Dayton (sternwheeler)

''Dayton'' was a steamboat which operated on the Willamette and Columbia rivers from 1868 to 1881. ''Dayton'' operated on the Willamette from 1868 to 1876, mostly upriver from Willamette Falls, including a route on the Yamhill River to Dayton, Oregon, after which the steamer was named. From 1876 to 1881, ''Dayton'' was employed on a run from Portland to Monticello, W.T., which was located on the site of what is now Longview, Washington.

Construction

''Dayton'' was built for the People's Transportation Company. ''Dayton'' was constructed along the Willamette River at Canemah, Oregon, above Willamette Falls, in 1868, by the Paquet brothers.

''Dayton'' was launched on Saturday, August 8, 1868. Machinery still had to be installed into the vessel, and it was hoped to have it ready for the fall shipping season.

Engineering

''Dayton'' was driven by a stern-wheel, turned by twin steam engines, horizontally mounted, single cylinder, bore , stroke generating 9.6 nominal horsepower.

Dimensions

''Dayton'' was long, exclusive of the extension of the main detail over the stern, called the "fantail" on which the stern-wheel was mounted.

The beam (width) of the vessel was exclusive of the protective wooden timbers running along the top of the hull called the guards. The depth of hold was .

In 1879, ''Dayton'' was 202.04 gross tons, which was a measure of size, not weight. The official merchant vessel registry number was 6618.

Service on the upper Willamette River

''Dayton'' was operated on the upper Willamette River (from Willamette Falls upstream to the head of navigation at Eugene City), and the Yamhill River until 1875. After that the steamer was transferred to the lower Willamette and Columbia rivers, where it served until about 1881.

The first commander of ''Dayton'' was John T. Apperson, who was followed by George Jerome, L.E. Pratt, and Joseph Kellogg.
In July 1869, Edward Fellows, of Canemah, was the engineer of the ''Dayton''.

In November 1870, ''Dayton'' was reported to have spent a long time running solely on the Yamhill River, making connections at the mouth of the Yamhill with boats on the Willamette River.

On April 26, 1871, ''Dayton'' carried about 150 persons on an excursion from Oregon City to Dayton, Oregon.

In early September 1871, Yamhill County, Oregon was producing large amounts of wheat. ''Dayton'' picked up wheat cargoes three times a week, but could not keep the warehouse clear.

Sale to Ben Holladay

On September 6, 1871, by vote of its shareholders, the People's Transportation Company was dissolved and all of its assets, including the steamer ''Dayton'', were sold to a company organized by the prominent businessman Ben Holladay.

Schedule change

In May 1873, there was a schedule change for ''Dayton''. ''Dayton'' would now make only two trips a week from Canemah to the Yamhill River, leaving on Tuesdays and Thursdays. ''Dayton'' made connections at Oregon City with the steamer ''E.N. Cooke'', which operated on the lower Willamette River. ''Cooke'' departed Oregon City for Portland daily (except Sunday) at 8:30 a.m., except for Wednesdays and Fridays, when it left at 10:30 a.m.

By September 1873, the Oregon and California Railroad had completed a rail line from Portland to Oregon City. Travellers from Portland bound for Lafayette, Oregon and other points on the Yamhill River would take the railway south to Canemah, and board ''Dayton'', which now departed Canemeh twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays, for the Yamhill.

''Dayton'' and the connecting boat, ''E.N. Cooke'', where then under the ownership of the Oregon Steamship Company, agent J.B. Biles. Oregon Steamship Co. was associated with the Oregon and California Railroad,

These arrangements continued with occasional variations until July 1876.

Race with ''City of Salem''

In the second half of January 1876, ''Dayton'' raced the sternwheeler ''City of Salem'' from Rock Island to the mouth of the Yamhill River, with ''Dayton'' besting ''Salem''.

Idled for lack of business

On March 31, 1876, the steamers ''Dayton'', ''Bonanza'', and ''Success'' were out of service and tied up in the boat basin in Oregon City. This was because there was insufficient shipping business to justify operating the vessels. Nearly all of the stored wheat at the various landings had been brought downriver, and there appeared to be little prospect of sufficient cargo that season to justify putting the steamers into operation. A newspaper report stated that ''Dayton'' and ''Success'' would "probably not be in use again, as they are getting old and are of such small capacity as not to be worth repairing."

Sunk by ''Occident''

On Saturday, May 13, 1876, ''Dayton'' was moored at Oregon City, when another sternwheeler, the ''Occident'', owned by the Willamette River Transportation and Locks Company came into the boat basin at full steam to unload a cargo of wheat for the Oregon City Mills.

While passing the boat yard, where ''Dayton'' was moored, ''Occident'' threw up a wake which pushed the ''Dayton'' over on to a snag, knocking a hole in the hull, and sinking ''Dayton'' almost immediately. The following Monday, May 15, three pumps were placed into ''Dayton'' and worked from the sternwheeler ''Bonanza''. After a full day of pumping, they were able to raise the ''Dayton''.

Transfer to the Monticello run

On August 31, 1876 ''Dayton'' was placed on the route from Portland, to Monticello, W.T., in place of the sternwheeler ''Onward'' which was being withdrawn from service at the time.

Run to St. Helens in icy conditions

In January 1879, parts of the Columbia River became choked with ice, reported to be piled 12 feet high in some places east of Swan Island. The ice was not uniform however. On January 10, 1879, using Willamette Slough ''Dayton'', under Captain Kellogg, ran from Portland to St. Helens, Oregon and returned, carrying the mail. Kellogg encountered no ice in Willamette Slough, as far as Kellogg could observe, there was no ice in the Columbia.

Strange entertainment on the Fourth of July

On July 3, 1879, ''Dayton'' was advertised to be going on an Independence Day excursion to Scappoose Bay, in Columbia County, Oregon. The advertisement promised yacht and foot races during the day and a ball at night. Additionally, it was stated:

''Dayton'' would leave on this excursion from the Yamhill street dock on Portland at 7:00 a.m., going to Scappoose Bay via Willamette Slough and the head of Deer Island, stopping on all way ports. Although the ball at night was advertised, Dayton was to depart for Portland at 5:00 p.m. Fare for the round trip was 50 cents.

Disposition

''Dayton'' was dismantled in 1881 or before. According to one newspaper report, dated August 11, 1881, "the steamer ''Dayton'' which for several year, has been running on the Cowlitz river route, has been laid on the shelf."

The engines from ''Dayton'' went to a new steamer, the ''Joseph Kellogg'', built in 1881.

In March 1882, ''Dayton'' and ''Joseph Kellogg'' where both mentioned as running for J. Kellogg & Co., was advertised as being on a route that left Portland from a dock at the foot of Yamhill Street, to Freeport, Washington.

However, because the engines of ''Dayton'' were removed to power the ''Joseph Kellogg'', the mention of ''Dayton'' in the 1882 advertisement appears to have been a printer's error.

Notes

References

Printed books

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On-line newspaper reports

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{{Columbia River Steamboats

People's Transportation Company
Oregon Steam Navigation Company
Steamboats of the Willamette River
Steamboats of the Columbia River
Ships built in Canemah, Oregon
Kellogg Transportation Company