When the SS BEAVER sailed out of the mouth of the Columbia River in 1836 she marked the beginning of the transition from sail to steam on the Pacific Coast. She made the voyage from England to Fort Vancouver under sail alone. Her engines were fitted at the fort, and from then on she was essentially a steamer. Built by the Hudson's Bay Company for the fur trade, she served briefly as a government survey vessel before ending her days as a tug, shorn of all signs of her sailing origins. She ended her days as a wreck in the entrance to Vancouver Harbour, a victim of fog, both natural and alcoholic.
Beaver crossing the Columbia River Bar, June 25, 1836
Watercolor 19” x 29”
BEAVER trading on the North Coast. 1836
Watercolor 14" x 21"
BEAVER Gastown Morning
Watercolor 14" x 21"
BEAVER Gastown Evening
Watercolor 14" x 21"
