Eliza

History of the P.S. Eliza Anderson

The P.S. Eliza Anderson operated from 1858 to 1898 mainly on Puget Sound, the Strait of Georgia, and the Fraser River but also a stint in Alaska. Nicknamed the Old Anderson, she was considered slow and underpowered even for the time. It was said of her that “no steamboat ever went slower and made money faster.” With a calliope onboard blasting out tunes like “Yankee Doodle” and “Star Spangled Banner” (to the irritation of Canadians when sailing up north) she played a role in the Underground Railroad and had a desperate last voyage to Alaska as part of the Klondike Gold Rush.

Route: Puget Sound, Strait of Georgia, Fraser River, Admiralty Inlet, Strait of Juan de Fuca, Alaska, Columbia River.
Built in: Portland, Oregon
Built by: Samuel Farman’s yard, foot of Couch Street
In service: 1858
Out of service: 1898
Fate: Wrecked at Dutch Harbor, AK
Type: Inland steamship
Tonnage: 276
Length: 140’ (43m)
Beam: 25.5’ (8m)
Depth: 8.8’ (3m) depth of hold
Installed power: Low-presure boiler, single-cylinder walking beam steam engine
Propulsion: Sidewheels
Sail plan: Schooner (auxiliary)

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