Potlatch

The trim little Potlatch, which would have an unusually short career on Puget Sound. Author’s collection, colorized.

POTLATCH

BUILT:  1912, Seattle Construction and Drydock Company, Seattle, WA

OFFICIAL NUMBER: 210378 SIGNAL LETTERS: LCNJ

L/B/D: 150 x 27 x 17 GROSS/NET TONS: 575/325 PASSENGERS/AUTOS:

PROPULSION: Triple Expansion Steam Engine, 600 HP

NAME TRANSLATION: Chinook, to give, or gift

FINAL DISPOSITION: Scrapped, 1937.

HISTORY

The Puget Sound Navigation Co. continued its vessel replacement mantra established by President Joshua Green after the loss of the Clallam to replace its wooden steamers vessels of steel construction.  

The Potlatch was completed by the Seattle Construction & Drydock Co in 1912 and went into service that summer replacing the old stern-wheeler State of Washington on the Hood Canal route.

The trim steamer, perhaps the nicest ever to service Hood Canal, had a very short life.  In 1917 PSN abandoned passenger service on Hood Canal. The boat was sold to Otis Shively but was little used after 1917.

She was scrapped in 1937.

Marine & Rail Review, 1912.