Back in the paddle wheel days, there were not many ways to import goods to the Okanagan. Railroads were not built until 1892 which was still a long way off, and roads were not that great, especially with nothing economically feasible to transport the goods with. The cheapest and easiest way by far was on water via the Thompson-Shuswap river system.
However, there was no water route between the Shuswap (Spallumcheen) River and Okanagan Lake (there was a canal planned but it proved to be too costly, and was never built.) The best that could be done was to take the goods as close to the lakes as possible, and take them overland. Once they got there, there was no problem re-loading goods back onto a steamer and moving the goods up and down the lakes. The townsite of Enderby is this closest point, and all goods destined for the Okanagan had to be taken as far as Enderby by paddlewheeler, then off-loaded and taken over land as far as Okanagan Lake. This fact alone is responsible for the location of Enderby today.
As for the boats that travelled the Shuswap River, they are listed below in order of appearance on the river itself.
Lady Dufferin, ca. 1878
Kamloops (#1) was the first boat known to have come up the Spallumcheen, and was built in 1872. The boat itself had 4.0 horsepower, had a registered tonnage of 11.79 and gross tonnage of 21.08. Captain Meneteau used her to carry freight, supplies; she was also used by the surveying crew for the C.P.R. But the Kamloop's most famous "cargo" was the first white woman settler up the Shuswap River to the North Okanagan; on Sept. 19, 1874, she carried Mrs. A.L. Fortune to Fortune's Landing. To emphasize the event, the Kamloops pulled into the Landing (Enderby) with whistle blowing and the Union Jack and Stars and Stripes flying. Last run of the Kamloops was in 1878.
Spallumcheen, also known as "Noisy Peggy" to those who couldn't pronounce her name properly, was built in Kamloops in 1878 by Alex Watson of Victoria. Captain Ashbury and Captain August Men navigated her from Savona's Ferry and Eagle Pass Landing (Sicamous) to Enderby carrying freight and a maximum of 25 passengers. The old threshing machine engine that operated the 80 foot sidewheeler had 4.0 horsepower, and was very noisy. The ship was 17 feet wide, 5 feet deep and had a gross tonnage of 54 and register tonnage of 51.
Lady Dufferin, was very similar to the Spallumcheen and was built to relieve some of the "stress" of heavy loads put on the Spallumcheen. This sidewheeler was built in 1878, and was piloted by Captain Mewha to carry a total of 25 passengers and 60 tonnes of freight, 52 which were registered. Her 10.2 engine powered her 87.5 length, 16' breadth, 5.5' depth, and was used between Savona's Ferry, Eagle Pass Landing, and Enderby.
SS Peerless, was built in 1881 and, at this point, became the largest boat in the Shuswap. She was 133' long, 25.5' wide, 5' deep, had a gross tonnage of 307 and registered tonnage of 256. Her 53.04 horse power engines carried a capacity of 200 passengers plus freight to a cruising speed of 18 knots (same speed as most BC ferried today!). We do not know how often captains J.D. Tackaberry and J.W. Troup brought the Peerless up to Enderby, but they did so several times.
Red Star, ca. 1888
The Red Stars were by far the most important vessels to Enderby history. They were primarily built to carry flour out to Sicamous where it could be loaded onto the train and shipped elsewhere, but they had other uses as well.
Red Star #1 was built and registered in Victoria in 1887 and owned by the Columbia Flouring Company with the office in Enderby. It was used to carry flour and mail, could carry a maximum of 12 people, and usually towed scows (barges) from Enderby to the mainline of the C.P.R. at Sicamous and back. It had a 1.5 horsepower engine, was 33 feet long by 9 feet wide with 3 feet depth. They soon found out that the Red Star #1 drew too much water (because it kept running aground in low water), so they took the machinery off her and put it on another hull which then became known as the Red Star #2 . The first hull was purchased by Alex Porteous, Allan Gillis and Roland R. MacDonald. They added 20 feet to it and called it the Okanagan. It was later resold and moved to Okanagan Lake.
Red Star #2 was built in Enderby in 1888 for R.P. Rithet, who owned the Columbia Flouring Mill. This boat was used for basically the same purposes as the Red Star #1 (carry flour, other freight, passengers, and the mail), making regular runs down to Sicamous Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, coming back to Enderby Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. We know that #2 was 57 feet long by 14 feet wide with 3 feet depth, had 36.95 gross tonnage and 25.70 registered. Although this Red Star had less trouble than the first, it would also get hung up from time to time on the sand bars in the river (giving it the nickname of "Slow Molasses"). This made time scheduling difficult because sometimes the boat would be stuck for hours, and other times it was clear sailing. The Red Star was finally abandoned when a connecting railroad line came through to Okanagan Landing from Sicamous, eliminating the need for a vessel.
