''Iola'' was a small steam vessel that operated on

Puget Sound Puget Sound ( ) is a sound of the Pacific Northwest, an inlet of the Pacific Ocean, and part of the Salish Sea. It is located along the northwestern coast of the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected ma ...

from 1885 to 1915.

Career

''Iola'' was built at

Hammersley Inlet Hammersley Inlet, in southwestern Puget Sound in the U.S. state of Washington, is an arm of water leading to Shelton, Washington and Oakland Bay. Hammersley Inlet is also known as Big Skookum. Description Hammersley Inlet connects the Oakland Bay ...

, then known as "Big Skookum", in the extreme southern portion of Puget Sound. The vessel entered service in June 1885 under the command of her first owner, Capt. Edwin Miller. The vessel initially made weekly runs from Oakland, Washington (in northern Puget Sound) to

Olympia The name Olympia may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film * ''Olympia'' (1938 film), by Leni Riefenstahl, documenting the Berlin-hosted Olympic Games * ''Olympia'' (1998 film), about a Mexican soap opera star who pursues a career as an athlet ...

and

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

, but within six months trip frequency had increase to twice a week. In June 1887, Miller hired John F. Vanderhoef to act as the vessel's master and agent. He rebuilt the cabins to accommodate both his wife and himself on a full-time basis. By 1889 Vanderhoef had ceased service in north Puget Sound and was concentrating on

Vashon Island Vashon is a census-designated place (CDP) in King County, Washington, United States. It covers an island alternately called Vashon Island or Vashon–Maury Island, the largest island in Puget Sound south of Admiralty Inlet. The population was 10,6 ...

landings.

Overboard incident

A story is reported that as ''Iola'' was moving towards Seattle on the west side of

, with Captain Vanderhoef in the

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. While shaking a tablecloth over the side, Mrs. Vanderhoef fell overboard. Her husband did not hear her call for help, because of the engine noise. He did not notice she was missing until he reached Seattle. He turned the vessel around to begin looking for her. He is reported to have said "I thought for sure the Devil had her." Mrs. Vanderhoef was kept afloat for a while by air trapped within her voluminous skirts. A man on the shore, Thomas Redding, heard Mrs. Vanderhoef call for help, and took out a boat and rescued her. Two years later Redding bought the ''Iola''.

References

* Findlay, Jean Cammon and Paterson, Robin, ''Mosquito Fleet of Southern Puget Sound'', (2008) Arcadia Publishing * Newell, Gordon, ''Ships of the Inland Sea'', Binford and Mort, Portland, OR (2nd Ed. 1960) {{Puget Sound propellers Steamboats of Washington (state) Propeller-driven steamboats of Washington (state) 1885 ships