Page:Portland, Oregon, its History and Builders volume 1.djvu/364

CHAPTER XV.

1850—1910.

Portland Water Transportation—The Lot Whitcomb, and Other Steamboats—Nesmith's Account of the First Ship—Judge Strong's Account of the First Boats—The Effect of Gold Discoveries in Eastern Oregon—The Bridge of the Gods, and Other Obstructions to Navigation—The Great Territory to Be Developed—The Formation of the First Great Oregon Monopoly—The Oregon Steam Navigation Co.—The Northern Pacific Railroad Buys Controlling Interest in O. S. N. Co. and Then Fails—Ainsworth Picks Up the Old Stock for a Trifle—D. P. Thompson Uncovers Great Profits of O. S. N. Co—The Jay Gould Scarecrow—Ainsworth Sells Co. to Henry Villard—The Oregon Steam Navigation Company—The Father of the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company—River and Ocean Steamers and Sail Vessels.

As there were no land means of transportation when Portland town was started, there was no patronage from the land side. Canoes, boats, sail boats, anything that could be floated on the water bearing goods or men, was in demand to start the town with. It naturally resulted from this state of affairs that water transportation, and the means thereto, occupied the front seat in all propositions to build up the town. First, was the necessity of controlling the point where the ships would come to discharge cargo. Ships might come in from Boston, New York, London, China, Siberia, the Islands, and they were the first consideration. Canoes, batteaux, sail boats, might come in from the Cascades, Vancouver, Oregon City or Astoria; but what of it? They could not found a city; they could tie up anywhere.

But it was soon seen that as immigration came in. as farms were opened, as saw mills were started, that these primitive means of transportation would not suffice, and that steam must take the place of paddles and sails. Then came the proposition to build steamboats. And it may be easily seen that such tireless men as Stephen Coffin, Lot Whitcomb, J. C. Ainsworth and John H. Couch, may have spent sleepless nights in solving the transportation proposition. There has been a great deal of discussion as to whom was due the credit for building and operating the first American steamboat on the rivers of Oregon. As the man is still living in the city who knows all about this history we will give his story of the whole matter and settle the question for all time.

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