Steamboats of the Stikine River facts for kids

Moore's Gertrude at Telegraph Creek in 1882

The Beaver steamboat on the Willamette River, Oregon

Steamboats were very important on the Stikine River in British Columbia, Canada. They were used because people found gold along the river and in an area called the Cassiar Country. These boats helped people and supplies travel to the gold rush areas.

Steamboats and Early Gold Rushes

The Stikine River is in northern British Columbia and Alaska. Steamboats were used there during three main times. Each time was linked to a "gold rush," which is when many people rush to an area hoping to find gold.

The first time was during the Stikine Gold Rush in 1862. The second was for the Cassiar Gold Rush in the 1870s. The third period started in 1898 with the Klondike Gold Rush and the Atlin Gold Rush.

During the first gold rush, two captains, William Moore and William Irving, competed for river business. They were both brave explorers who followed gold rushes all over the continent. Captain Moore brought his steamboat, the Flying Dutchman, up the river in 1862. He was exploring during a trip for the Cariboo Gold Rush.

Later, in 1866, the Mumford steamboat traveled up the river. It belonged to the Collins Overland Telegraph Company. In 1874, another gold rush to Dease Lake brought more steamboats. These included the Gem, Western Slope, and the Gertrude.

The Big Gold Rush of 1898

In 1897, gold was found in Dawson City, Yukon. This discovery caused a huge rush of people on the Pacific Coast. Many young adventurers who didn't have jobs headed north. They hoped to find their fortune.

People traveled by boat from Seattle. They went to the Lynn Canal and then crossed the Chilkoot Pass. It was a strange journey for supplies. Goods had to go into American land first. Then they were unloaded and hauled back into Canadian land. Finally, they went by small boat down the Yukon River to Dawson.

Canadian businesses wanted an "All Canadian" route. This meant goods could travel by river steamboat from Vancouver or Victoria. They would pass through US land at Wrangell without being taxed. Then they would go up the Stikine River for about 130 miles. The journey ended at Glenora, near Telegraph Creek. About two dozen boats were built or used on this river for a short time.

However, this route was not as good as the Lynn Canal route at Skagway. Workers would have to move supplies 150 miles north. They would follow the old telegraph line to Teslin Lake. From there, they would go down the Yukon River.

When the White Pass and Yukon Route railway was finished, it changed everything. The dream of the Teslin route ended. The steamboats moved from the Stikine River to other routes. The SS Moyie was built in Canada to run on the Stikine route. But the plan never happened. So, the Moyie never saw the Stikine River. Instead, it worked on other rivers for almost 60 years.

The Hudson's Bay Company had a trading post that needed supplies. They used the steamboat Port Simpson on the Stikine River until 1916.

Steamboats That Sailed the Stikine

Many steamboats and other vessels operated on the Stikine River. The table below lists some of them. The codes tell you what happened to the boat:

• A = Abandoned (left behind)
• B = Burned
• C = Converted (changed for a different use)
• D = Dismantled (taken apart)
• R = Renamed
• S = Sank (went under water)
• T = Transferred (moved to a different river or owner)
• W = Wrecked (destroyed)
• X = Boiler Explosion (engine blew up)