Columbia River Tugs And Towboats

Columbia River Tugs And Towboats. High Efficiency Transportation System with a Low Profile. , Towboats began working on the Columbia in the mid 19th century. Powerful steam tugs towed sailing vessels over the Columbia River bar. Sternwheel steamboats, many of which operated as tugs, plied the entire Columbia River system. During this period, river navigation was divided into upper, middle, and lower sections, due to the many rapids and falls on the Columbia River. , As the age of sail faded and steamships took over the high seas, tug and barge traffic rose to prominence on the river. Navigation improvements, including locks and canals, combined with the development of more efficient gas and diesel propeller boats to produce an extensive inland water transportation system during the 20th century. The biggest changes took place because of lock and dam-building beginning in the 1930s. Today, the Columbia – Snake River system affords slackwater navigation 465 miles inland to Lewiston, Idaho, on the Clearwater River, a major tributary of the Snake. , Wheat and forest products are the major commodities moving down the combined Columbia – Snake River system. Petroleum products are an important part of the traffic moving upriver. In addition to primary cargo handling capabilities, ship assist tugs attend large vessels at deep water ports up and down the river. Despite their low profile, Columbia River tugs and towboats have played a big role in the development of the region's economy. , The 14th Street Pier , The Brix Maritime pier at the foot of 14th Street was built for towboat moorage by Callender Navigation Co. around 1910. By 1920, Callender Navigation had merged with the Knappton Towboat Co. , The pier was abandoned during the 1940s and fell into disrepair. Around 1950 it was acquired by Arrow Tug and Barge. Arrow’s fleet was later purchased by Knappton Towboat Co. in 1961, and the pier became the site of Knappton's Astoria offices. , Knappton's towboat operations began as a means of supplying the Knappton lumber mill across the river in Knappton, Washington. After the Knappton mill burned in 1941, the company turned entirely to water transportation. The Knappton Corporation, founded by mill owner and towboat pioneer Peter John Brix, was reorganized as Brix Maritime Co. in 1990, reflecting continuing family management of the firm.