page_title: Washington (steamboat 1851)
section_title: Operations on the upper Willamette
hierarchical_section_title: Washington (steamboat 1851) / Willamette River service / Operations on the upper Willamette
caption_attribution_description: English: Advertisement for steamboat Washington, 1851
context_page_description: Washington was an early steamboat operated in the states of California and Oregon. Washington was built in California and was initially operated on the Sacramento River. In 1851, the steamer was purchased and brought on a ship to the Oregon Territory, where it was operated on the Willamette River until the summer of 1853. Washington was sold again, and then transferred to the Oregon coast, where it operated on the Umpqua River, on the Coquille River and on Coos Bay. Washington was able to operate for shorter distances over the open ocean along the Oregon coast. The steamer was wrecked by a boiler explosion in December 1857, near Scottsburg, O.T., on the Umpqua river.
context_section_description: In early June 1851, Murray and some others investigated whether a small steamboat could be operated on the Tualatin river.
  Murray had Washington launched  above Willamette Falls at Canemah and worked on the Willamette River to the Yamhill River.  It was hoped that Washington could go as far up the Willamette as Corvallis, then known as Marysville.
  Washington 's first run up the Yamhill was on June 6, 1851. Washington remained this route for a time, seeking cargoes from the nearby wheat farms.  With Washington in service, there were now two steamboats running on the Willamette river above the falls.  Three steamboats were running below.  Two years previously there had been no steamers at all on the Willamette.  The main competition at this time against Washington was another propeller-driven steamer, the Hoosier. Washington was advertised as running from Canemah to Champoeg, where the boat would meet a connecting stage coach line for travellers bound for Salem, Oregon.
  On June 19, 1851, Captain Murray was reported to have "arrived with his iron, steam propeller" apparently the Washington.  Murray was reported to be confident of navigating to Salem at any time of the year.  The arrival of the new steamer was praised by the editor of the Oregon City weekly newspaper, Oregon Spectator as a sign of progress.
  On the morning of Thursday, June 26, 1851, Washington, with Capt. Murray in command, departed Oregon City on what was intend to be a run south to Corvallis, then known as Marysville. As of June 26, 1851 in addition to the two operating boats on the upper Willamette, the Hoosier and the newly arrived Washington, there was another belonging to Captain Bissel, which was expected to be compete in four or five weeks.  The firm of Hedges & Barlow were building a new sidewheeler, the Canemah, which they expected to have running sometime in September.
  On its first trip, Washington went up the Yamhill River to Dayton, where the boat's crew was well received.   Washington remained at Dayton overnight, leaving the next morning for Salem, where they arrived at about 4:00 p.m on Friday, June 27.
  Washington was also welcomed at Salem, where the citizens fired off a saluting cannon, and made firewood and other supplies available to the steamer free of charge.  After about two hours at Salem, Washington proceeded further upstream to Cincinnati Landing, now known as Eola, where the boat was greeted by the proprietor of the place, A.C.R. Shaw.
  Cincinnati was a small landing 3 miles west of Salem, in Polk County, 200 yards up Rickreall Creek, which was then known as the La Creole River.  Washington under Captain Murray was the first steamboat to reach Eola. 
    To facilitate steamboat service, the citizens of Cincinnati Landing went to the extent of digging a canal from the Willamette to the La Creole River.  Washington was reported to have negotiated the canal without difficulty.
caption: Advertisement for the steamer Washington, placed in the Oregon Spectator, July 22, 1851.
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