1913: A Pioneering Steam Ferry is Launched in the Seattle Area

December 6, 1913

The steam ferry Leschi was launched from Rainier Beach on Lake Washington, a large freshwater lake adjacent to Seattle. Chief Leschi (1808-1858), for whom this vessel was named, served as the leader of the Nisqually Indian Tribe in the vicinity of Puget Sound in present-day Washington State. The ferry Leschi had the distinction of being the first ship commissioned by Seattle Port Commission. Her other claims to fame included being first automobile ferry in the western part of the state and also serving as the first public, tax-supported water transportation in that region.

At least 4,000 people turned out for the launch of the Leschi. Eleanor Chittenden (1892-1970), daughter of port commissioner Hiram M. Chittenden (1858-1917), christened the ferry with a bottle of champagne. (The accompanying photo shows the Leschi propped up on poles just before her launch.)

The Leschi remained in operation on Lake Washington until 1950. She was then acquired by Washington State Ferries for service on Puget Sound. In 1968, the Leschi was sold for use as a floating salmon and crab cannery in Alaska. This vessel remained in service in that part of the world until 1986, when she capsized near the city of Whittier in the southeastern Alaska. The Leschi’s wrecked hull can still be seen in this area today.

Photo Credit: Public Domain

For more information on the Leschi, please check out https://www.historylink.org/File/2040