Marion Creek, flowing into Columbia Lake; Mount Marion
The Marion didn’t spend much time on the Upper Columbia, but she was one of the most well travelled steamboats in the Kootenays.
The Marion didn’t spend much time on the Upper Columbia, but she was one of the most well travelled steamboats in the Kootenays.
The Nowitka … has the distinction of being the last commercial steamboat on the Upper Columbia River.
Pert Peak is another of the “steamboat mountains”, named after a vessel that was, itself, known by a number of names.
Klahowya (kla’-how-ya): standard greeting in the Chinook jargon at meeting or parting, “How do you do? Good-bye.”
Hyak (hy’-ak): from the Chinook Jargon language meaning swift, fast, quickly, hurry, make haste.
Associated Names: Named after the Red Line group of mines at the head of the creek. The Red Line (1898-c.1902) was also known as the McDonald Mines (1902), the Ptarmigan Mines (1903-1920s), and Selkirk Ptarmigan Mines Ltd (1958-1964?)
“There is no doubt that the mine will never be reopened again, and there is also no doubt that a great deal more money was spent on the property than ever its showing of ore warranted.” (Report to the Minister of Mines, 1915)
Armstrong quickly developed a reputation in the valley as, “one of the most energetic little men I ever met.” Described as, “Short, compactly but cleanly built, with iron-grey hair, square, determined jaw and piercing black eyes,” Armstrong was also described as “the biggest little man on the Upper Columbia.”
George Paulding Farnham was an American jewellery designer and sculptor who worked for Tiffany & Co from the 1880s until 1908, including as head jewellery designer from 1891. His designs won multiple international awards and established Tiffany’s reputation as a world class jewellery house while pushing American jewellery design in entirely new directions.
The steamboat Gwendoline was merely a visitor to the Windermere Valley, having passed through only twice: once on her way up to Golden, and once going back down to the Kootenay River. Nonetheless, she does hold the title for being one of only two steamboats to successfully pass through the canal at Canal Flats.