Sarah Dixon was a wooden sternwheel-driven steamboat operated by the Shaver Transportation Company on the Columbia and lower Willamette rivers from 1892 to 1926. Originally Sarah Dixon was built as a mixed use passenger and freight vessel, and was considered a prestige vessel for the time.
Later, in 1906, Sarah Dixon was converted to become primarily a towing vessel. Sarah Dixon sustained a serious explosion in 1912, which killed the captain and the first mate. The steamboat was reconstructed, and served until 1926 when it was destroyed by fire while hauled out on a shipway for an additional reconstruction.
After the 1926 reconstruction, Sarah Dixon remained in service, primarily as a towing and freighting vessel, until 1934, when its machinery was removed and the vessel was converted to a floating machine shop.
The unpowered Sarah Dixon functioned in this capacity until 1949, when its wooden hull was becoming too weak to be relied upon. Sometime in 1950 or later, it was taken from Portland up the Columbia River to Paterson, Washington, where it eventually sank on its own.
Design and construction Sarah Dixon was built in 1892 at Portland, Oregon for the People's Freighting Company, which in 1895 was incorporated as the Shaver Transportation Company. G.W. Evans (b.1856) supervised construction.
As built, the dimensions of the vessel were long, beam, depth of hold, 369 gross and 278 registered tons. The hull was built by Johnson & OlsenJames Olsen, (1850–1912, a native of Norway.) at Smith's mill.
The cabins were built by Capt. Charles Bureau (1840-1936) The texas and the pilot house were reported to resemble those of the fast steamer Telephone.
The vessel cost about $35,000 to construct. Another report gives the cost to complete the steamer as $45,000.
The steamboat was named after Sarah Dixon Shaver (1832–1910) wife of George Washington Shaver (1832–1900), the founder of a business which eventually became Shaver Transportation Company.
When built, Sarah Dixon was expected to be one of the finest vessels on the river. The paint work was done by Loomis Paint Company, the furniture was supplied by the Oregon Furniture Company, and the carpets were furnished by Meier & Frank.
Sarah Dixon was reported to have a large cargo capacity and to have been licensed, in 1892, to carry 200 passengers.
Engineering The stern-wheel was driven by twin high-pressure single-cylinder steam engines manufactured by Iowa Iron Works of Dubuque, Iowa. The cylinder of each engine had a bore of diameter and stroke of .
The boiler was built by James Monk, a Portland boilermaker. It was built from steel one-half inch thick and could carry 165 pounds pressure of steam.
As built, Sarah Dixon burned wood to heat its boiler, and relied on wood yards along its route to furnish the fuel. During floods, such as occurred in June 1894, it was difficult to get wood from the wood yards, which hampered the operation of the Sarah Dixon.
The electric light plant was based on the Crouch (a local inventor) system, and was installed by M.G. Morgan. Frank Turner installed the steam steering mechanism.
The official steamboat registry number of the vessel as built was 116470.
Launch Sarah Dixon was launched at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, February 3, 1892, at Portland. At the time of the launch, the boat was expected to be ready to enter into service on March 1, 1892. By February 26, however, the date of anticipated completion had been rolled back to March 15.
The vessel was equipped with electric lighting (then a novel feature on Columbia river boats), and steam-powered steering gear and hoisting machinery. The passenger accommodations were considered to be superior. Overall, Sarah Dixon when it was built was considered to be one of the more prestigious vessels to operate on the Columbia river system.
In 1892 it was reported that the steamer once worked up, could be expected to make 17 to 18 miles per hour.
Operations
Trial trip Sarah Dixon made its trial trip on Sunday evening, April 3, 1892, running from Portland to Willow Bar. The steamer departed the Alder Street dock in Portland at 5:00 p.m. with 180 invited guests on board.
Sarah Dixon made the run downriver from Portland to the mouth of the Willamette River, a distance of twelve miles, in 47.5 minutes against a strong head wind. On the return up river, the steamer, running against the tide, covered the same distance in 50 minutes.
The Shavers included among their invited guests on the trial trip J.R. Beegle, the editor of the newspaper St. Helens Mist, who a few days later, wrote an effusive review of the new steamer: "The Sarah Dixon is as neat and handsome a vessel as ever rode the Willamette or Columbia. She is in all respects a model passenger boat, and none on these waters is more handsomely furnished."
The initial officers of Sarah Dixon were: George McClellan Shaver, captain; C.W. Edmunds, chief engineer; Delmar "Del" Shaver, mate; H.C. Johnson, purser; Lincoln "Link" Shaver (d.1922), second engineer; William Deeds, steward.
Portland-Clatskanie route
Following construction, Sarah Dixon was placed on a route running from down the Willamette and Columbia rivers to Clatskanie, Oregon.
Clatskanie was located about 3 miles up the shallow Clatskanie Creek. Absent tidal effects, the creek was only about 18 inches deep.
Only on high tide could Sarah Dixon, which drew 4 feet of water, reach the town. Constant reference to tide tables was necessary when docked at the town, and if the steamer did not depart on time, it could be grounded in the mud flats, as happened at least once, on the morning of October 22, 1904.
On Wednesday, April 13, 1892, Sarah Dixon made its first trip to Clatskanie, Oregon. Capt. George W. Shaver was at the wheel. As of April 22, 1892, Sarah Dixon was running on the Clatskanie route in place of the G.W. Shaver.
