The Lower Columbia River Ferries
By Curt Cunningham

The Lower Columbia river ferries associated with the Pacific Highway were between; Goble and Kalama, Rainier and Kelso and the last ferry put into service was the Long-Bell ferry that ran between Rainier and Longview. The other lower river ferries were; the Portland-Vancouver ferry and the Astoria ferry. The only ferry still operating on the lower Columbia is the Westport-Cathlamet ferry, also known as the Wahkiakum county ferry. This ferry is operated and maintained by the Washington Department of Transportation. It is a scenic trip and well worth the time to cross on it. You will see an abundance of waterfowl and lush aquatic vegetation. You might even get a picture of the seals playing on the shore.

Before the completion of the Pacific Highway between Vancouver and Kalama in 1922, many motorists would take the Lower Columbia Highway that runs along the south shore of the river between Portland and Astoria, and then take the ferry at Goble, and cross the river to Kalama and vise versa. This was because the highway between Vancouver and Kalama was in such a terrible condition and was extremely difficult to travel over. The road was so bad that the steamer Joseph Kellogg had provided ferry service for a short time in the 1910's, between Portland and the old Northern Pacific dock at Carrolls Landing, that was located at the south end of Carrolls bluff.

Before any roads were built in the Pacific Northwest, the river was the highway and canoes were the vehicles. There would also be camps on the foot trails located at the river crossings and you would pay to be taken across in a canoe. When the first Europeans arrived, they were probably happy to pay so they wouldn't have to swim the rivers. If you wanted to get a wagon across the Columbia, you would have to break it down and load the pieces onto the canoe and then rebuild it on the other side. Your horses would have to swim across. The first wagon ferry on the lower Columbia river was established in 1846 by John Switzler. He lived on the south side of the Columbia and ferried wagons and people across the river to a landing that was located on the road to Portland.

In 1883, the Northern Pacific had extended its line from Portland to Goble and later that year began transferring railcars on its transfer ferry Tacoma, which at the time was the second largest ferry built. This transfer boat served the railroad until 1908, when the 2 bridges between Portland and Vancouver were completed. For more information about this transfer boat and the operations involved, see the "Passing of the big Transfer Boat" on the side bar.

In May of 1898, the Astoria & Columbia railroad was completed between Goble and Astoria. Now tourists could take a train from Portland to the beaches at Gearhart and Seaside. Soon families were vacationing there which brought the "Daddy Train" into existence. This was the beginning of the tourism industry on the Oregon coast. Vacationers from the Puget Sound that wanted to go to Astoria and Seaside would take the train to Portland and then to Astoria, which was well out of the way. To make the route shorter for the Sound tourists, in 1908, the Northern Pacific decided to start a ferry service between Kalama and Goble that would shave 75 miles off the route that was then taken.

In 1908, the Northern Pacific contracted to John Reid who was known as "Captain Jack," owner of the Reid Transportation company, the use of his small boats to transport passengers and baggage across the river to connect with other trains operating on that side of the river. The railway company leased to Reid, a portion of lot 1, block B, of the railway company's plat in Kalama, which was between its railway station platform and the river, and abutting upon the northern edge of Fir street. The land leased extended about 25 feet north and south, and was used in connection with Reid's business of carrying passengers and baggage across the river. 

At about the same time, Martin C. Hoven, son of Captain Christian C. Hoven began a ferry service between Kalama and Goble for train passengers and cargo. The Hoven's moved to Goble in 1894 where Christian was engaged in river work. The Hoven's had come from Denmark and originally settled at Kalama in 1884. By permission of the Kalama city council, the Hoven landing consisted of a float between piles, with a gangway connected to the land, that was located at the foot of Fir street. 

On March 3, 1909, Captain Reid purchased the launch Queen from the Callender Navigation Company for his Goble-Kalama service. The Queen was able to ferry 100 passengers. In the summer of 1911, Captain Reid provided auto ferry service between Kalama and Goble. The ferry was small and could only hold one car at a time. The schedule times at Goble were 8:10,, 9:40. 11:30 a. m., 2:45, 3:60, 7:50 and 8:50 p. m. The fare one way was $5.00 for large autos and the trip took about 90 minutes. Motorists were then advised to take the Goble-Kalama ferry to cross the river. 