Ethel Ross, ca.1902
SS Thompson was run by Captain Monteith as a log-towing vessel, although she was built to carry a capacity of 60 people in 1895. The boat is known to have taken people to the May 24th Celebration (Victoria Day) on at least one occasion. She was 94.3' long, 19.6' wide, 4.6' deep, had a gross tonnage of 149.8 and a registered tonnage of 94.38.
Ethel Ross was 84' long and 14' wide built in 1897, and was mainly used as a logging vessel on the Thompson-Shuswap River system.
Bernie Schaloske, Alan Ross
ALF School, 1989
Nyuma katika siku za gurudumu la pikipiki, hakukuwa na njia nyingi za kuagiza bidhaa katika Okanagan. Reli ilijengwa mwaka 1892 na barabara za reli zilijengwa mwaka 1892 na kwa hivyo, kwa sababu ya hali ya hewa, haikuwa rahisi kusafirisha bidhaa. Njia ya bei nafuu na rahisi zaidi ilikuwa kwa kutumia maji kupitia mfumo wa mto wa Thompson-Shuswap. Hata hivyo, hakukuwa na njia ya maji kati ya Mto Shuswap (Spallumcheen) na Ziwa Okanagan (kulikuwa na mfereji uliopangwa lakini ulithibitika kuwa wa gharama kubwa sana, na haukujengwa kamwe). Jambo bora zaidi ambalo lingeweza kufanywa lilikuwa kuchukua bidhaa hizo karibu na maziwa iwezekanavyo, na kuzipeleka pwani. Baada ya kufika huko, haikuwa vigumu kupakia bidhaa kwenye mashua ya mvuke na kuzisafirisha juu na chini ya maziwa. Mji wa Enderby ulikuwa karibu zaidi na eneo hilo, na bidhaa zote zilizokusudiwa Okanagan zilipaswa kupelekwa Enderby kwa pikipiki, kisha kupelekwa kwenye nchi kavu hadi Ziwa Okanagan. Jambo hilo pekee ndilo linalotokeza mahali ambapo Enderby iko leo. Kuhusu mashua zilizosafiri kwenye Mto Shuswap, zimeorodheshwa hapa chini kwa utaratibu wa kuonekana kwenye mto wenyewe. Lady Dufferin, karibu. "Kamloops ilikuwa mashua ya kwanza ya ""Spalumcheen"" iliyojengwa mwaka 1878." Meli hiyo ilikuwa na nguvu za farasi 4.0, ilikuwa na uzito wa 11.79 na uzito wa jumla wa 21.08. Kapteni Meneteau alitumia meli hiyo kubeba mizigo na vifaa; pia ilitumiwa na wafanyakazi wa CPR. "Kama vile ""Kamloop"" ilivyokuwa na jina lake, ilikuwa ni meli ya kwanza ya wanawake weupe kusafiri kutoka Shuswap hadi Okanagan Kaskazini, Septemba 19, 1874." Fortunate Landing Ili kusisitiza tukio hilo, Kamloops walivuka kwenye Landing (Enderby) kwa kupiga filimbi na Union Jack na Stars and Stripes kuruka. Kamloops ilitengenezwa mwaka 1878. "Spalumcheon, pia inajulikana kama ""Noisy Peggy"" kwa wale ambao hawakuweza kutamka jina lake vizuri, ilijengwa katika Kamloops mnamo 1878 na Alex Watson wa Victoria." Kapteni Ashbury na Kapteni August Men walisafiri kutoka Savona's Ferry na Eagle Pass Landing (Sicamous) hadi Enderby wakibeba mizigo na abiria zaidi ya 25. Injini ya zamani ya mashine ya kupuria iliyotumia gari la miguu 80 ilikuwa na nguvu za farasi 4.0, na ilikuwa na kelele nyingi. Meli hiyo ilikuwa na upana wa mita 17 na kina cha mita 5 na ilikuwa na uzito wa jumla wa tani 54 na uzito wa rekodi ya tani 51. Lady Dufferin, ilikuwa sawa sana na Spallumcheen na ilijengwa ili kupunguza baadhi ya "mfadhaiko" wa mizigo mizito iliyowekwa kwenye Spallumcheen. Meli hiyo ilijengwa mwaka 1878 na kuendeshwa na Kapteni Mewha ili kubeba abiria 25 na mizigo ya tani 60. Ndege hiyo ilikuwa na injini ya 10.2 na ilikuwa na urefu wa 87.5 na upana wa 16 na kina cha 5.5 na ilitumika kati ya Savona's Ferry, Eagle