In 1893, Sarah Dixon advertised schedule was: departing Portland every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 6:00 a.m. bound for St. Helens, Kalama, Rainer, Oak Point and intermediate points, arriving in Clatskanie at 3:00 p.m. On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, Sarah Dixon would return to Portland, departing Clatskanie at 6:00 a.m. This was advertised as the "nearest and most direct route to the Nehalem valley." J.W. Shaver was master of Sarah Dixon at this time.
Sarah Dixon also ran to Skamokawa in the summer of 1893.
In 1894 the Clatskanie route was extended to Astoria, Oregon. George M. Shaver (1865–1950) was placed in command, with Henry Pape as chief engineer. The fare was $2 for the round trip from Portland to Astoria. Astoria Shipping Company was the steamer's agent in Astoria.
Rate war with Iralda Also in 1894, in late April, a rate war occurred on the Clatskanie route between the Shavers, with their steamer Sarah Dixon, and W.E. Newsome, with his steamer, the propeller-driven steamer Iralda. There had been at least one previous rate war between the Shavers and Newsome, about six or eight months previously.
Newsome made a bid to control the trade by reducing the fare on his Portland to Oak Point route to 25 cents each way, and the same amount for transport between way landings. The Shaver brothers, who were already losing $35 a day on the Clatskanie route, matched the Newsome fare cut, and adjusted their schedules, so that Sarah Dixon would arrive in Portland one hour ahead of Iralda.
Anti-competitive agreement with T.J. Potter The Potters owners, Oregon Railway and Navigation Company (OR&N), struck an anti-competitive deal with Shaver Transportation, whereby the Shaver boats, including the Sarah Dixon, would stay off the Portland-Astoria route in return for a monthly subsidy from OR&N. In late November 1894 Sarah Dixon discontinued trips (at least to Astoria) on Fridays. Rates would also be reduced: round trip Portland-Astoria $2.00; one-way $1.25; upper berths, 50 cents; lower berths, 75 cents; meals, 25 cents.
Further operations Racing
In the 1890s, Sarah Dixon was one of the fastest steamboats on the Columbia river. Several times Sarah Dixon was able to beat T.J. Potter, a fast steamer, on the Portland-Astoria run.
On Sunday, August 5, 1894, five steamboats raced up the Columbia River from Astoria. They departed Astoria in a group, with Lurline in the lead, followed by Ocean Wave, Telephone, Sarah Dixon, and T.J. Potter. Every boat was crowded to its fullest. The Potter reached Portland first, followed by Lurline, Telephone, Ocean Wave, and, lastly, Sarah Dixon.
Cargo carriage Vessels like Sarah Dixon were used to carry passengers as well as cargo. All types of cargo would be taken on. For example, in February 1895 Sarah Dixon obtained a contract to transport 900,000 board feet of lumber from Astoria to Portland at $2.25 per thousand feet. The steamer could carry about 25,000 feet of lumber each trip.
Livestock was also transported on the steamer. For example, in April 1898, Sarah Dixon was in operation on the Columbia, picking up 95 head of cattle at Washougal on April 20, 1898, and carrying them to the stock yards at The Dalles. The cattle had been bought by French & Co., and were to be taken to the Gilliam County range.
Another form of cargo transport was the towage of log rafts. As of February 1896, Sarah Dixon was employed in towing saw logs. According to the editor of the Oregon Mist, a St. Helens newspaper, who was aways a booster for the boat, “[i] is too bad to wear out such a good boat in that business, but the Dixon is a good towboat just the same.”
Portland-Cascades route In November 1895, Sarah Dixon was placed on a new route, the run from Portland to the Cascades, to take the place of the sternwheeler Dalles City which was then undergoing repairs. Sarah Dixon was operated on this route under charter to The Dalles, Portland, and Astoria Navigation Company. Strong winds blowing from the east made navigation upriver difficult at least for Sarah Dixon on this route on at least two occasions.
In October 1897, the Shaver concern bought the sternwheeler No Wonder to replace Dixon in the log towing business, with the reported objective of putting Dixon back on the run to The Dalles, then newly accessible to Portland steamers through the recently completed Cascade Locks and Canal. Sarah Dixon was anticipated to be running on the route either in competition or connection with the Regulator Line.
In November 1897, plans were being made to run Sarah Dixon on the Portland-The Dalles route for the White Star line under captain George W. Shaver.
Sarah Dixon was then undergoing an extensive renovation at the Johnson & Olsen shipyard in Portland. New electric lighting was installed, as well as electric headlights, driven by a 150 candlepower dynamo. No definite route had yet been decided on for the renovated steamer, and the initial plan was to hold the Dixon in reserve for the Clatskanie route should anything befall the G.W. Shaver, which was then on that run for Shaver Transportation Company.
Portland-La Center route On November 30, 1898, Sarah Dixon was taken off the Portland-The Dalles route and was to be replaced by the Inland Flyer alternating with the Dalles City.
Sarah Dixon was then reassigned to the Portland-La Center run to replace Mascot, which had recently sunk, until the latter vessel could be raised and repaired.
In June 1899, Shaver Transportation Company had two boats which were considered capable of handling work on the route Portland-The Dalles, and there was talk that one or both of them could be placed on the route in opposition to the Regulator Line. These were Sarah Dixon and Geo. W. Shaver. The Sarah Dixon was described as “speedy and in every way adequate for upper river business” whereas “the Shaver is not so fast nor so easily handled.”
Excursion work Over the years, Sarah Dixon carried numerous excursion parties to various locations, such as the Improved Order of Red Men to Multnomah Falls, scheduled for July 31, 1892