On August 26, 1911, C. E. Runyon said this about this new route; "The Pacific Highway between Portland and Puget Sound points could be immensely improved without the expenditure of any money. It is apparent to anyone that is familiar with the roads on both sides of the Columbia river between Portland and Kalama, by the adoption of the Oregon side of the river between Portland and Goble." 

"By taking the north side of the river from Portland you must take the ferry to Vancouver, travel a very poor road to the Lewis river, where another ferry is required, and thence to Kalama over a very rough road. The fact of the matter is that the road now constructed on the Oregon side of the river between Goble and Portland is better than any road that could be constructed on the Washington side for less than $200,000." 

"The road along the north side has the disadvantage of two ferries instead of one by way of Goble, and the line of this road crosses all the drainage of the country towards the Columbia river, and it is a succession of canyons, gulches and ravines that require bridges and culverts. On the south side of the river, Multnomah county is working on and will soon complete a splendid boulevard to the Columbia county line nearly 20 miles from Portland. Columbia county is doing splendid work on roads and bridges, and they are blessed with the very best road-making material in the Northwest." 

"The road from Portland to Goble is so nearly level that an automobile can make it without a change of gear. All that is necessary in order to divert all the travel between Portland and Washington points beyond Kalama is for Captain Reid, who maintains a gasoline launch ferry between Goble and Kalama to add a scow sufficiently large to hold a couple of machines. By way of the Goble-Kalama route, 40 miles of exceedingly bad automobile road and two or more hours of time may be eliminated. We have a good road on the south side of the river now, why not use it as a part of the Pacific Highway?"

In the spring of 1914, Martin Hoven began to ferry autos between Goble and Kalama on his launch Anona. Not long after his service began, a rivalry ensued between Captain Hoven and Captain Reid. On May 5, 1914, the rivalry intensified when Captain Hoven accused Captain Reid of the launch Chief, that he repeatedly passed his boat without giving the proper passing signals and had attempted to run him onto the beach by cruising too close to his boat.

Charges were filed by Hoven and a trial was heard before the United States Inspectors Edwards and Fuller. The charges were; failing to answer passing signals, crowding his competitor close to the sands and other counts of similar nature. Special Agent Watkins, of the U. S. Treasury Department, had spent some time on the case and found the complaints were supported by affidavits. The outcome of the trial is unknown, but it may be presumed that Captain Hoven won his case.

In 1915, Captain Hoven put new boats into service; the Ruth and the Blackjack. Both could only ferry one car at a time. The going rates were $5 for small autos and $10 for larger cars and trucks. This included the driver and the passengers. After the new boats were put into service, Hoven began charging $2 for small autos and $2.50 for larger autos and trucks. This rate reduction forced Captain Reid to lower his prices as well. Hoven's Independent Ferry as his company was called, also offered service between Kalama and Columbia City for a rate of $5 for small autos and $6 for larger vehicles. All the rates included the drivers and their passengers.

In the summer of 1916, Chester A, Moores was not so thrilled with the ferry rates on the Goble-Kalama route. He said; "the Goble ferry stung me $2 for the trip across the river as compared with the 25 cents I paid on the Vancouver ferry. It took two and a half hours to ferry from Goble to the Washington shore because the engine on the boat got out of whack and we were held up twice."

On June 6, 1917, The Columbia river rose and the backwater flooded the Kalama river bottom making the road almost impassible between Kalama and Kelso. Motorists taking the ferry from Goble had the option of paying an extra $2 and be taken further downstream to the old Northern Pacific dock that was located just south of Carrolls Bluff, and above the flooded road. H. S. Rodenbaugh, sales manager of the Michell, Lewis & Staver company, said this about the flooded highway; 

"Machines were making this trip by the aid of a team, the charge being $2 a car for the lift. In view of the fact that the ferry charge from Goble, on the Oregon shore, to Carroll's Point, above the watered portion of the highway, was $4, most motorists have preferred to take a chance at the water and be pulled out in the event they were stopped."

