Wahkiakum County Ferry
Photos
M/V Oscar B on approach
The ferry making it's approach at the Westport ferry landing.
Photo taken by Mike Garland in March 2015
BH Photo #320352
Description
In 1925 Walter Coates started a ferry service with two wooden boats running from Cathlamet, Washington, to Puget Island to Westport, Oregon. Coates sold his boats in 1932.Between 1932 and 1936 Arthur W. Houchen operated a boat and barge service between Cathlamet, Puget Island, and Westport. In 1936 Almar Danielsen of Puget Island took over and installed the ferry Tourist on the run. In 1938, the bridge between Puget Island and Cathlamet was built, and eliminated the need for the Puget Island to Cathlamet ferry. The ferry to Westport continued by the Tourist. In 1949 Danielsen replaced the Tourist with an all-metal 65-foot ferry named Almar. Danielsen grounded the Tourist on the beach west of the Puget Island ferry dock. The Almar ran until 1959 when the Danielsens quit the business and sold the ferry to Anacortes.
Briefly in 1960 Darrell Boylan of Richland Tug and Barge operated a 75 by 24-foot barge service. Finally in late 1960 the ferry service between Puget Island and Westport was taken over by the county. A new ferry named Wahkiakum was built in Hood River at a cost of $45,000. It began operations in 1962, and has run until February 2015.
In February 2015 a newer, larger ferry named the Oscar B. started making the run. It is the only ferry still running on the lower Columbia River.
Facts
- Overview
- Ferry across Columbia River on Westport Ferry Road/SR 409
- Location
- Westport, Clatsop County, Oregon, and Wahkiakum County, Washington
- Status
- Open to traffic
- History
- Ferry service started in 1925. Wahkiakum County took over running the ferry in 1962.
- Builder
- - Nichols Brothers Boat Builders
- Design
- Ferry
- Approximate latitude, longitude
- +46.13685, -123.37826 (decimal degrees)
46°08'13" N, 123°22'42" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") - Approximate UTM coordinates
- 10/470782/5109322 (zone/easting/northing)
- Quadrangle map:
- Cathlamet
- Inventory number
- BH 66842 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
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