeing built) and the gaudy reign of some of the world's fastest and finest steamers that left a frothy wake stretching from the challenging Sacramento and Columbia riverways to the postcard magnet of Victoria's Inner Harbor and the vastness of the Fraser and the Yukon.

From the single Amazon/GoodReads review: "This lavishly illustrated book recounts the history of steamboats from the early days of the 19th century to their phase-out in the early 20th century. Lots of historical photos show the range of vessels traversing both salt water and fresh water. Some exciting stories are told, including steamboats that ran the rapids of the Columbia River before the dams were built. Of course, there were collisions and wrecks, and boilers would blow up (although not with the frequency of the Mississippi River boats, apparently). This book celebrates a time before bridges when a boat ride was a necessity, and also a pleasant way to enjoy our watery environment in the Pacific Northwest."