On July 27, 1919, Ford Howland, manager of the Miller Tire department of the Northwest Auto company, took a combined business and pleasure trip from Portland eastward to; Walla Walla, then north to Spokane, then west to Seattle, and finally, a return drive south down the Pacific Highway back to Portland. After the trip, Howland had made a suggestion to the road officials that they should inform the ferrymen about the road conditions throughout the state. 

Howland said that if the ferrymen were kept informed on the condition of the roads in their locality, they would be able to give tourists accurate information as to the necessary detours, and where tourists could find favorable camping sites. He said it would be a boon to the auto touring parties. The other item Howland wished to bring to their attention was the big variation in charges made by the ferrymen. He said that;

"At some places where there is only a short distance to ferry, the charge will be more than double that of other places where the stream is much wider." Howland then described his experience crossing the Kalama-Goble ferry; "The party was driving down from Seattle to Portland and encountered what they termed an absolute holdup at the Kalama-Goble ferry. The ferry was the usual barge handled by a small gas boat with an engine that refused to run and that was sorely in need of a visit to a first-class repair shop."

"Although there were a number of automobiles held up waiting to cross, the ferrymen were entirely oblivious to their convenience and leisurely tinkered with the remains of what was once apparently a gasoline engine. When the ferry finally got going, the party were under the impression that the ferrymen were trying to make the up the price of a new engine on the one trip. The charge for ferrying from Kalama to Goble was just exactly four times that of any other ferry on which they had to cross on the entire trip, and the equipment the poorest."

On February 2, 1920, Captain Reid and the Northern Pacific had a judge issue an injunction on Captain Hoven when he attempted to enlarge his float by the driving of piles and placing other permanent improvements on the north side of Fir street in Kalama and immediately in front of the 25 foot strip used and occupied by Reid. This action was brought on by the railway company and Reid to obtain a preventive injunction restraining Hoven from placing and maintaining piles and other permanent fixtures in front of their property. The trial resulted in a judgment for the defendant, from which the plaintiffs appealed.

The appeal found that Hoven had no preference right to purchase from the state the tide or shore lands by reason of his having maintained, since 1908 or 1909, by permission of the city, a temporary float on Fir street that extended into the water, for it was no part of the old wharf that existed on March 26, 1890. He could not claim any preference right by reason of the existence of the old wharf and a so-called transfer to him in June of 1919. 

This was a few days before the trouble arose between him and Reid over this area. Because there was no wharf there at the date of the transfer to him, nor had there been any for a great many years. Under the rule in the case of West Coast Imp. Co. v. Winsor, supra. The original decision was reversed and remanded, with directions to the superior court to enter a preventive injunction and stopping Hoven from improving the float. Because of the injunction, it appears that Hoven discontinued service at Kalama-Goble and moved operations to South Bend, as he had operated a ferry service between Tokeland and South Bend in 1923.

By the spring of 1921, automobile traffic using the ferries between Goble and Kalama had been increasing due to the construction and generally bad roads between Vancouver and Kalama. The new Interstate bridge had failed to entice many drivers to take that route. Because of the increased traffic, the Reid Transportation company built a new slip for its boats that summer.

On June 4, 1922, A. E. Hayes and Ed Coles of Kelso commenced operating an auto ferry between Kelso and Rainier. This new ferry had a capacity of 8 cars and started the day at 6am, leaving the dock in west Kelso. This service traveled down the Cowlitz and then across the Columbia to Rainier and a round trip was made every two hours, leaving Kelso on the even hours and Rainier on the odd hours. On June 11, a second ferry was put into operation with a capacity of 30 or more cars. 

The Kelso-Rainier run saved 10 miles of travel over a rough unpaved road and the highway from Rainier to Portland was paved all the way. The round trip fare for light cars under 2,800 pounds was $3, one way $2. For heavier cars it was slightly more. To reach the ferry landing in Kelso it was necessary to turn off the Pacific Highway at Second and Allen streets, crossing the Kelso bridge and going down West First street to the landing at the foot of Cedar street. Across the river at Rainier, the landing was at the Allen & Hendrickson dock that was located at the foot of East 1st street.