Pass Landing na Enderby. Meli hiyo ilijengwa mwaka 1881 na ilikuwa kubwa zaidi katika eneo la Shuswap. Meli hiyo ilikuwa na urefu wa mita 133, upana wa mita 25, na kina cha mita 1, ilikuwa na uzito wa jumla wa tani 307, na uzito wa jumla wa meli ya meli ya meli ya meli ya meli ya meli ya meli ya meli ya meli ya meli ya meli ya meli ya meli ya meli ya meli ya meli. Meli hiyo ilikuwa na uwezo wa kubeba abiria 200 pamoja na mizigo, na ilikuwa na mwendo wa mara 18 (safu sawa na ya meli nyingi za BC leo). Haijulikani ni mara ngapi J.D. Tackaberry na J.W. Kikundi hicho kilileta Peerless hadi Enderby, lakini walifanya hivyo mara kadhaa. Red Star, takriban. "Meli ya ""Red Star"" ilikuwa ya kwanza katika historia ya Enderby." Meli hizo zilitumiwa hasa kubeba unga hadi Sicamo, ambako iliweza kupakiwa kwenye gari-moshi na kusafirishwa kwingineko, lakini zilitumiwa pia kwa njia nyingine. Red Star 1 ilijengwa na kusajiliwa huko Victoria mnamo 1887 na inamilikiwa na Kampuni ya Columbia Flourish na ofisi yake huko Enderby. Meli hiyo ilitumika kubeba unga na barua, iliweza kubeba watu 12 kwa wingi, na kwa kawaida ilibeba mashua kutoka Enderby hadi kwenye reli kuu ya CPR. katika Sicamous na nyuma. Meli hiyo ilikuwa na injini yenye nguvu ya farasi 1.5 na ilikuwa na urefu wa futi 33 kwa upana wa futi 9 na kina cha futi 3. "Wakati huo, meli ya Red Star # 1 ilichukua maji mengi sana (kwa sababu iliendelea kukimbia juu ya maji ya chini), kwa hivyo walichukua mashine zake na kuiweka kwenye mwili mwingine ambao baadaye ulijulikana kama ""Red Star # 2.""" Mwili wa kwanza ulinunuliwa na Alex Porteous, Allan Gillis na Roland R. MacDonald. "Waliongeza mita 6 kwenye eneo hilo na kulitaja kuwa ""Okanagan.""" Baadaye iliuzwa tena na kuhamishwa hadi Ziwa Okanagan. Red Star II ilijengwa mwaka 1888 na kampuni ya Enderby. Rithet, ambaye alikuwa mmiliki wa kiwanda cha kutengeneza udongo cha Columbia. Meli hiyo ilitumika kwa makusudi yale yale ya Red Star # 1 (kubeba unga, mizigo mingine, abiria, na barua), na ilisafiri kwa ukawaida hadi Sicamous Jumatatu, Jumatano, na Ijumaa, na kurudi Enderby Jumanne, Alhamisi, na Jumamosi. Meli hiyo ilikuwa na urefu wa mita 57 kwa upana wa mita 14 na kina cha mita 3, na ilikuwa na uzito wa jumla wa tani 36.95 na 25.70 ilisajiliwa. "Hata hivyo, kwa kuwa Red Star ilikuwa na matatizo kidogo kuliko ile ya kwanza, pia ilishikwa mara kwa mara kwenye matope ya mto (kwa hiyo ilipewa jina la utani ""Slow Molases.""" Hilo lilifanya iwe vigumu kupanga wakati kwa sababu nyakati nyingine mashua ingekuwa imesimama kwa saa nyingi, na nyakati nyingine kulikuwa na uwazi. Meli ya Red Star iliacha kuendeshwa wakati reli ya kuunganisha ilipoanza kutoka Sicamous hadi Okanagan Landing, na hivyo kutokuwa na haja ya meli. "SMS ""Thompson"" ilikuwa meli ya kubeba mbao iliyojengwa mwaka 1895 na ilikuwa na uwezo wa kubeba watu 60." Meli hiyo ilisafirishwa kwa watu wachache hadi kwenye sherehe ya Siku ya Victoria ya Mei 24. Meli hiyo ilikuwa na urefu wa mita 94,6 na upana wa mita 19,6 na kina cha mita 4.6, ilikuwa na uzito wa jumla wa kilomita 149.8 na uzito wa usajili wa kilomita 94.38. Meli hiyo ilikuwa na urefu wa mita 84 na upana wa mita 14 na ilitumiwa hasa kama meli ya kukata miti kwenye Mto Thompson-Shuswap. Bernie Schloss, Alan Ross, Shule ya Alf, 1989