Mascot was a sternwheel-driven steamboat built in 1890 which operated primarily on a route running from Portland, Oregon down the Willamette and Columbia rivers to points on the Lewis and Lake rivers. Points served included the town of Woodland, Washington, on the main branch of the Lewis, and La Center, Washington on the east fork. Mascot also served Ridgefield on the Lake River. Mascot operated briefly as a replacement boat on the upper Willamette River. Mascot has been described as the "prime example of a jobbing boat." Mascot was in operation from 1890 to 1911, including a 1908 reconstruction, which was a relatively long time for a vessel of its type, built entirely of wood. This sternwheeler should not be confused with the small steamboat Mascot which operated at about the same time on the Alsea River and Yaquina Bay. Mascot was operated a route that ran between Portland, Oregon and the Lewis and Lake rivers in Cowlitz and Clark counties in southwestern Washington. Although Mascot was profitable, it had a series of sinkings and other accidents giving it a reputation as a "hoodoo" boat, that is, a jinxed vessel. Much of this reputation was simply newspaper derision, but there were also several fatal incidents, including at least two apparent suicides or attempted suicides and two instances of fatalities to crew members. Mascot was rebuilt in 1908 at Portland for the Lewis and Lake River Co. Mascot burned in 1911 on the Lewis River. Construction Who built Mascot is disputed in the sources. In 1901, it was reported that one river man recalled that Charles Bureau had built and named Mascot, and that when Capt. Bureau could not make a profit from the boat, he sold it to Jacob Kamm, who is usually credited with its construction. Mascot’s hull and cabin were built entirely of wood. Dimensions Mascot was long, exclusive of the extension of the main deck over the stern, called the fantail, on which the sternwheel was mounted. Mascot had a beam of exclusive of the heavy timbers along the upper hull called guards. The steamer had a depth of hold of feet. Mascot measured out at 267.35 gross tons (a unit of volume, not weight) and 199.46 registered tons. Mascot’s original merchant vessel identification number was 92253. After Mascot was reconstructed in 1908, a new merchant vessel identification number was assigned, 204927. Engineering Mascot was driven by