Traffic taking the Lower Columbia Highway increased dramatically due to the construction on the Pacific Highway, resulting in more competition on the river. On June 8, 1922, a new ferry service was established by Peter Clift and Chris Hansen between Kalama and Goble. This was to ease the congestion on the ferries during the construction and this service was discontinued after the work was completed.

On June 23, 1922, the Kelso-Rainier ferry had transported 240 cars. The company was operating 3 ferries and they all were overcrowded during the afternoon rush. The new landing at McLane's mill was just completed and the boats started to use that landing on June 24th.

At the beginning of July 1922, motorists traveling between Portland and Seattle during the construction had the option of using two ferries across the Columbia river from the Lower Columbia River Highway, one at Goble and the other at Rainier. The Goble-Kalama ferry was operating on a schedule from both sides of the river. This ferry required 15 minutes time to cross the river. The rates were: Ford cars $1; cars from 1,600 to 3,000 pounds weight $2.50 round trip, cars from 3,000 to 3,500 pounds $3 round trip, and cars over 3,500 pounds $4 round trip. 

The Rainier-Kelso ferry enabled the motorist to have more pavement, but the time required to cross the river was greater. The Rainier ferry operated on an hourly schedule after 6:30am. The last boat would leave Kelso at 10pm. The rate on this ferry was $3 round trip, or $2 one way. Motorists making the trip from Kelso to Kalama reported the road was in fair condition, despite the alarming reports coming out of Kelso to frighten drivers into taking the Kelso ferry.

On July 17, 1922, the Long-Bell Lumber company acquired a dock at Rainier, for the transfer of freight and supplies to the new mill site on the Columbia river. That same day, a ferry commenced operation from Rainier to a new dock that was under construction next to the new mill, which was located 3 miles south of Kelso. The company also built a public road 60 feet wide extending in a straight line from the west end of the Allen Street bridge to the new public ferry dock.

On July 23, 1922, the Long-Bell company inaugurated a new auto and passenger ferry service from the new public dock on the Columbia river. The dock was located at the foot of Oregon Way. The Jacobson-Reid dock was the landing at Rainier. The company ran a 90 foot scow, with the capacity for 30 automobiles, and the boat was propelled by the steamer Star. The crossing was made in 10 minutes.

After the Long-Bell ferry was put into service, a fierce competition erupted between the Kalama and Longview ferries. On July 26, the Oregonian ran an article that said the Pacific Highway was closed at Owl creek because of the construction of a concrete bridge. The article said that the detour route over the "Shanghai road" was narrow and winding and the road from Kelso to Kalama was very rough. 

They said that the motorist would find it desirable to travel from Kelso south using the Long-Bell ferry and the paved Columbia Highway. This information was untrue, and the Kalama ferrymen retaliated by advising motorists to make use of the Kalama ferry as the road between Kelso and the Long-Bell landing was dusty and there was a short detour around a cut up section of road. The Kalama ferrymen were correct as before the road was graveled, it was pretty dusty.

On July 29, 1922, C. B. Dill, owner of the Dill Pickle restaurant in Kelso established the Dill Pickle #2 at Rainier. The restaurant was located in a concrete building at the corner of the street leading to the Long-Bell ferry. The Long-Bell Company had acquired the building when they purchased their dock property and rented out a corner room to Mr. Dill. 

On August 1, 1922, a record 602 automobiles were transported between Longview and Rainier by the new ferry, which had been doing a consistently increasing business ever since the service began a few weeks ago. This was the largest single day's travel so far. The rate on the Long-Bell ferry one way for autos was .75 cents, which was much lower than the Goble-Kalama ferry. Because of this cheaper and faster service, the Long-Bell ferry absorbed all the business of the Kelso-Rainier ferry, which was then discontinued.

