W. T. Preston facts for kids
W. T. Preston in her dry berth in Anacortes, Washington
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| History | |
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 United States |
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| Launched | 1929 |
| Out of service | 1981 |
| Refit | 1939 (re-hulled) |
| Status | Museum ship |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 490 Gross Tons |
| Length | 163 ft 6 in (49.83 m) |
| Beam | 34 ft 8.5 in (10.579 m) |
| Draft | 3 ft 8 in (1.12 m) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion | Sternwheel |
| Speed | 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph) (cruise) 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) (max) |
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W. T. Preston (snagboat)
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 Location in Washington (state)
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| Location | Anacortes waterfront, R Avenue, at foot of 7th Street, Anacortes, Washington |
| Built | 1929 (re-hulled in 1939) |
| Architect | Lake Union Drydock Co. |
| Architectural style | Welded Barge Hull, Wooden Super Structure, Sternwheeler |
| NRHP reference No. | 72001270 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | 16 March 1972 |
| Designated NHL | 5 May 1989 |
The W. T. Preston is a special kind of boat called a sternwheeler. Its main job was to act as a snagboat. This means it removed large log jams and natural trash from rivers. These blockages made it hard for other boats to travel safely. The W. T. Preston worked on several rivers in the Puget Sound area of Washington state.
Today, the W. T. Preston is the main attraction at the Snagboat Heritage Center. It is located in Anacortes, Washington. In 1989, it was named a National Historic Landmark. Built in 1929, it is one of only two snagboats left that were built by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. It is also the only one on the west coast of the United States.
Contents
The Story of the W. T. Preston
The W. T. Preston worked in many places. Its routes went from Olympia all the way to Blaine. This included rivers like the Skagit, Stillaguamish, and Snohomish.
What is a Snagboat?
Sometimes, dead trees would float into Puget Sound. They could become half-hidden logs called deadheads. These deadheads were very dangerous. They could poke holes in the bottom of wooden boats. To solve this problem, the government started building snagboats. These boats helped clear the rivers. This made it easier and safer for other boats to travel and for trade to happen.
How the Preston Got Its Name
The W. T. Preston was named after a civilian engineer. His name was W. T. Preston. He was the only civilian engineer working for the Army Corps of Engineers when the boat was built in 1929.
Parts from an Older Boat
The W. T. Preston used many parts from an older boat. These parts came from a boat built in 1914 called the Swinomish. The Swinomish had replaced an even older snagboat named the Skagit. The Skagit was the first snagboat to work on the Puget Sound rivers.
A Sister Ship in Canada
The W. T. Preston is quite similar to another snagboat. This boat is called the Samson V. It used to work for the Canadian government. Now, it is a museum in New Westminster, British Columbia. Both boats used simple, strong machinery. This machinery often lasted longer than the boats' shallow hulls. The Samson V even used engines from a boat built in 1905! Like the W. T. Preston, the Samson V kept waterways clear. When it stopped working in 1980, it was the last steam-powered paddlewheeler in Canada.
Changes Over Time
The first W. T. Preston was a 163-foot boat with a wooden body. It pulled out snags and did light dredging (clearing mud from the river bottom). It worked in Puget Sound until 1939. That year, the Army Corps of Engineers built a new hull for it. This new hull was made of welded steel. They moved the stern wheel, engines, smokestack, and other parts onto this new steel body.
Over the years, the job of the W. T. Preston changed. Rivers were used less for moving goods. So, the W. T. Preston started doing other tasks. It began to dredge, help fight fires, and do other general work. During its time in service, it even helped pull out a sunken military bomber. It also retrieved several cars from the water!
The Army Corps of Engineers ran the W. T. Preston from the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks in Seattle, Washington. This boat served the Puget Sound for over forty years. The Army Corps retired it in 1981. Its replacement boat, named the Puget, still works today. It operates from the same dock where the W. T. Preston used to be.
Visit the W. T. Preston Museum
The W. T. Preston is now permanently located on land. It sits on the waterfront near Cap Sante, in Anacortes, Washington. The boat is a National Historic Landmark. It is also an official city historic landmark in Seattle, where it used to be.
Today, the ship works as a history museum. The City of Anacortes' City Museum owns and runs it. In 2005, the Snagboat Heritage Center was built. It is just north of the W. T. Preston. This center has many interesting things to see. You can find artifacts, models, maps, and information. All of these tell the story of the snagboats that kept the area's waterways clear for travel.
See also
- Montgomery Snagboat
- Historic preservation
