Steamboats and Ferries.

[urbanlife]

Not sure where to put this, but it was a really good read about commuting via the Willamette River.

Sellwood steamboats and ferries: Public transportation, over a century ago

here are today many ways to reach the Westmoreland-Sellwood neighborhood – by car, bus, MAX, or bicycle. Public transportation still plays a role.

In the 1890’s, a streetcar ran down Milwaukie Avenue and 13th, and later the interurban rail line ran along the riverfront where the Springwater Trail is now, stopping at Golf Junction at the south end of Sellwood.

But during the early years when Sellwood was a small settlement clustered around the waterfront, the most reliable way in and out of the area was by boat. The Willamette River was the major transportation route in the state – and schooners, riverboats, steamboats, skiffs, and launches used the river for transferring trade goods, delivering freight and supplies, and for passenger service and general leisure cruises. It was a virtual highway that the farming community, business district, and residents along the Willamette River relied on for their livelihood.
http://www.pamplinmedia.com/sb/75-fe...-a-century-ago