At the beginning of August in 1922, Kelso began another contest to wrest the county seat away from Kalama. The battle for the county seat increased the tension in the rivalry that had been brewing between the Kalama and Longview ferries. By mid August, the competition had become so strong that a rate war broke out. The war started when The Oregonian printed that article back on July 23rd that originated from Kelso, and said the Pacific Highway was closed south of Kelso near Owl creek and that a narrow and tortuous detour (the Shanghai Road) had to be used.

Captain Reid challenged the fairness of the statement that he claimed was written to discredit the Kalama route. The Captain countered with a rebuttal that said the road between Kalama and Kelso was better than the road between Kelso and the Longview ferry slip. Another advantage claimed by the Captain, was that the Kalama-Goble route had better service. The company had 3 boats in operation that was giving round-the-clock service. 

On August 13, 1922, H. W. Lyman wrote an article for the Sunday Oregonian about a trip to Hoods Canal from Portland on the Olympic Highway. The following is from the article when he crossed the Columbia river; "In making the run from Portland to Seattle we made use of the Lower Columbia River Highway from Portland to Rainier, this being advisable because of paving operations on the Washington side between La Center and Kalama which has practically blocked that road."

"From Rainier we took the new Long-Bell ferry across the Columbia and then followed the new road which has been built by that big lumber company three miles to Kelso, where we connected with the Pacific Highway. The Long-Bell company is now operating two big barge ferries and giving frequent service across the river. Ferries are also being operated between Goble and Kalama, the motorist who takes this route joining the Pacific Highway at Kalama and driving some 12 miles to Kelso over macadam road."

"Service is good on both routes and the roads in fair condition, so it is largely a matter of individual choice which ferry to take in crossing the Columbia. The charge is the same for both, 75 cents per car, and the motorist will not make a mistake by taking either. From Kelso northward for a mile we found the road in poor shape, dusty and very rough in places, but by driving slowly we were able to cover the ground without discomfort. For the rest of the distance of 26 miles from Kelso to the town of Toledo we encountered macadam and a graveled road in good condition."

After the Pacific Highway was completed in 1923, the use of the ferries as a detour route were no longer needed and traffic began to diminish. That year the Elf was put into service between Kalama and Goble ferrying autos and transferring cargo, with most of this traffic going to the towns located on that side of the river. 

In 1923, the Long-Bell Ferry company launched 2 auto ferries into service on the Longview-Rainier run. The first was the Washington, which began service on June 16, 1922 and then the Oregon, which began service on July 9, 1922. These ferries could hold around 30 vehicles.

During prohibition, rum runners coming from Canada would use the Pacific Highway and the ferries to get the liquor into Oregon. In the early 1920's, Cowlitz county sheriff John Hoggatt was busy arresting runners on the highway and the stills in the hills. One such incident was in 1920, when Sheriff Hoggatt arrested Victor Holt and Harvey Goffee as they were preparing to drive onto the Kalama-Goble ferry with 2 autos loaded down with booze. The runners came from Canada and together the cars had a total of 400 quarts of good quality Scotch and Canadian whiskey.

One of the more interesting episodes on the ferry during prohibition was on February 25, 1926, when charges of a conspiracy to violate the prohibition and customs laws of the United States through the bringing into the Columbia river bonded liquor. It so happened that the Pescawha which was lying off the mouth of the Columbia river was loaded with alcohol. The contraband cargo was brought in on the fast yacht Azelea and was transferred to the Kalama-Goble ferry midstream. The booze was then loaded onto the trucks and cars onboard the ferry.

The Pescawha was arrested by the Coast Guard cutter Alonquin, by Commander Wishaar, off Grays Harbor on February, 3, 1925. This was after 9 men from the wrecked schooner Caoba had been picked up by Captain Pamphlet and his crew. The Pescawha was turned over to customs officials after being towed to Astoria and then she was brought to Portland. On board at the time of capture, according to the reports of the customs officials, were 1,053 cases of bonded liquor, about one fifth of the ships capacity.

On June 28, 1924, it appeared that the Longview Ferry Company was dissolved. I could not find any more information about this, so I am not sure if it is true as the ferries continued to serve the public. The Kalama and Longview ferries would continue to run for another 6 years, when it all came to an end on March 29, 1930, after the Longview bridge was opened to traffic.