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Skagit River Journal

of History & Folklore
Subscribers Edition
The most in-depth, comprehensive site about the Skagit
Covers from British Columbia to Puget Sound. Counties covered: Skagit, Whatcom, Island, San Juan, Snohomish & BC. An evolving history dedicated to committing random acts of historical kindness

Noel V. Bourasaw, editor

810 Central Ave., Sedro-Woolley, Washington, 98284
Home of the Tarheel Stomp

Mortimer Cook slept here & named the town Bug

Cargo manifest of Joshua's Green's
first trip north on the Henry Bailey in 1888

Form the Puget Sound Mail, LaConner, Aug. 3, 1967

Henry Bailey sternwheeler. From the Aug. 3, 1967, Puget Sound Mail, LaConner: "Steamer Henry Bailey named for Skipper of Steamer Wenat, which in 1876 was first steamboat to make trip to the vicinity of Mount Vernon following clearing of part of big log jam."

Joshua Green, nearing 98 years and considered pioneer of Skagit County Pioneer Association, hardly ever missing a meeting, still holds forth full time at his bank office in Seattle. A treasured memento of his early day steamboat adventures on the Skagit River and salt water sloughs, is on display in his bookcase. It is a freight manifest of cargo, all hand written in an account book and is designated as TRIP No. 1, Tacoma to Sterling, Oct. 14-15, 1888, Steamer Henry Bailey.
Joshua was the young purser then almost 19 years of age, and it was his first trip as such up this Skagit county shipping channels. He had come to Puget Sound in 1886. The route of the new freight venture was from Seattle to Tacoma, Stanwood, Fir (Mann's Landing), Skagit City, Avon, Holyoke Landing, McKay's Landing, Nookachamps, Mount Vernon, Sterling and Lyman.
Prominent shippers [for the return run] listed on manifest were: D.E. Gage, Skagit City; C.H. Mann, Fir; D.O. Pearson, Stanwood; H.E. Hartson, T.G. Pickens, Clothier & English, [all of] Mount Vernon; Skagit Railway & Lumber Co., Sterling; James Jamieson, Lyman; A.H. [Skaling], Avon.
On Trip No. 1, a few of [the shipments received] on record show: soap and tobacco, D.O. Pearson; pork and tobacco, C.H. Mann; apples, Holyoke [Landing]; laundry, Nookachamps, Skagit Mill Co.; sewing machine, H.E. Hartson, Mount Vernon; boots and shoes, Skagit Railway & Lumber Co., Sterling; [merchandise], Ed Osgoodby and A.D. Miller, Avon.

Young Joshua Green

On trip No. 40 to Sedro, March 19, 1889, [loaded] M.D. McEwan, 10 tons hay, $25.25; T.N. Ovenell, Avon, oats $14.50.
Trip No. 11, Nov. 17-18, 1888; J.B. Ball, Sterling, pig, 50 cents; H. Quinn, Lyman, liquor, 25 cents; A.v. Pressentin, Hamilton, hardware, 25 cents; A.H. Skaling, Avon, apples $1.90. [Ed. note: McEwan bought Mortimer Cook's original mill at old Sedro in 1888 and it burned soon afterwards. Sometime in 1888, Cook bought or leased the Skagit Railway & Lumber Co. company store in Sterling. The store's original owner, Jesse B. Ball — who founded the village, was ill and died in 1889 in Seattle. SR&L was led by Paul Polson of LaConner, who initially envisioned a railroad that would run from the upper Skagit River to LaConner but like more than a dozen other such companies, the tracks were only on paper. Two decades later, the Dempsey Brothers and Edward English brought the idea to life with the Puget Sound & Baker River Railroad, a logging train.]
Trip No. 2 was to Tacoma and Stanwood only — Oct. 16-17, 1888. Third trip — Seattle to Sterling, Oct. 20-22, 1888. Fourth trip, Seattle to Sterling, Oct. 24-25, 1888.

Links, background reading and sources

Joshua Green builds his steamboat dynasty

Story posted on March 17, 2003, last updated Feb. 15, 2009
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This article originally appeared in Issue 13 of our Subscribers-paid Journal online magazine

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Cargo manifest of Joshua's Green's first trip north on the Henry Bailey in 1888

Cargo manifest of Joshua's Green's
first trip north on the Henry Bailey in 1888